I didn’t intend to be off the blog for that long but the rush of the end of term, a house full of sick people, my twins finishing school up to homeschool and some very sad news from our school have kept me away. We lost one of the mums in our class and it has just been such a sad time of shock, prayer and heartbreak. Heartbreak for a family because you just can’t imagine leaving your own family behind or losing your loving partner. Please keep them in your prayers.
One of the things I’ve been doing is pulling out my cookbooks and going through the blog, planning meals that take a bit longer but are loved by my family to share with the family in our class.
I thought I’d share a few of my favourites from the blog and I’ve offered some tips at the end for when I’m taking meals to others. If you’ve got a tip be sure to let me know as we always learn something new.
Set aside your afternoon for this one but it’s top of my list this week. Drop off bread, salad and even a bag of pasta. I would put the meatballs in a container or two and freeze straight away. You could reheat in the oven or because it’s a very ‘saucy’ meal you could place in a saucepan and gently reheat that way.
I make this by doubling the ingredients, use fresh lasagne sheets and place into alfoil containers. If I’m making for another family then I don’t cook the lasagne. After assembling, I then wrap tightly in alfoil, place in a few grocery bags and freeze. It can be defrosted or go straight in the oven. I cook them in a 180C oven for at least 1 hour and a bit more if frozen. You have to adjust the cooking time depending on the size of the container you’ve used but when it’s golden and bubbling and cooked in the centre. You can also use beef mince in this recipe.
To make a vegetarian version you just replace the chicken mince with finely chopped vegetables. Just add more of the same that you have used like carrots, zucchini, celery. It’s delicious and I’ve made a few times.
Somehow I went from buying 500g mince to 1kgs and now I just buy 2kgs mince and cook all at once. Sign of a large family. This is a delicious recipe. I now double the quantities and do 2 at once. Always popular.
One of the most popular recipes on the blog. So easy and so delicious.
This is a delicious chicken roast baked in cider. Super delicious and easy. I would make this and then place all in a big foil roasting tray and take to the family. One of the dishes that I would let them know you’ve got dinner covered that night.
You can play around with the fillings for this one but it’s delicious. Also the chicken and lemon risotto is also delicious. I would make the risotto. Place dabs of butter and some grated cheese on top, wrap it all up tightly in foil then freeze or take to the family. Nice with a salad and garlic bread
roast chicken and smoky sweet potatoes
chicken and chorizo with quinoa
Why yes, I do love chicken!
broccoli and cherry tomato quiche
great for the vegetarians, health nuts or for lunches. Quiche is so great with a salad and garlic bread or crusty bread.
And now for some sweet treats
Don’t be alarmed by the huge quantities. Make them to keep and give away. For our family I do them in our own dishes and then half the rolls go into foil trays. Wrap tightly in foil, freeze and then don’t take long to heat up in the oven from frozen. You will become everyone’s best friend with this recipe…well except for your jeans.
all time favourite from one of my all time favourite cookbooks, monday morning cooking club. If you don’t have the book and love to cook for other people then get it! I’ve put the thermomix instructions for you in the recipe.
my best ever chocolate brownies
I don’t even make another brownie recipe, only this one. Been making it since before I got married and never switching to another one. I’ve included instructions for big quantities too.
carrot cake with cream cheese frosting
an oldie but a goodie and everyone loves it!
A few last tips I’ve learnt from taking meals to another family
make it as easy as possible, no dishes to wash or return
a sweet treat never goes astray
write the ingredients and cooking time. Put in options for defrosting and cooking frozen.
think of side dishes. Garlic bread and a salad bag are easy to pop in a freezer bag with your dish
check there are no allergies/dietary requirements for the family
supermarkets have a pretty good range of alfoil containers including ones with lids and also party stores have a great supply as well
think of the family size when cooking the meal
pinterest is FULL of ideas for meals to make ahead and freeze
double the ingredients and cook one for your family and one to give away
I don’t cook my lasagnes anymore. I prepare the lasagne, wrap it all up tightly and freeze and let the family cook it. It seems to taste better that way.
Some yummy ideas there. I usually fall back on the tried & true recipes, lasagne or pasta bake. When I have been really unwell & friends from church have brought us meals it has always been really helpful when they added a side dish if needed to make it a complete meal without me needing to do extras eg a salad with the lasagne. It is always lovely to find a little treat. Your sweet stuff ideas look so good. One friend who wasn’t into baking brought along a small tub of icecream & a bottle of ice magic to squirt over to have after the meal she made. No matter what people made us the ingredient that shone through the most was love, I really appreciated people thinking of us.
Great round up, Corrie. Bad news is so heartbreaking, even when you’re not directly affected by it. Love and prayers for your family and the grieving family too. X
My heart goes out to that family it would be terrible, my thoughts and prayers are with them . Love the recipes too. Hugs and love to you and your family z d for all those affected by this tragedy life can really be cruel sometimes ❤️
What a brilliant blog post. I know I’ll be referring back to this one. Prayers for your school friend and her family. Tragic for a family to lose their mum
The gift of food in a time of crisis is good for the soul, theirs and yours. Your recipes all look so wonderful!
A few years ago, I was on the receiving end of many casseroles cakes and meals after my husband dropped dead suddenly. We still had three school age children. I was SO grateful for the food people dropped around and eternally grateful I had a large chest freezer to put it all into!. Your hints are very practical Corrie, and I am sure have blessed that family who is so gutted by what has happened. They will be overwhelmed by everything at the moment, but my girls still refer to one of the women as’ ‘she made that yummy salmon roulade’. The look of those sticky buns will ensure they will be talked about and become a sweet memory in the midst of this horrible time.
A great post on how to help out.. Such a difficult and heartbreaking time for the family.. My heart goes out to them and to you all grieving such a loss. You are in my prayers and thoughts xx