These meals are simple, easy, and flavorful. They turn out perfect every time, making them the best meals to take a friend after they've had a baby, surgery, or a bad day.
I love being able to bring someone a meal after they have brought a new baby into the world, had a surgery, or just a plain bad day. I know we've been the recipient of many kind and wonderful meals over the years, and they're something that fills me with so much gratitude.
When taking a meal to a friend, it can feel super stressful coming up with a recipe everyone will like. Or something that's easy to make, tastes good, and turns out every time so there is no second guessing the cooking process. If you're looking for the best meals to take to a friend, these should steer you in the right direction.
Rules for Bringing Dinner to a Friend:
There really aren't any major rules, but try sticking to normal basic foods and don't get too exotic with anything. Always try to give the food in dishes that you don't want back so that your friend doesn't have to worry about containers or labeling dishes to give back to the right people. Be up front with them and tell them you don't want the container back so they can either keep it or throw it away without guilt.
15 Best Meals to Take to a Friend:
5 Ingredient Lasagna: This recipe is a classic go-to in our home. It only takes 5 ingredients, you don't need to boil the noodles ahead of time, and it tastes simple and amazing. Bring it to someone in a foil container, add a bag of salad, and a loaf of bread from the bakery section at the store for a side, and you've got a simple and delicious meal!
10 Minute Weeknight Stir Fry: This dish is perfect because you have carbs, veggies, and everything in one dish. Simply pack it up in one container and you're good to go. I made mine vegetarian in this recipe, but you could add chicken or beef to add some bulk to the meal!
Beef Vegetable Soup: This is one of my all time favorite soup recipes. It's another perfect one dish meal to bring to someone, but you could also add a loaf of bread from the bakery section at the store as well.
Our Favorite Butter Chicken Recipe: We do not eat Indian food on a regular basis, but we do LOVE this chicken dish. The sauce is easy to make with pantry staple ingredients and it tastes amazing every time! Bring it to a friend by giving them a container of the chicken, another container of cooked rice, and a bag of frozen veggies they can steam in the microwave!
Four Ingredient Pot Roast: If you need to bring someone a larger meal, or a nice Sunday dinner, this roast is a family favorite in our house. The roast cooks in the slow cooker all day with the carrots and potatoes. When you need to bring it to your friend, transfer everything to a foil baking dish, cover it up, and you're good to go!
Ham and Brown Rice Casserole: This is such an easy meal to throw together and is perfect if you're feeding a family that has small kids. My kids loved this when they were toddlers and it was a meal I could make in about 15 minutes. To bring this to a friend simply package it up in one container and you're good to go!
Sloppy Joes: Is there anyone who doesn't love Sloppy Joes? This is another great meal to bring to a family. After you cook the meat, transfer it to a container, and then give your friend a bag of buns, and another container of chopped bell peppers or cucumbers as a side and the meal is complete!
Sweet and Sour Meatballs: This crockpot dish is super easy to make with only three ingredients and is perfect if your friends love Asian flavors. Package the cooked meatballs up in one container, some rice in another, and a frozen bag of veggies for them to steam in the microwave when they're ready to eat!
Quick and Easy Black Bean Soup: This is a great vegan option to bring to someone who follows a more plant based diet. You could bring them some bakery bread to accompany the soup to round out the meal!
Baked Ziti: This recipe produces a lot of food and is perfect if you're feeding a crowd. To round out the meal for a friend, bring them a fresh loaf of bread from the bakery section and a bagged salad.
Chicken Noodle Soup: Is there anything more comforting than chicken noodle soup? This is always a great option to bring to a friend, and you can turn it into a full meal with a loaf of bread and a bagged salad from the store.
Four Ingredient Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas: These are literally the easiest enchiladas you'll ever make. To round out this meal you can cook up some black beans and rice, package everything into different containers, and pass it off to a friend. (Enchiladas will be best baked in a foil baking dish when giving to a friend).
Orzo Salad with Artichokes and Sausage: This is probably the most wild meal on the list but it is so delicious. It's full of flavor, the artichokes add a great texture and flavor without being harsh, and it's just good comfort food. This can stand alone as a one pot dish, but you could also give a bag of frozen broccoli to go along with the meal.
Toddler Friendly Chili: This is a go to meal in our house. It can be made in about 20 minutes, isn't super spicy, but full of flavor that the entire family will love from the littlest of eaters all the way up to the adults. Serve with a side of cornbread and you have a quick and easy meal!
Vegetable Fried Rice: You could totally add chicken to this to give it more bulk, but this is another great vegan option for friends who are plant based. I actually remember someone giving us chicken fried rice after we had Kyle and it was one of my favorite meals someone had given us.
If you liked this post, 15 Best Meals to Take to a Friend, you might also like:
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