Meal ideas for chessed

ra_mom

Sat, Dec 14 2013, 7:44 pm

I have sent roasted chicken, vegetables and baby red potatoes along with fresh brownies.
Meatballs, spaghetti, zucchini soup, poached pears.
Chicken cutlets, farfel, mushroom rice, split pea soup, cut up fruit.
Shredded beef buns.
Burgers with all the fixins.
Honey chicken, farfel, steamed vegetables.
Creamy baked ziti, Greek couscous salad, crudites and dip.
Whatever works/is easy for me at the time/specifically requested, I send.
Sometimes I send add a few roasted hot dogs and buns if there is a family of many children and I don't know what the kids will eat.
And if I have the time/items available I like to send a bottled beverage, plastic cups, plates, cutlery, napkins...
Oh, and most important, deliver by 5:00pm!

Last edited by ra_mom on Sat, Dec 14 2013, 7:54 pm; edited 1 time in total

Mrs Bissli

Sat, Dec 14 2013, 7:52 pm

The standard is to cater three-course meal. For starters I usually bring soup (tomato, roasted pepper, butternut squash, Chinese sweetcorn) a bit extra potion so that the family/new mother can have leftover for lunch. For main, it really depends on family circumstances. I'd like to do a bit fancy ones for couples who had first child (so it's almost like them going to a restaurant, as they'll probably miss that for a while), something like braised lamb or stuffed chicken rolls. For families with children, something more palatable, schnitzel, meatballs, brisket, that kind of things. Some cooked side vegetable, and a starch. For dessert it's either crumble or cake, maybe fruit salad if I have time, possibly jelly if there are children.

The most important thing is to find out food likes/dislikes,
Ask how many people and ages of children
Tell the family around what time you'll be delivering meals.

smss

Sun, Dec 15 2013, 4:59 am

Mrs Bissli wrote:

MrsBissli, that is amazing of you to do that! can you send me dinner next time I have a baby? Smile

for me personally, if I knew I had to cook like that, I'm not sure I would EVER say yes when someone asked me if I could send a meal. Smile

if it's a postpartum mother (as opposed to someone who just moved or something like that), I do try to send a protein, healthy-ish starch, and veggies (I.e. not baked ziti or that kind of thing). for example:
chicken, rice and green beans
soup, tuna quiche and salad
tuna casserole (made w/ veggies & mashed potatoes) and salad

FranticFrummie

Sun, Dec 15 2013, 5:32 am

This week I had the stomach flu of DOOM, followed by a vicious sinus infection and lingering tummy troubles. A dear friend of mine called to see if I wanted a ride to our weekly shiur, and I told her I couldn't make it. She asked me what I needed, and I said "I need you to adopt me for a couple of days. I need a MOM!" I asked her to make some of her famous chicken soup, which always comes out better than mine.

She brought me two quarts of chicken soup with half a chicken in it and lot of veggies, potato kugel, Israeli salad, some tangelos, basmati rice (yum!), and some packets of peppermint tea. Everything was packaged up beautifully in a lovely carrier, and it was absolutely perfect. There was enough left over that I didn't have to cook for Shabbos Friday night, which was great because I was still feeling really worn out.

This woman has bikur cholim and shiva meals down to a science. I am in awe of her in so many ways. I can only aspire to be the cook and tzadekes that she is.

a1mom

Sun, Dec 15 2013, 11:16 am

I always send
protein veggie and starch or protein salad and starch- sometimes I make a small veggie platter with dip as the veg as that always seems to go well- usually cut up cucumbers, baby tomatoes, carrot sticks and baby corns
fruit platter or cups for dessert
all plastic cutlery, plastic plates and cups and bowls, a disposable table cloth
all food in disposable containers

I work full time so I usually drop off the meal the day before, I write instructions on the food so they know how to reheat it. sometimes I will call and ok with the recepient if I bring the food raw but ready to go into the oven so it's really fresh- usually oven baked chicken cutlets are sent that way.

I try and find out any specific dislikes so that I don't send something that won't get eaten.

sample menus
tilapia with sauteed veggies for adults, fish sticks for kids, couscous, veggie platter, fruit cups

oven baked chicken cutlets, sweet potatoe cubes, make your own salad kit- I send lettuce and different cut up veggies in individual baggies with dressing and croutons on the side, fruit platter

baby blintzes, split pea soup, whole wheat rolls, tuna salad, veggies sticks and dip, fruit platter

butternut squash soup, ziti, breaded fish and salad kit with fruit cups

chicken fajita mix, yellow rice, wraps, salad fixings and fruit

sloppy joe, fresh bagguettes, salad kit, cut up tomatoes and pickles and clementines - this is the quickest one.

I usually volunteer for sunday or Monday night as I don't like being rushed.

bubbebia

Sun, Dec 15 2013, 3:14 pm

Where I live there is no standard of how many courses you need to send along. You just do what you can and often, especially for Shabbos, people will band together for meals.

That being said, there are a couple of things I tend to make for chesed meals. If a family has a bunch of kids I will tend to make kid-friendly meals like macaroni and cheese with a veggie/dip platter with some kind of cookie for dessert. Or a big pan of lasagna. I've also made pizza because, unless you make it yourself, pizza ain't available here. People here don't generally eat a soup with every meal like they do in B'lyn so the only time I make soup is for Friday night. And meat is hard to come by so it's either milchigs or chicken. Kid-friendly chicken meals include chicken fingers with dipping sauces and home made fries and a veggie/dip platter. If I am able to get enough ground meat I will make spaghetti and meatballs. I also do turkey burgers with homemade fries or a turkey meatloaf with rice pilaf.

I do pack things, generally, in disposables, but not always. When you live in a small community like I do it's never much of a big deal to return a pot or platter.

coconutbutter

Wed, Jan 29 2014, 3:47 am

BUMP. Wow- everyone makes a TREMENDOUS amount of food...do you have your dinners 4/5 course as well? Soup, main, 2 sides, and dessert!? That's Shabbos for me!

I'm making meal for someone PP and want to make nice, generous meal but honestly cannot afford to make such a large menu.

I know chicken soup is great, ultimate comfort food but is it "nech" to send that as a dinner? I don't really see what more you need when you've got protein, vegetables and optional Lukshen on the side for carb... But tell me straight up if that's not done or if there's more I would need to send...

m in Israel

Wed, Jan 29 2014, 4:18 am

coconutbutter wrote:

I don't know how it is where you live, but in all the areas that I have lived in, sending only soup (even chicken soup with chicken in it) would not be considered sending a complete meal. Soup is viewed as an appetizer or side when you are sending a Chessed meal. (I have no problem serving it as a meal to my kids -- in fact that is our weekly Sunday meal -- leftover soup from Shabbos with kneidlach -- but I wouldn't send it over to someone else).

I don't think you need 4/5 courses, though. I usually do a main, starch and vegetable when I send something -- usually not soup and dessert. If I would send soup it would be in place of the sides, not in place of the main dish.

If you can't afford to send a separate protein main dish, maybe split the meal with someone else -- offer to send the sides/ soup and they can send a main.

theoneandonly

Wed, Jan 29 2014, 4:18 am

coconutbutter wrote:

I don't think chicken soup is enough to send for dinner. Keep in mind a PP woman is generally nursing and therefore much more hungry than usual.

RachelEve14

Wed, Jan 29 2014, 6:38 am

No, chicken soup is not enough but you don't have to do an expensive dinner. How about a one pot supper. Chicken with potatoes under and a veggie or salad on the side is a nice simple meal. If you can't do more, volunteer to bring soup or soup + challah for Shabbot (my go to, it's hard for me to cook extra and deliever during the week)

Ilana Tamar

Wed, Jan 29 2014, 8:02 am

Wow! Some people REALLY go all out! Luv being the recipient of a dinner like that.

The reality is that I'm not a gourmet chef and don't have time to patchke. Or the means to spend excessively.

I usually send a starch, protien, veggie and some sorta dessert. It tends to be basic and wholesome.

I.E. Chicken and rice, spagehetti and meatballs or even pizza and french fries. (French fries and pizza dough both of the frozen variety) veggies r usually cut up with a dip or I'll send a bag of baby carrots, or a bag of lettuce with a bag of halved cherry tomatoes, and a pkg of croutons + a dressing. Dessert is never fancy. (We generally don't even have dessert during the week.) It can be applesauce, cut up melon or prepackaged store bought cupcakes.

And since I am the queen of disposables (David Suzuki hates me) I usually include cups, plates, napkins and cutlery. This step was inspired by the time I came into a neighbor's house and she'd been unwell for sometime and receiving dinners. There was a mountain of dirty dishes in each of her sinks, which I stayed and washed. Took me an hour to finish. Since then, EVERYONE I send meals to, gets plastic.

DrMom

Wed, Jan 29 2014, 8:08 am

I am so impressed with your energy and creativity.

I must say that after I had my first child, I really didn't expect anyone to provide us with food. I never even thought about it (our shul has a committee that handles stuff like this, and I was ~new to the community). I was so touched that people brought us Shabbat meals. It was a very lovely idea, even if I had no problem cooking on my own.

spinkles

Wed, Jan 29 2014, 4:13 pm

Quote:

So something like a pot of butternut squash soup with a pan of chicken is acceptable? I really don't want to be cutting corners but I'm trying to figure out what's acceptable and practicable for me.

It's not really considered a full meal. How about you skip the soup, and instead send: chicken, Israeli salad, rice.