Casseroles/ideas for Making Meals for Others

Feel free to PM me and I'll give you a long list! I've delivered 8 meals in the past 2wks and am always on meal delivery duty :)

I like to do fajita's. Fry up a flank steak, slice it. Grab some tortillas, cheese and a bag of lettuce. Maybe some rice in a pouch. Easy.

Hamburger/Tater Tot Casserole sounds like a trainwrek but is actually quite tasty!

for an 8x8 pan, press 1 lb. lean ground beef in bottom of pan. Sprinkle w/half envelope of onion soup mix. Spread 1/2 can of cream of chicken/or cr of mushroom soup on topm of that. Layer the top with rows of frozen tater tots. Bake at 350 for about 45 mins.

hi -
here is info on how to freeze foods http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Freezing-Foods-A-Real-Time-Sa...

here is how to freeze fruit/veggies: http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/How-to-Freeze-Fruits-and-Vege...

how about making bread, scones, and freezing it? any pasta dish would work (mac and cheese, baked ziti)

Here are a couple of recipes:
Baked Ziti

The test kitchen prefers baked ziti made with heavy cream, but whole milk can be substituted by increasing the amount of cornstarch to 2 teaspoons and increasing the cooking time in step 3 by 1 to 2 minutes. Our preferred brand of mozzarella is Dragone Whole Milk Mozzarella. Part-skim mozzarella can also be used, but avoid preshredded cheese, as it does not melt well. For tips on cooking with cottage cheese, see related How To Cook.

Serves 8 to 10
1 pound whole milk cottage cheese or 1 percent cottage cheese (see note)
2 large eggs , lightly beaten
3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
Table salt
1 pound ziti or other short, tubular pasta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
Ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream (see note)
8 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese , cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups) (see note)

See Illustrations Below: Baked Ziti Gone Bad
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan together in medium bowl; set aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain pasta and leave in colander (do not wash Dutch oven).
2. Meanwhile, heat oil and garlic in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in ½ cup basil and sugar, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Stir cornstarch into heavy cream in small bowl; transfer mixture to now-empty Dutch oven set over medium heat. Bring to simmer and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce, and ¾ cup mozzarella, then stir to combine. Add pasta and stir to coat thoroughly with sauce.
4. Transfer pasta mixture to 13- by 9-inch baking dish and spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over pasta. Sprinkle remaining ¾ cup mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan over top. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
5. Remove foil and continue to cook until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons basil and serve.
-------------------------------------------------

Buttery Raisin Scones
2 cups Flour
2 teaspoons Baking powder
2/3 cup Sugar
1/3 cup Butter
1/2 cup Raisins
1/4 cup Chopped walnuts
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Sour cream
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Beat together first 4 ingredients until mixture resembles coarse meal. Beat in raisins and walnuts. Beat together eggs, sour cream and vanilla until blended and add, all at once, to flour mixture. Beat until blended. Do not overbeat.
Spread batter (it will be very thick) into a greased 10-inch springform pan and sprinkle top with 1 teaspoon sugar (optional, but nice).
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until top is browned and a cake tester, inserted in center, comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan. When cool, remove from pan and cut into wedges to serve.

Note: Dried currants can be substituted for the raisins. Walnuts can be omitted, but are a nice addition.

----------------------------

EXCELLENT Cinnamon Raisin Bread (from allrecipies.com)

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
3 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup raisins
8 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:
1. Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Let cool until lukewarm.
2. Dissolve yeast in warm water, and set aside until yeast is frothy. Mix in eggs, sugar, butter or margarine, salt, and raisins. Stir in cooled milk. Add the flour gradually to make a stiff dough.
3. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for a few minutes. Place in a large, greased, mixing bowl, and turn to grease the surface of the dough. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled.
4. Roll out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle 1/2 inch thick. Moisten dough with 2 tablespoons milk. Mix together 3/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon, and sprinkle mixture on top of the moistened dough. Roll up tightly; the roll should be about 3 inches in diameter. Cut into thirds, and tuck under ends. Place loaves into well greased 9 x 5 inch pans. Lightly grease tops of loaves. Let rise again for 1 hour.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes, or until loaves are lightly browned and sound hollow when knocked. Remove loaves from pans, and brush with melted butter or margarine. Let cool before slicing.

Here are some other Casserole recipes:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pizza-Casserole/Detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Hash-Brown-Casserole-II/Deta...
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Noodle-Casserole-I-2...
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/French-Toast-Casserole/Detai...

have fun :)

When I had my youngest my favorite meal that was brought to me was chicken salad, croissants, fruit salad and veggies. With older kids in the house it was easy to just grab and go. I wouldn't recommend freezing it but just thought I would throw it out there. I even made and delivered this to someone else when it was my turn! :-)

Chicken Tetrazzini is always a crowd pleaser and freezes beautifully. Lasagna is another.

If they like Mexican food, chicken spaghetti is easy and yummy.

There are several great recipes on Food Network's site for all. Oh, and try www.thepioneerwoman.com. Her Fancy Macaroni is the best I've ever had!

Good Luck!

Here are 2 soup recipes. When I've taken these, I cook the meat, and then put all the rest of the ingredients mixed in a gallon sized food storage bag, and then bring the toppings on the side. Kind of different than a casserole. :)

For the following 2 soups, I keep all the cans together in one bag for ease
Taco Soup

1 pkg Taco Seasoning
1 pkg Ranch Dressing mix
1 can creamed corn
1 can corn
1 can pinto beans
1 can Ranch Style beans
1 can Ro’tel tomatoes (diced tomatoes w/ green chilis)
1 large can stewed tomatoes (28 oz)
1-2 lbs. browned hamburger

Combine all and cook until heated. Can also cook in crock pot. Top with chopped green onions, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, etc.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 onion chopped (or ¼ c. dry minced)
2 cloves garlic minced (or 1 tsp. garlic powder)
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 (10.5 oz) can chicken broth (I often use more broth and less water...add to desired "brothiness")
1 ¼ c. water
1 c. corn (I use a whole can, undrained)
1 c. hominy (hard to find a small can of this!)
1 (4oz.) can chopped green chilis
1 can black beans, rinsed
2 cans chicken breast (if you want, you can of course use fresh cooked chicken...this just allows
me to keep all the cans together in a bag and have an easy dinner)
¼ c. chopped cilantro

Simmer all together until hot, or cook in crock on low 6 hours or so....I don't think you can overcook it! Add in cilantro toward end of cooking time, or reserve to top. Top with crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, chopped green onion, avocado, sour cream etc.

There's one using cooked burger, frozen hash browns and gravy, seasonings - yum.
Chicken with Honey Teryiaki Sauce (Tastefully Simple product - available thru July unless they bring it back full-time come Fall). If you don't have someone to order thru, let me know and I'll send you a link to order thru a party for lowest shipping.
I know Baked Ziti is easy, kid-friendly and yummy, but consider that EVERYONE makes that and drops it off, so they're probably sick of it.
Mac & Cheese; add tomatoes and/or burger for the grownup's dish, leave the kids' dish plain.

Crock pot meals are easy and delish.

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Super-Easy-Lazy-Stuffed-...

Cheesy Hashbrowns and Ham Casserole
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Cheesy-Hash-Browns-and-H...

Cordon Bleu Casserole
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Cordon-Bleu-Casserole-Su...

My personal favorite:
Stove Top Tamale Pie
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Stove-Top-Tamale-Pie-78897

Another family favorite:
Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Chicken-and-Broccoli-Cas...

Easy Ravioli Casserole
* 1 (25 ounce) package frozen cheese ravioli
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 2 zucchini, sliced into "coins"
* 1 (28 ounce) jar three-cheese pasta sauce
* 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic, oregano and basil, drained
* 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Layer ravioli and zucchini (I like to do them verticle, since they fit easier, alternating ravioli and zucchini into rows) through out the greased baking dish. Pour tomatoes on top, then spaghetti sauce on top of tomatoes.
3. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until casserole is bubbly. At the last ten minutes (after the casserole is bubbly) sprinkle cheese over top.

Beef and Rice Skillet Dinner
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Beef-Rice-Skillet-Dinner...

Chicken Risotto (Slow cooker style)
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Chicken-Risotto-175329

Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Stewed Tomatoes
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Baked-Macaroni-and-Chees...

Good luck!

My go-to dish is baked ziti. I add ground turkey to make it heartier. You can even add eggplant, mushrooms, etc. I cook up a pound of ground turkey and a box of ziti (or penne or whatever). Mix up the cooked ziti, 1 jar of sauce, 1 small container ricotta, half a container of shredded motzarella (? spelling), the cooked ground turkey, and add oregano, italian seasoning, and basil to taste (I use a lot of seasoning). Put the mixture in a 13X9 baking dish and sprinkle with remaining motzarella. Because everything in it is already cooked, you can just bring it without baking it and let them warm it up in the oven when they are ready to eat it.

Poppyseed Chicken
(This is a good meal to take to others because it makes a lot and you can keep enough for you to eat on as well.)

Ingredients

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 (16 oz) sour cream
2 chopped up chicken breasts; cooked and seasoned
2 teaspoons poppyseeds
1 sleeve Ritz crackers
about 1/2 cup butter

*Rice (to serve over)

Directions

1. Mix cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, sour cream, and poppyseeds together in bowl. Add cooked, cubed chicken.
2. Place in baking dish.
3. Melt butter in bowl. Crush Ritz Crackers and mix in with butter. Spread this over the soups in baking dish.
4. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly.
5. Serve over rice.

Lasagna and spaghetti are always a + in my book. Lasagna will freeze and so will spaghetti sauce. For spaghetti, you don't have to cook the noodles, just send the unopened box. You can also send along a salad with those &/or a box of frozen garlic bread sticks. There's also ham...or ham, cabbage & potatos. If the friend or ones in need live near a town, perhaps even have a pizza delivered to them or even drop one off yourself. Soups are also good--especially homemade ones. Meatloaf does well too. Good luck!

Any pasta dish with freeze well. Do a pasta bake with rigatoni or ziti, sauce, then cover with a lot of mozzarella cheese. Don't bake it at your house, leave it for them to bake when it's time. That way you don't take it over hot when they already have another plan. They can refrigerate it for a day then bake it themselves for 30 minutes.

I like to use Stove Top! I have a chicken and pork recipe for you.

Boneless skinless chicken breasts (about a pound), 1 box chicken flavored stove top stuffing, 1 can cream of chicken soup, shreded cheddar cheese

Make stove top as directed and place in bottom of casserole dish. Brown chicken on both sides in a little butter in a fry pan and place on top of stuffing. Mix soup with 1/2 can milk and pour over top, sprinkle cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 45 mins

1 llb boneless pork chops, 1 can apple pie filling, 1 box pork flavored stuffing

Place apple pie filling on the bottom of a casserole dish, brown pork chops in a little butter in a fry pan and place on filling. Make stuffing as directed and spread on top of pork chops. Bake 375 for 45 mins

Send a can of green beans (and I put cranberry sauce with the chicken dish) and you're all set!

My little girl and fiance love spaghetti casserole.
Basically you make regular spaghetti. Take a pound of hamburger cook that up and then mix it with the spaghetti (normal size box) and sauce when it's done. Not too much sauce just enough to have it all covered.

Throw it into a pan, sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on top, put it in the oven until the cheese is melted.

Pretty simple dish and my 15 month old loves it.

I always make a stirfry with chinese noodles. It freezes, and has something in it for everyone. Plus if they dont like something in it, they can just pick it out and move it to the side. I also do the same with white/brown rice. Just pick a meat, the vegies you like, the type of noodle/rice, and the sauce (i like teriyaki). I also do a lot of lemon chicken over rice and vegies. Its really nice of you to do this, not a lot of people do anymore. I grew up where when anyone had passed away or had a baby my mom would immediately cook something and take it over.