Reaching out casseroles is a collection of helpful recipes and casserole-type dishes that can be prepared ahead and dropped off to help out a friend, family, or neighbor in need of some support.
There comes a time when things just seem to fall apart for friends or family in your life, sometimes it’s due to a job loss, sometimes it’s due to an accident, a birth, a medical emergency, and sometimes death. For those folks going through one of these situations, the last thing on their mind is preparing healthy, filling meals for the family (or guests that are often dropping by!)
Reaching out Casseroles
Casseroles are wonderful because they can be prepared in small or large quantities, as needed. These are dishes that are typically prepared in 9″ x 9″ or 9″ x 13″ aluminum foil pans – and only need to be heated in the oven for 20-30 minutes to serve.
Casserole Style Dishes:
- Lasagna
- Shepherds Pie
- Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie(Paleo)
- Baked Mac & Cheese
- Chicken Bog
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Easy Crockpot Beef & Broccoli
- American Chop Suey
- Sweet & Sour Kielbasa
- Creamy Pesto Chicken over Bow Tie Pasta
- Ham & Broccoli Mac & Cheese
- Mexican Fiesta No-Bake Casserole
- Santa Fe Style Chili Casserole
- Turkey Sticky Balls
- Lil’ Smokies
Cold Dishes:
Sweets/Desserts/Snacks
- Nutella Dreams (No Bake)
- Apple Walnut Butterhorns
- Banana Bread
- Cherry Cheesecake Cookies
- Good Neighbor Cake
Other non-food helpful things you can do:
- Drop off a large (clean!) trash can with fresh bags, paper plates, plastic ware, and napkins. Chances are the family will have numerous people coming and going and will need lots of plates/plastic ware.
- Rake (if needed) or mow the lawn, shovel the driveway (winter storms), or even the roof, if necessary
What are your favorite dishes that feed a large number of people fairly inexpensively?
© Can Stock Photo Inc. / Marmeladka
fresh fruit in a bowl (thrift stores and garage sales often have these for a quarter) that doesn’t need to be returned. this doesn’t need to be expensive. purchase seasonal fruit and don’t go overboard on quantity.
coffee, creamer, and disposable coffee cups are a big help and easy to keep on hand.
when my husband died in an accident at 44, a friend picked up and did the laundry every week for the three of us for a month. She told me that if there weren’t any undies included, she’d tell my friends I didn’t wear any! I included my undies!
LOL
my husband and i would always send a ham and a case of pop to help someone out! they could always freeze the ham for later use!
we will frequently make a lasagna (not cheap tho’) , a loaf of grilled parmesan/garlic toast, a tossed green salad with italian dressing, and a lemon-poppy seed bundt cake with a lemon butter-cream glaze. we plan the dishes to serve 8-10 people and hope that if that isn’t enough for everyone, it at least adds to the dishes they have to help feed extra people. Everyone has really enjoyed this combination and has indicated that it really was a great help.
We really enjoy being able to help with a good meal!
besides the trash can and plastic plates, we have always sent a large package of toilet paper, paper towels, and kleenex. just like the plates and plastic-ware, there is always a need for those items.
i love this article and will refer to it often, thanks!!
when i was recuperating from a 21day stay in the ICU my friends and neighbors made or delivered meals for my family for an entire month. Some people made casseroles, some brought by restaurant food and others sent gift cards for restaurant meals. I was a mom of two young children and newly divorced.
I honestly don’t think I could have made it through that tough time without the help of these selfless people.
baked chicken and noodles is a fairly inexpensive and easy to prepare dish, whether in small or large quantities. a whole cut up chicken, a large bag of noodles (size? sorry i don’t look at bag weights…
i should start doing that lol) a large (family-size) can of cream of chicken soup, a small bag (around 2 cups I think) of frozen mixed vegetables, and your favorite cheese (about 1 cup or to your taste). I prefer to cook my noodles and parboil the chicken first, so I can’t tell you how to do it otherwise…. mix all except the chicken in a 9×13 pan, put the chicken on the top, season with your favorite chicken seasoning and bake about 30 minutes, till bubbly, sprinkle on the cheese and bake another few minutes just till cheese melts.
You can debone the chicken after parboiling if you want, but it’s a lot of extra work! i guess you could also use boneless, skinless breast, but that adds to the cost… quick, easy, filling, tasty, nutritious and inexpensive!
best of all you can change/add your favorite ingredients to suit your own tastes. how do you make yours?? i love to try new recipes!!
thanks for sharing. i think i got a new idea out of almost every comment. so thanks again ladies.