These are the best Meal Train ideas to bring to someone going through a major life event to show your support. From classic casseroles to hearty breakfasts to sweet treats, there's a dish here everyone will love.
Meal Train Recipes
No matter what someone is going through, bringing a meal to that person can be so meaningful.
Whether it's a person who had a baby, underwent surgery, is dealing with a medical issue, has experienced a loss or is going through a transitional time (like a move or career change), bringing them a meal during tough times can be so powerful and helpful.
Taking the meal planning off their plate and putting food onto it is a big relief, no matter what they are going through.
A meal train is a great way to support them during a difficult time. There are so many options for meals that you can bring to someone!
Breakfast items like muffins and casseroles, main courses like casseroles and soup, side dishes, snacks and desserts are all great things to bring to someone in need — and we've rounded up over
Want to organize lots of meals for someone? Here's how to organize an excellent meal train they'll remember.
What Is a Meal Train?
If you've never heard of a meal train, it is a community-driven effort to provide meals for a family or individual in need, such as after the birth of a new baby, during an illness or recovery period, or any other major life event.
The meal train typically consists of a schedule with different people signing up to provide a meal on specific days.
The most common way to organize a meal train is through online platforms like mealtrain.com. Feel free to keep it old school and jot down people's information on pen and paper if that's your speed.
When to Bring Food to Someone
There are so many reasons you could bring a warm meal to a friend, coworker, neighbor or family member. They — and their whole family — will be so appreciative.
Here are some major life events that might be a good reason to send a meal:
- new family member: just had a baby, adopted a child or welcomed an exchange student
- medical: recent surgery, sickness, tough diagnosis or any ongoing medical issue
- grief: experienced the loss of a family member or friend, death of a pet, miscarriage
- transitional time: moving (friends or a new neighbor), career change, deployment or job loss
- mental health: going through a difficult time emotionally
- just because: If you love someone, do you need a reason?
Best Meal Train Ideas
The recipes below are my favorite dishes to bring to someone. When friends ask me what they should make for someone in need, I always send them these Meal Train ideas:
Best Meal Train Ideas
When organizing or bringing meals to a friend as part of a meal train, these few dishes are simple and nutritious. Some are even a lovely, sweet treat.
Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
This chicken wild rice casserole is a classic, quick dinner option that the whole family can enjoy. This casserole is made with chicken, cream of celery and frozen veggies. This recipe is a simple twist on a comforting casserole that the whole family will love.
Quick Loaded Baked Potato Soup
This lighter baked potato soup option is perfect for a hearty meal that won't weigh you down but does not skimp on flavor!
Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
These gorgeous blueberry muffins are naturally dairy-free, so they're perfect for anyone with a sensitivity.
Quick and Easy Minestrone Soup
Within 30 minutes, you can have this hearty, flavorful, and healthy minestrone soup ready for their next meal. Make a double batch to keep some for you.
Italian Wedding Soup
They'll enjoy this classic Italian wedding soup packed with vegetables like onions, carrots, and celery for their next meal. For protein, toss in a few meatballs or bring a bag of frozen meatballs for them to add themselves. You can use chicken, beef, pork or veggie meatballs in this soup.
Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Pulled Pork
Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Pulled Pork is a flavorful slow cooker meal perfect for busy families! This pulled pork is made with salsa verde that you can buy at the store, so this is a two-ingredient dish! Serve this with classic southern sides like mac & cheese, green beans and a big jug of sweet tea.
Blueberry Preserve Mini Loaves
This recipe for blueberry preserve loaves is a twist on a family classic recipe. These mini loaves are perfect for a gift they can snack on or freeze for later! This quick bread recipe is easy to make and the flavor is perfectly balanced.
Easy Beef Taco Soup
This beef taco soup is packed with traditional taco ingredients like black beans, corn, onions, and tomatoes. Keep it mild rather than spicy in case the recipients aren't fans of spice.
Cinnamon Apple Muffins
These Cinnamon Apple Muffins are spiced, soft and sweet, and oh-so-cozy. They are perfect for fall but can be enjoyed all year long!
Broccoli Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Homemade broccoli baked macaroni and cheese is a recipe every one should know how to make! It's perfect for bringing to a friend. This homemade broccoli macaroni and cheese is made with corkscrew pasta, homemade cheese sauce and broccoli and finished with a crispy breadcrumb topping.
M&M Cookie Bars
Thick, chewy and colorful M&M Cookie Bars are a great treat to share with friends and neighbors. They'll be a big hit with kids especially.
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas are the perfect weeknight dinner to share. These enchiladas are made with flour tortillas, instead of traditionally used corn tortillas. They are stuffed with shredded chicken mixed with cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and cheese. The whole dish is topped with cheese and spicy green chile sauce! It's packed with flavor and is the perfect dish for any family!
Vegetarian Breakfast Casserole
This Vegetarian Breakfast Casserole is packed with veggies. This is a great one for new parents as well as anyone who is grieving — breakfast can be hard to put together.
Banana Chocolate Chip Yogurt Muffins
With just bananas and chocolate chips as the sweeteners, these healthy banana chocolate chip yogurt muffins are soft, gooey and guaranteed to put smiles on the faces that try these.
Green Chile Egg Casserole
For anyone who likes a little spice, this green chile egg casserole is perfect for breakfasts and brunches.
Vanilla Glazed Strawberry Orange Scones
Elevate their next breakfast with a batch of sweet and citrusy vanilla glazed strawberry orange scones.
Lemon Blueberry Scones
Lemon Blueberry Scones are the perfect way for them to start their morning! These flaky scones are filled with blueberries, topped with lemon glaze and are so easy to make!
Confetti Cupcakes
Confetti Cupcakes are topped with a delicious homemade buttercream frosting. They're the perfect bakery-quality dessert that you can make in right in your own home! This is a great one for anyone celebrating a big life change, like a new job or baby.
We couldn't stop there. Here are even more ideas to bring to your next meal train, broken up by type of dish:
Breakfast Ideas
Breakfast is a great meal to bring. Many people think "dinner" when it comes to bringing meals, but breakfast is just as welcome. It's often an afterthought for someone who is going through something big.
- Coffee Cake Muffins with Coffee Glaze
- Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Simple Fruit Salad
- Bacon Breakfast Scramble Bowls
- Mashed Potato Chorizo Breakfast Tacos
- Egg Muffins with Sausage and Kale
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Donuts
- Bakery Style Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins
- Apple Cinnamon Granola
- Ham and Cheese Quiche
Easy breakfast ideas: Bring over beans/grounds and creamer for their mornings or pick up an order of coffee drinks and pastries from their favorite coffee shop one morning. A Starbucks gift card works if you're far away.
Lunch Ideas
Like breakfast, lunch is also an afterthought. Here are some great lunch ideas for anyone going through something:
- Grilled Turkey Burgers (with a side of Grilled Zucchini and Squash)
- Spinach Turkey Orzo
- Turkey Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet
- Strawberry Vinaigrette Spinach Salad
- Spinach Salad with Mandarin Oranges and Berries
- Chicken Broccoli Orzo Casserole
- Broccoli Cheese Quiche
- Vegan White Bean Soup
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Easy lunch ideas: Bring over a pre-bagged salad kit or offer to pick up lunch from their favorite spot. You could also send them a Grubhub or Doordash gift card for a lunch treat.
Meal Train Dinners
Dinners are a popular meal train choice to bring, because no one wants to spend time over the stove when they're going through something tough. (Even happy things can be tough.)
- Easy Ground Turkey Stir Fry
- Sweet Potato Turkey Burgers
- One-Pan Chicken Piccata
- Baked Chicken Meatballs
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Grilled Chicken Fajitas
- Pan-Seared Peach Balsamic Chicken
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Shrimp Stir Fry Freezer Meal
- Chili Pot Pie With Cheddar Drop Biscuits
- Ham and Potato Soup
- Cheesy Zucchini Ribbon Lasagna
Easy dinner ideas: Pick up the fixings for tacos or burgers, even if it's a box of frozen burgers or chicken that they can heat up. Don't forget to grab a bag of lettuce, cheese, salsa and sour cream. Or Venmo them some cash to grab takeout from their favorite spot.
Side Dish Ideas
It's always a nice idea to include some side dishes with your main dish. Here are some of our favorite ideas:
- Oven Roasted Green Beans
- Easy Oven Roasted Broccoli
- Roasted Rosemary Potatoes
- Easy Cheesy Potatoes
- Easy Pasta Salad without Mayo
- Goat Cheese Rosemary Drop Biscuits
- Bacon Potato Salad Without Mayo
- Slow Cooker Bacon Jalapeño Creamed Corn
- Crispy Sheet Pan Potatoes
- Balsamic Vinegar Sweet Potato Kale Sauté
- Honey Roasted Whole Carrots
- Gluten Free Buttermilk Cornbread
- Oatmeal Dinner Rolls
Easy side dish ideas: Many grocery stores pre-package side dishes like mashed potatoes and veggies, so pick up a few for them to enjoy alongside a rotisserie chicken.
Desserts & Snacks
Something sweet to snack on or to enjoy after a meal is an excellent way to show your love and give them a boost of comfort. Here are some of our favorite recipes for treats to make:
- No Bake Buckeye Bars
- Cinnamon Cookies
- Mini Lemon Cheesecake Bites
- Coconut Lime Cookies
- Cereal Bars
- Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
- Mini Apple Spice Rum Cakes
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Cheerio Bars
- Strawberry Vanilla Cupcakes
- Chocolate Covered Strawberry Brownies
- Peanut Butter Protein Balls
- Walnut Coconut Hemp Seed Bites
Easy dessert ideas: Whip up a box of brownie mix or grab some treats from a local bakery. You could also send them a cookie delivery from Crumbl or Insomnia Cookies.
Easy snack ideas: Put together a box of assorted munchies, like popcorn, nuts, chips or cookies. Boxes of granola bars or protein bars are also super helpful for busy families with a lot going on.
Meal Packaging Tips
There are a few other tips you'll want to follow when packaging your meal:
- Reheating Instructions: Let the recipient know the best way to reheat your meal. Whether that's in the oven at a certain temperature for a set amount of time or even in the microwave.
- Label Containers: Write the dish's name and the date it was prepared. This will help the recipient keep track of what meals they have and how long they've been stored.
- Freezer-friendly containers: Thanks to this meal train, your friend will receive a lot of food. They'll need to freeze some of it to keep it fresh. So make sure your containers are freezer-friendly!
- Portion the meals: Portion the meals into individual servings to make it easier for the recipient to reheat and eat. This also helps to ensure there's enough food for everyone in the family.
Let me know in the comments your favorite dishes to give and receive during tough times!
Madison | A Joyfully Mad Kitchen says
You're so welcome Raia 🙂
Sharon @ What The Fork says
Thanks for including my Ham and Cheese Quiche! This is such a great list of recipes, pinned it to reference later!
Madison | A Joyfully Mad Kitchen says
Thanks Sharon! Your ham and cheese quiche looks delicious, I can't wait to make it!