If you’re looking for the recipe of the week, scroll on down for Baked Italian Pasta, my favorite easy meal to make for others.
A few weeks ago, I found out that one of my close friends had just had surgery – and didn’t tell me. I was concerned – and a little bit hurt. Not surprised, though.
- Concerned, because this friend has three young children who, I would imagine, make recovery from surgery more difficult. Plus, it just sounded painful!
- Hurt, because if I’d known, I would have offered to watch her kids. And though she probably would not have taken me up on that offer, I would have insisted on at least bringing her dinner.
- Not surprised, because my friend never asks for help. And, as a matter of fact, often refuses it when it’s offered.
While it’s certainly admirable to be self-sufficient and independent, I appreciate friends who let me in and let me help.
In other, pre-crazy Tom Cruise words: Help me help you!
I love helping friends when the opportunity arises. More often than not, sharing a helping experience – from schlepping moving boxes to last-minute babysitting to searching for a lost dog – creates a deeper bond than we had before. After all, admitting that you need help is opening yourself up to a certain level of intimacy.
Plus, friends have helped me several times – in a big way – and I’m still so very grateful for that. I think of friends watching Annalyn just last week while I attended a conference. I think of a friend who, several years ago, mailed me a gift card after I admitted that the ends that had barely been meeting…weren’t anymore. And I think of the friends who, with just a few hours notice, let us spend the night in their guest room (with our CATS, even) when our heater broke during the coldest week of winter.
I love it when friends accept an offer of help. It makes me feel good to help them. And one of my favorite ways to help friends in most any difficult situation is to take them dinner.
My go-to meal for new moms, grieving families and injured friends is baked pasta. It’s super easy to make, it travels well, and it’s simple to fix later. Also, I typically split the recipe and make a pan for us and a pan to take to someone else.
I’ve also recently taken chili to my friend Kimi, who has been down and out with a badly broken leg. And if she’ll let me, I’m planning to take her some pulled pork (recipe to come soon) next week.
Do you ever take meals to friends? What meals do you usually fix?
Baked Italian Pasta
1 box of mostaciolli (or penne or ziti)
1 lb. ground beef, browned and seasoned
Chopped onion
3-4 cups spaghetti sauce (I use Prego)
2-3 cups shredded mozzarella
Boil, rinse and drain the pasta. If you’re going to freeze this dish, only cook it to al dente. Otherwise, cook it as much as you want (personally, I’m not a fan of crunchy pasta).
Saute the onions with the ground beef. Season with garlic and basil (I suppose fresh would be ideal, but I always use dried.), then add sauce. Use whatever amount you need to create the sauce consistency you like. My husband prefers his baked pasta on the saucy side, so I err on the side of more sauce.
Mix the drained pasta with the meat sauce. Pour into 9×13 pan (or two 8×8 pans, if you’re sharing one of the meals with a friend). Cover with cheese. Typically, I use regular shredded mozzarella, but if I actually plan in advance, I get Four Cheese Italian. And YUM. It makes all the difference in the world.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with Caesar salad and bread (both easily transported sides!).
A few other tips for taking meals to friends:
- Always use disposable dishes. The last thing your friend wants, whether she’s caring for a newborn or hobbling around on a broken leg, is to return a bunch of Pyrex platters.
- Also, take paper plates and utensils with the meal so your friend doesn’t have to worry about doing – or ignoring – dishes.
- Finally, if you’re coordinating several meals for a friend, consider spacing them out every other day or so. Most easily portable meals (a.k.a. casseroles) yield plenty of leftovers, so don’t overcrowd your friend’s fridge with your generosity!
Have you ever had meals delivered to you? What was your favorite to receive? My friends brought me meals after Annalyn came home from the hospital, and my favorite was chicken enchiladas…and the chocolate chip cookie dough that I just happened to leave out when I told Mark what our friend brought!
This post will be linked to Mouthwatering Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, What’s Cooking Wednesday, Works for Me Wednesday, Fabulous Food Fridays, Foodie Friday, Grocery Cart Challenge, Friday Firsts and Food on Fridays. It will also be linked to Debbie Does Dinner and Presto Pasta Nights.
{Don’t forget to come back this afternoon for the first of our Week of Giveaways!}
I’m the type of person who has a hard time letting others take care of me. I’m getting better, though, and when my brother died unexpectedly this past March, I had a co-worker insist on bringing meals. And it was really the Best. Thing. Ever. I’ve decided that I’ll never turn down someone’s offer for a meal again. It was such a blessing. I’ve also received a few meals for after babies and surgeries. But really, the ones I got after my brother’s death were real lifesavers, since I didn’t have an ounce of brain left in me at that point.
Favorites to receive: stuffed shells (or any pasta meal), chicken enchiladas, or soups.
Favorites to take: my pasta bake recipe, soup and chicken enchilada.
My pasta bake recipe (aka Cheesy Mostaciolli) is very similar to yours, except, I season my meat with salt, pepper, oregano, parsley, basil and garlic. I don’t use onion in mine. I also use 1 jar of Prego, 1 can of cheese soup 3 cups of shredded mozzarella (divided) and 1 box of mostaciolli noodles. Cook noodles as directed, brown meat with the spices, drain. Mix soup and sauce together. Add in drained meat. Mix sauce with noodles and 2 cups of mozzarella cheese. Spread sauce-noodle-cheese mixture in a sprayed pan. Top with 1 additional cup of mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until heated through and bubbly. YUM.
Thanks for sharing this – I loved the post and have printed off the recipe!
Oh, my. Adding cheese soup?! I say there’s no such thing as too much cheese, so that sounds wonderful!
Thank you for this – the reminders to allow oneself to be cared for — it is something that I don’t think about with regard to others. I mean, like you – if a friend is in need and has not asked for help, it makes me sad…SO I need to remember to let others know when I really need assistance.
Happy Monday – and speedy healing to your friend!
ek
Thanks, Elizabeth. It was a good reminder for me, too – to allow others to care for me by helping me when I need help.
Lately we take a smoked chicken and roasted potatoes and salad to friends. The chicken cooks in our electric smoker and is divine. The potatoes are easy to prepare and so yummy. And salad comes in a bag. ;)
We have had lots of meals given to us. With our last baby we had meals every other day for a full month!!! Our favorite was roasted chicken with potatoes and green beans. It was all cooked in one pan with more butter than I want to know about and it was so, so good.
We have used a calendar website in the past to coordinate meals for families. I don’t remember what it was called, but it was neat because you could see what other people were bringing and make sure there was variety and you could set up a reminder email. Genius.
Oh, yeah; the calendar website! That is a really neat tool. I’ll have to see if I have it bookmarked.
I don’t know if this is the one you had in mind or not, but this is the one I’ve used before: http://foodtidings.com/
Thank you for sharing that website. I just saw one that our church is using: http://www.takethemameal.com.
Oh, how I wish I’d been the person to think up a website to coordinate meals!
We had dinner brought to us several ties after each of my children were born. I was ravenous so everything everyone brought was super good. The standouts in my mind were chicken spaghetti and roast with potatoes. Particularly when recuperating with the baby, I prefer something I can hold and eat, but isn’t too messy. My mom makes big loaves like hot pockets but that you just cut into pieces and I think those always make good take away dinners.
My friend, who lives in another state, had her mother-in-law (who lives near us) bring us chicken spaghetti after my daughter was born. The food was good, but even more, the sweet consideration of both my friend and her mother-in-law was so appreciated!
I was a youth group leader when my great-aunt died. The girls in the group put their heads together and delivered a sweet care package and homemade chicken quesadillas and a salad. I was so touched that these teens reached out in this way! I don’t remember anyone doing the same when my Grandma died but that’s probably because friends would drag me out of the house for dinner- I had hermit-like tendencies as a result of my grief.
All that to say, I love being able to make a meal for my friends. After a baby, illness, loss, whatever…the moment I know something is up, I start planning the meal. I don’t really have any go-to meals because I love to cook and I love tailoring the meal to whatever their preferences are. My only rule is that it be easily portable- otherwise I’m not above cooking it at their place, cleaning up the cooking mess, and then leaving them in peace to eat. Or rocking their newborn so they can eat:)
Leigh, it’s awesome that your girls did that!
I love taking meals to friends because I will never forget what a blessing it was to me when we had our son 4 years ago. It’s just the best to have a hot meal show up when you are not feeling your best and have no time to cook. I’ll never forget the first meal–breaded pork chops with scalloped potatoes (does that make me so weird?). Mmmmmm. I don’t really have a go-to meal, but I often make something like that (breaded chicken or pork) and some sort of mac and cheese type dish. I also try to throw something in for breakfast, like a box of cereal or frozen waffles. And, a dessert–always dessert!
Yes, I loved it when people brought dessert. What a treat – sweet AND I didn’t make it myself!
I’m a pasta girl and LOVE it!
Me, too. LOVE pasta!
Found you on WFMW, that’s a great idea about taking paper plates and plastic utensils so they don’t have to worry about ANYTHING after dinner. We have lots of babies being born in our church so I’ve been taking lots of meals.
I seem to always have extra plastic/paper stuff around here, so it’s easy to toss it in with the meal!
Great post! I just made a hearty beef and potato casserole, rolls, and chocolate chip cookies (those were purchased) as well as a loaf of my homemade banana nut bread (for breakfast) for the family of a coworker who is hospitalized with cancer. It was the first time I’ve done anything like that and I know it will continue. It is one way we can share our love and support, through fed bellies. I love your recipe and will keep it too!
Taking breakfast, too, is so smart! I want to start doing that!
This looks wonderful! Great post!
Do you want to submit this to Presto Pasta Nights? I’m hosting this week. You can get details in this post! We’d love to have this featured!
http://debbidoesdinnerhealthy.blogspot.com/2010/11/pepperoni-pizza-pasta.html
I love this post. I love helping friends and also feel a bit hurt when they don’t let me…and then turn around and struggle with help myself. I have a meal to take to someone this week. I think I will take this pasta, thanks.
I have a great chili to take to people, 1 lb ground turkey, 1 fresh mild salsa, 1 can black beans, brown turkey, add salsa and beans. You can add chili powder if you like some “kick”.
I’ve never thought of adding salsa, although I put Ro-Tel in my chili, so it makes sense!
What great tips for being an excellent friend. Hope you plan on sharing this delicious dish with Presto Pasta Nights as well.
What Megan’s Making is collecting recipes to take to people:
http://www.whatmegansmaking.com/2010/11/meals-to-take-and-request-for-help-wfmw.html
Here are some of my favorite things to take (and to eat, myself!):
Honey Baked Lentils are very comforting with baked squash or sweet potatoes:
http://blog.earthlingshandbook.org/2007/12/03/honey-baked-lentils.aspx
A rich yet vegan pasta dish that reheats well or is good at room temperature:
http://blog.earthlingshandbook.org/2007/11/15/improved-pasta-salad.aspx
Nutritious quick bread for breakfast and snacks:
http://blog.earthlingshandbook.org/2009/03/09/raisin-bran-bread.aspx
To freeze, wrap in foil and then in a plastic bag and squeeze out all the air.
I’ve also done frozen burritos. Just wrap in waxed paper so they don’t stick together, and you can reheat them individually in the oven or microwave.
Smart idea about wrapping the burritos in waxed paper. I just saw a recipe for those this morning, and it suggested paper towels. I actually think waxed paper would be better, though. Thanks!
Thanks for posting this. I have a friend who is a soon to be new mom and I wanted to make her a dish for when she gets home. I will give this recipe a try.
I hope she enjoys it. I know she’ll appreciate your kind gesture.
When I had my first baby my favorite thing was when someone brought over a gallon of milk with dinner – I was so wanting comfort food and it was awesome.
Since then, I have taken a gallon of milk with dinner and have heard, “I’m so glad you brought milk – we ran out and I haven’t made it to the store.”
Also, I keep a batch of spaghetti and meat sauce in my freezer so I can always say yes to taking a meal without trying to figure out when I will have time to cook.
SO smart! Especially for families with other children, I bet!
Hey Mary! I work on the Prego sauce Facebook Page. We love your recipe photos and want to share it with our Facebook community! Do you give us permission to share it on our page?
If you have the meal frozen, do you thaw it BEFORE you bake it for the 30 min at 350? Or is that time/temperature only if it’s been in the fridge?
How should this be cooked after it is frozen? Do you thaw it 1st or just cook it longer?
Oh, Deidra, I just now saw your comment. I apologize for taking so long to reply! I’ve always thawed out the pasta before baking it.