What Meals Do You Make for Sick Friends/Neighbors/Family Members?

[tarheelmjfan]

We have a very sick neighbor. She isn't able to do anything, so her SO is having to do all the cooking & cleaning + work. I've been trying to take food for them on Sundays that will last a few days. I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't do a lot of cooking for my family anymore. DH & I work long hours, so we eat a lot of takeout. When I do cook, it's usually vegan for DS, so I'm quickly running out of ideas for carnivores. DH & I will eat anything, so cooking for carnivores isn't a problem, if only I could think of more ideas. I try for main dishes/meats that will last 3 adults for 2 to 3 days. Side dish suggestions that I can pair with the main dish/meat would be perfect. I've been trying to take 2 or 3 side dishes to go with the main.

So far I've made:
pulled pork bbq w/buns
baked spaghetti
chicken casserole
slaw
potato salad
baked beans
tossed salad
garlic bread
mashed potatoes
green beans
corn

Obviously, it hasn't taken me long to run out of ideas & I don't want to repeat anything this soon. We live in South Florida, so soups, chilis, roasts or any other cold weather foods don't really work with the current temps. I can think of a few things DH can grill & a few side dishes, but that's about it. Any suggestions for complete meals would be fantastic. Naturally, foolproof recipes would be even better. I need some. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[low-key]

have some pre paid pizza delivered and some Chinese

 

[xlxo]

To clarify... what is the neighbor sick with? Was there an injury? Are they able to move? Are they able to go to the bathroom?

Thoughts...

• KFC normally work wonders.
• variety helps when they get tired of the same food. Work your way down the street with different take out each time.
• what's their fav food?
• if they are mobile.... perhaps go out for a few meals?

 

[Wendy31]

You are so kind to help out your neighbor like this!

I normally do a chicken pot pie or a beef & noodle casserole dish (hamburger meat browned w/ onion & green pepper, tomatoes/tomato sauce, & egg noodles baked w/ cheese on top), but you've already done a chicken casserole & a baked spaghetti.

For a while, I was taking dinner every now & then over to DH's parents. In addition to the chicken pot pie & beef & noodle casserole (which we call goulash), I did a beef roast w/ potatoes & carrots, lasagna & green salad, pulled BBQ pork w/ baked beans & slaw, chicken tortilla soup w/ tortilla chips, & a sausage & rice casserole - many of the things you've already done! LOL!

W/ the sausage & rice casserole, I also made a frittata & took some fresh fruit - but you could do a quiche instead.

Maybe an Italian pasta salad w/ grilled chicken - it works well in hot weather.

A ham might work well too, & there would be leftovers. Maybe a ham w/ some kind of potato (hash brown casserole?) & green beans?

Takeout works well too - maybe some fried chicken?

 

[ronandannette]

My go-to is a whole chicken cooked in a roasting bag along with potatoes, carrots, onion and celery. It's a complete meal when I send a bag of salad and some buns along. Easy to make and can be re-heated as-is by the recipient.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

have some pre paid pizza delivered and some Chinese

Those are my backup plans, when I don't have time to cook.

To clarify... what is the neighbor sick with? Was there an injury? Are they able to move? Are they able to go to the bathroom?

Thoughts...

• KFC normally work wonders.
• variety helps when they get tired of the same food. Work your way down the street with different take out each time.
• what's their fav food?
• if they are mobile.... perhaps go out for a few meals?

She's barely mobile & only leaves the house to go to the doctor & back. Her diet isn't restricted. We live in a urban area & can walk to places like KFC. That combined with Chinese, pizza & other takeout options are my backup plan. We'll probably go through all of them eventually. I'm not sure about their favorite foods. We have asked if there's anything they don't like, so I would know what to avoid. Like DH & I, they will pretty much eat anything.

You are so kind to help out your neighbor like this!

I normally do a chicken pot pie or a beef & noodle casserole dish (hamburger meat browned w/ onion & green pepper, tomatoes/tomato sauce, & egg noodles baked w/ cheese on top), but you've already done a chicken casserole & a baked spaghetti.

For a while, I was taking dinner every now & then over to DH's parents. In addition to the chicken pot pie & beef & noodle casserole (which we call goulash), I did a beef roast w/ potatoes & carrots, lasagna & green salad, pulled BBQ pork w/ baked beans & slaw, chicken tortilla soup w/ tortilla chips, & a sausage & rice casserole - many of the things you've already done! LOL!

W/ the sausage & rice casserole, I also made a frittata & took some fresh fruit - but you could do a quiche instead.

Maybe an Italian pasta salad w/ grilled chicken - it works well in hot weather.

A ham might work well too, & there would be leftovers. Maybe a ham w/ some kind of potato (hash brown casserole?) & green beans?

Takeout works well too - maybe some fried chicken?

Great suggestions. I hadn't even thought of ham. I'm definitely adding that to the list. A hash brown casserole or potatoes au gratin would go great with that. I'll look for recipes for your other suggestions.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

My go-to is a whole chicken cooked in a roasting bag along with potatoes, carrots, onion and celery. It's a complete meal when I send a bag of salad and some buns along. Easy to make and can be re-heated as-is by the recipient.

Thanks. Great idea.

 

[ronandannette]

Thanks. Great idea.

I totally LOVE roasting bags!! You can do what I mentioned with basically any kind of meat - it comes out tender and juicy and the vegetables are kind of "basted" by the juices as it cooks. Honestly, it's a real winner for sending a meal. (Don't forget to season everything well though - you can actually buy some seasoning packets that come with a cooking bag - they turn out great!!)

 

[amberpi]

I make a cold couscous salad with tons of veggies as a side for that kind of thing because it keeps well. Then I'll usually do kebabs with meat or just veggies if they're vegan and a yogurt/cucumber raita kind of thing. Not the usual and not "out there." Hard to mess up too!

 

[scrapquitler]

How about a roasted chicken, a turkey breast or a spiral ham? All are easy to make and great to send to someone who can just use the leftovers to throw together and easy meal for a second or third night. Add a salad and a couple side dishes (pasta salad, cut up watermelon) and you're good for a couple days. Add some hard rolls and they can make sandwiches with the leftovers.

 

[Disney_traveler]

My grandma always made me grilled cheese on wheat bread. All my cousins and I were white bread people, but it was only "brown bread" at Mawmaws. When I can home from an emergency hospital stay a few years ago, she even surprised me and came by my house with one as soon as I was home.

It saddens me to think that one was the last one I'll ever get. Haven't been that sick since and she has come home on hospice, doesn't speak, doesn't recognize us and is either unmoving in chair or bed.

Glad for the memories.

 

[katie01]

I'm going to be taking a meal to my neighbors, I'm debating between lasagna (this could be made meatless or with meat) with salad and garlic bread, or this recipe, with rice and maybe a side of fruit it's a complete meal: https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1681106

 

[kimblebee]

For everyone that cooks for sick friends..I can pm my address and you can take it however you want LOL

 

[ronandannette]

For everyone that cooks for sick friends..I can pm my address and you can take it however you want LOL

I hope you've got a strong, supportive community of family and friends to help out with your upcoming convalescence.

 

[kimblebee]

I hope you've got a strong, supportive community of family and friends to help out with your upcoming convalescence.

I have a few weeks of meals in the freezer and I'm sure if I asked my mom to help with my supply if I got desperate. All my siblings gave me
Gift cards after my last surgery so hopefully they'll do that again this time.

 

[xlxo]

She's barely mobile & only leaves the house to go to the doctor & back. Her diet isn't restricted. We live in a urban area & can walk to places like KFC. That combined with Chinese, pizza & other takeout options are my backup plan. We'll probably go through all of them eventually. I'm not sure about their favorite foods. We have asked if there's anything they don't like, so I would know what to avoid. Like DH & I, they will pretty much eat anything.

To clarify... what restricts her mobility? Age? A disability?

Is she "picky" about food? Does she have chewing issues where food needs to be minced? Does she have a small appetite?

Hopefully she isn't lactose intolerant.... Cheese in Pizza can be hard to digest.

Urban environments can mean lots of food choices to experiment with.

When visiting the doctor.... consider hitting a restaurant after the doctor's visit for variety.

My loved one came down with cancer and was disinterested in eating. We were very concerned as her weight dropped. However, she always wanted to try different things and I leveraged this opportunity. A couple of cruises each year brought her spirits and appetite up. With regards to mobility outside the home..... a transport chair made a huge difference for her and me the caregiver..

 

[Poohforyou]

I would do something like a roast chicken (probably from Costco), salad and rolls. As much as I'd appreciate someone bringing a casserole, it wouldn't get eaten in our house. I think my family would settle for scrambled eggs instead.

Also, given that it's summer I'd even do some nice cold cuts, a pasta type salad with lots of vegetables and some nice bread or rolls.

 

[Gracie09]

Enchiladas
Stew with rolls
Chilli
Baked potatoes with fixings

 

[CarolAnn856]

You could put together everything needed for fajitas.
Summer salads are good, too, like spring mix, berries, walnuts, chicken, and feta cheese. Deliver with some raspberry dressing and bread.

 

[Elle23]

What about cooking up a batch of taco meat? You can add the fixings plus tortillas/ shells and even tortilla chips if they want to make nachos.

Taco meat usually reheats well.

* When I typed meat, it auto corrected to meatloaf. There's another idea!