Adding a new family member into your home is a big deal – whether that’s a grandparent coming to stay with you, a new animal, a baby or a foster/adoptive kiddo. You think through all the logical things that will happen and make practical adjustments but there’s always the mental and emotional toll which you can’t fully predict. Then there’s the physical challenge of delivering a baby, or chasing after a puppy or the like. During this period of change nothing slows down – laundry still needs to be done, bills still need to be paid and you still need to eat. Having help with the food bit is a very traditional show of support, and to the recipient it feels like a deep showing of love. As Cambria from The Kitchn wrote, it’s a life line in a crazy time. I also love all of her recommendations of what to consider when putting together food for a family going through big changes.
A couple months ago I polled my social media audience about meals to bring to a new mom and recipes expectant parents should make before baby comes. If you follow me on social media then you’ll know that in August 2019 we welcomed our second son into our family (and if you don’t follow me, pause here and follow me instagram facebook pinterest). When our first son was born I had naively assumed that people would be bringing us meals and we wouldn’t need to worry about much. That’s not quite how it turned out – in fact we got zero dinners or snacks for our freezer so I was starting from scratch. While I find cooking and baking therapeutic, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from delivery number two or from having two littles under 4 so I wanted to be more proactive. I’ve compiled the round up of food for expectant parents to make in a separate post (recipes to make as an expectant mom), but this one is devoted to what you should or could bring to a family with a new baby at home.
Muffins – one handed snacks and meals are a lifesaver and muffins are a great option to go from freezer to microwave, lots of these are delicious with a bit of butter and or nut butter and more filling that way too! Some of our favorite muffins are: banana , oat , apple.
Chili & cornbread w/ fixings – whatever your family recipe is, I’m sure it’s delicious. Don’t portion out the cheese or sour cream or salsa – just bring the whole containers. But do slice up an avocado for them along with some limes.
Salad – casseroles and freezer meals are wonderful in that you can use them whenever, but fresh vegetables cannot be beat. Also the varied textures in each of these salads makes them a great option as a break between all the mushiness of casseroles. ANything you throw together at the salad bar would be great, but if you need a more formal plan try one of these: Blueberry Broccoli Spinach Salad, Apple Cranberry Bacon Kale Salad , my taco salad or this Corn and Grilled Zucchini Salad.
Cheeseburger quiche – my dear friend Kristen brought this and a nice salad recently. It was such a treat to have an easy and balanced meal ready for us. Not to mention it was delicious!!
Enchiladas – There are many different kinds of enchiladas but most are delicious, proteins, tortillas, sauce and cheese… What’s not to love?! We make a very fast easy kind with poached or rotisserie chicken and canned enchilada sauce which is great for weeknights. I’ve also made Chef Marcela’s absolutely delicious sweet potato enchiladas, absolutely not suitable for a busy working momma or new momma to make on a weeknight but a fabulous treat if someone made and brought to her. Here’s a middle of the road recipe which is also delicious.
Tacos – I saw this article years before I had Charlie and always thought it was the cutest idea! If anyone’s offering, we would always be down to accept a taco gift box, but swap Pacifico for the Guinness! Another option is a quick run to Costco for their taco platter – you might think that you need to make what you bring, but I would wager that most parents would be perfectly content with anything you’re willing to bring especially things that are good to eat with one hand cold from the fridge.
What’s something you got from friends or something you brought that received rave reviews?? Share below.
