The gift of food is often one of the greatest gifts to receive when a family is dealing with an illness, a loss or celebrating a new baby or milestone. But for far too long we have only made meal train recipe decisions based on how well a dish would travel and how easy it would be for the individual to serve. What this boiled down to was casserole after casserole after heavy casserole. Don’t get me wrong – I love a casserole as much as the next person but most are not healthy or adaptable.
A few weeks back I had the opportunity to take and drop a meal to a friend who’s daughter is fighting and kicking cancer’s arse. Their meal train specifically asked for healthy options which got me thinking. What kind of healthy, non-casserole, meal ideas could I come up with that would travel well, re-heat easily and be effortlessly adapted for potential picky eaters. And then it hit me – the BYO kind – build your own recipes!
Build your own recipes like Greek chicken platters, taco bars and even orzo salads are genius for take and drop meals because most of the ingredients are store bought and already in individual containers which makes them easy to transport and serve. BYO recipes also allow for lots of customization. For this sweet family I landed on a Greek Chicken Platter with the idea I would include options for them to make gyros, chicken bowls or even salads.
What I Did:
I marinated 1 lb. of chicken breasts and 1 lb. of chicken thighs in the below marinade for about four hours:
- zest of two lemons
- juice of three large lemons
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 4 tbsp. oregano
- 4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
I grilled the chicken breasts and thighs but you can also use my perfectly cooked chicken recipe found HERE. Once cooked, finely chopped the chicken and placed in a tin container. I also cooked two cups of white rice and placed in the same container with the chicken. I made sure to keep all of the ingredients separate! I didn’t want the family to have to do anything but warm the chicken and rice so I pre-chopped all of the veggies and stored them in ziplock bags. I included tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and red onion, tzatziki, feta cheese, hummus, romaine lettuce and pita bread!
A Few BYO Take & Drop Ideas:
Think outside the box! Any recipe that can be cooked ahead of time and deconstructed for transport will work!
- Greek Chicken Platter
- Taco Bar
- Orzo Salads ( Mediterranean, Greek, Caprese Salads with multiple protein options)
- Sub Sandwich’s/Sub in A Tub (think deli meats, cheeses, good bread, lettuce etc.)
- Baked Potato Bar/ Regular & Sweet (you will want to deliver potatoes while warm)
A Few Things to Remember About Take & Drop Meals:
- Only pack items in disposable containers – you don’t want the family having to wash anything or worry about getting your dishes back to you. I save take out containers for this and use ziplock bags
- Don’t forget something sweet especially if the family has children – store bought sweets are great
- Include a bottle of wine for a nice touch
- Think beyond dinner – breakfast and lunch options are appreciated too
- A notecard with instructions or masking tape on the outside of the container written with a sharpie
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