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Is there a family you know that just lost someone and you want to help them out? Whether you call it a care meal or a sympathy meal, here are some of the best comfort foods to bring to a grieving family.
Food like chicken pot pie, funeral potatoes, or lasagna would be best to take to a grieving family because of how easy and mess-free it would be for them. Other dishes like pizza, mac and cheese, soup, or spaghetti and meatballs, would be good second choices, but still great options.
You are doing a great thing by helping a grieving family with a meal. If you keep reading, you can read more about which meals would be best and where to get the best recipes!
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken pot pie might be one of the best meals you could take to a grieving family, and let me tell you why. This comfort food not only has a flaky, amazing crust but it’s also filled with vegetables! This meal will be great for any family because it would be easy for them to stick in the oven to warm up after you make it, and won’t require too many dishes. Families who are grieving need meals that are quick, easy, not messy, nutritious, and comforting. Chicken pot pie checks all of those boxes!
Here, we have a great, easy recipe for you to make for a family who is grieving. It only has 10 ingredients, only takes 25 minutes of prep time, and 1 hour and 5 minutes in the oven. Make this recipe at your home, bring it over to their house, and stick it in the oven to warm until they are ready to eat! This recipe will warm their hearts and stomach!
Funeral Potatoes
Funeral potatoes may seem sad, but they have their name for a reason. Funeral potatoes have been made and eaten after funerals for years because of the comfort it brings to those eating them. The potatoes, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, butter, cheese, and other ingredients make it tasty and perfect for a family who is in need of some help.
Tastes Better From Scratch has the perfect recipe to make. It’s quick and looks quite good! The total prep and cook time is only one hour! No matter what the family is grieving, funeral potatoes are perfect because of the happiness and comfort they bring. Making it super easy for you to cook it and bring it over to the family! Any family would be grateful for this meal!
Lasagna
When I was a kid, lasagna was my favorite comfort food. My dad would make it on chilly, fall days and we would eat warm lasagna in front of the fire while watching movies. Lasagna reminds people of home, family, and love. And that’s exactly what grieving families will need. They will need to be reminded of the family and home they came from and they will need to know people love them. Make this meal for them and they will be comforted and happy.
Allrecipes has the World’s Best Lasagna recipe that you should make for a family today! It takes a total of about 3 hours, but it’s worth the time and effort for helping a family out. All you would have to do is make the lasagna at your own home, put some tin foil over it, take it over to the family’s house, and help them keep it warm in their oven till they are ready to eat it! It is a super easy and delicious recipe that a grieving family will need and love!
Pizza
Pizza is one of the most beloved foods in America because of the comfort it brings and how amazing it tastes! You should definitely make pizza for a grieving family, especially if they have kids. Kids would definitely eat this, and some families may have a hard time getting children to eat food if they are upset. Follow the recipe linked below to make easy, overnight pizza!
The Food Charlatan has a super easy, overnight pizza recipe that should be the next meal you bring to a family in need. The recipe can be adjusted to the family’s favorite toppings too. You could make the dough, then bring the dough to the family with the ready toppings and sauce, then let the family choose their toppings and put it in the oven for 10 short minutes. I know my family would love this recipe, so others will too!
Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese is easy, and quick to make, and results in a tasty meal you could take to a family. A family will love mac and cheese because it’s a meal that adults and children will love! This meal would bring them comfort and would save them the hassle and time of having to cook dinner. They could use that time saved to do something else and relax.
Here is an amazing-looking mac and cheese recipe that only takes a total of 35 minutes to prep and cook. If you want the meal to be easy for you and the family, then you should make this one. You could even bring over some rolls or veggies and an easy, delicious meal is ready for the family!
Soup
Soup for decades has been the perfect meal for when sad, sick, or in need of comfort. It would be one of the best meals for you to take to a grieving family. It may be a bit messier than other meals, but with the correct preparation, you could save a grieving family a lot of time and energy. Below are 30 delicious soup recipes you should make for a family!
The Modern Proper has a list of recipes for 30 of the best soups to make. From slow cooker soups to mushroom soups to my favorite potato soups, this website has it all! All you have to do is cook the soup, bring it in a big bowl, and bring a ladle and disposable bowls to help the family easily eat dinner. You may even offer to stay and help ladle the soup into the family’s bowls so as to not create too much work or mess for the family. They would love and appreciate you bringing them soup!
I love to eat soup with rolls or crackers, which are great side options if you want to go above and beyond for the grieving family.
Spaghetti and Meatballs
My mother always wanted spaghetti and meatballs on her birthday and mother’s day because of how comforting it was and how happy it made her. Spaghetti and meatballs could be just the right meal for the grieving family whom you want to serve. It’s filling, easy, quick, delicious, and comforting! Follow the link below to find the best spaghetti and meatball recipe!
Natasha’s Kitchen has a spaghetti and meatball recipe that would be perfect for you to make for a family who needs it! It only takes just over an hour to make, which makes it super easy for you! Cook the spaghetti and meatballs, put the food in disposable containers, and take it over to the family! This recipe might be a bit messier, so make sure to bring plenty of napkins!
Disposable Cookware
Families who are grieving may not want to or be able to do a lot of dishes. Consider putting the food in disposable dishes and think about bringing disposable silverware, plates, bowls, napkins, and serving utensils to make it easier for families to dish the food out and eat without having to do any dishes! This even saves the family time and energy of having to bring back your dishes because they will be able to throw away the other ones easily!
What Food Not to Bring
Certain foods and dishes are best if you don’t bring them to families when they are grieving. Whether they are messy, spicey, difficult, or just not comforting, it’s best to bring foods like those above. Here are a few foods that we suggest you don’t bring to a family in need.
Chinese food
Chinese food is one of my favorite foods, but may not be the best food to take to a family who is grieving. Let me tell you why. This is because Chinese food can be very spicy, and families in need may just want comforting food. If you know the family likes Chinese food, go ahead and make it for them, but I think it’s safe to assume some families may not want extra spice.
Another reason it may not be the best option is that it can be very messy and you may have to take multiple different containers with you for the rice, chicken, etc. Meals that are in one dish are a lot easier because it allows for fewer dishes, easier cleanup, and makes it easier to carry to their house.
Chinese food might just be a bit complicated for a family who probably needs things to be easy.
Tacos and Burritos
Tacos and burritos are super good, but they are also very messy, time-consuming, and could be spicy. They would require a lot of different dishes and platters and would be difficult for you, and the family to have to deal with. Consider going with something a bit easier unless you know the family loves tacos or burritos.
Chili
My dad loves making and eating chili, but we never made it for grieving families, and here’s why. Chili tends to be a hassle. It is very messy and can get really spicy. Meals like those above are a lot easier because they don’t require more clean-up time and don’t take as long to make. Chili can take a bit of time and can stain clothes. Chili just might not be the best meal to take to a family in need because of that extra effort they may have to put in if you do.
Ribs
Now don’t get me wrong, ribs are super tasty, but they are also VERY messy. Ribs take quite a bit of time to make, and they are very very messy. They cover your hands, mouths, plates, and even clothes with sauce. Ribs would not be a good option to take to families because of how messy they are. Especially families with children wouldn’t appreciate the extra mess that ribs would bring to dinner. Consider going with something a bit easier and cleaner.
Chicken Wings
Chicken wings are in the same boat as ribs. This is because of how messy they are and how much effort and time you and the family you are bringing food to would have to put into them. Not only do they take a while to make, but chicken wings would also have a chance of being too spicy and messy for families in need. It might just be better for everyone all together if you took something less time-consuming and less messy.
Anything with Ketchup or BBQ Sauce
Sauces can be really good, but they can be very messy, and stain easily. We would highly suggest not bringing a grieving family anything that has ketchup or BBQ sauce, and this is because of how messy they are. Imagine bringing, fries, barbequed meat, or similar food to a family in need. They may have to spend too much time cleaning up after the meal. It just wouldn’t be worth it!
Why Bring Food to a Family in Need?
Serving families in need who are grieving was something I loved to help with as a child. I often knew the families and wanted to do everything I could to help them. So I would join my mother in the kitchen and help her make casseroles or lasagna to take to the families. And whenever we got meals from others when we were grieving, we were always thankful because we didn’t have to spend time and energy cooking food for meals. Helping out families in their times of need will help you feel helpful and help them feel comforted and loved!