When someone we know passes away, we want to help out by bringing a dish to the grieving family.
Often times, we are unsure what would be appropriate to bring. When asked, I recommend a fully baked casserole. Yes, the family will receive numerous casseroles, but they can easily freeze the casseroles for a later date.
Here are a few tips:
1. Purchase inexpensive casserole dishes and keep them on hand. When the time comes, give your casserole in the dish. Families are too busy to worry about returning your expensive casserole dishes.
2. I would avoid making tuna noodle casserole or baked macaroni and cheese. Families seem to get bombarded with those.
3. To go along with your casserole, give the family a beverage. A nice juice, sparkling water, soft drinks, flavored teas, etc. Beverages are often overlooked.
Here are the three recipes I like to make for bereavement casseroles.
Hamburger Bean
1 lb. bacon
1 lb. hamburger
1/2 cup onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup catsup
1/2 teaspoon mustard
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 lb. can baked beans
1 lb. can buttered lima beans
1 lb. can kidney beans
In a large frying pan, fry bacon until done; drain and crumble. Fry hamburger and onions in same frying pan that you used for the bacon until done. Return bacon to the pan, add the remaining ingredients. Cook for 5 additional minutes. Pour into casserole dish. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
Corn Beef Noodle
3 cups uncooked egg noodles
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of corn beef, chopped into small pieces
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup green peppers, diced small
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup bread crumbs
In a large saucepan, cook noodles in boiling water until tender. Drain; stir in cream of chicken soup until blended. In a large bowl, combine corn beef, milk, cheese, green pepper, cooked noodles and soup mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a greased 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs on top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
Cheesy Chicken Noodle
1 (16 oz.) bag egg noodles
1 1/2 lb. cooked chicken, cubed
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
milk
In a large stock pot, cook chicken until done. Remove from bone and set aside. In a large saucepan, cook egg noodles until tender, drain. Combine chicken, noodles and peas in a 2 quart casserole baking dish. Pour cream soup over noodle mixture, adding enough milk to cover noodles. Sprinkle Parmesan Cheese and bread crumbs over noodles. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Often times, we are unsure what would be appropriate to bring. When asked, I recommend a fully baked casserole. Yes, the family will receive numerous casseroles, but they can easily freeze the casseroles for a later date.
Here are a few tips:
1. Purchase inexpensive casserole dishes and keep them on hand. When the time comes, give your casserole in the dish. Families are too busy to worry about returning your expensive casserole dishes.
2. I would avoid making tuna noodle casserole or baked macaroni and cheese. Families seem to get bombarded with those.
3. To go along with your casserole, give the family a beverage. A nice juice, sparkling water, soft drinks, flavored teas, etc. Beverages are often overlooked.
Here are the three recipes I like to make for bereavement casseroles.
Hamburger Bean
1 lb. bacon
1 lb. hamburger
1/2 cup onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup catsup
1/2 teaspoon mustard
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 lb. can baked beans
1 lb. can buttered lima beans
1 lb. can kidney beans
In a large frying pan, fry bacon until done; drain and crumble. Fry hamburger and onions in same frying pan that you used for the bacon until done. Return bacon to the pan, add the remaining ingredients. Cook for 5 additional minutes. Pour into casserole dish. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
Corn Beef Noodle
3 cups uncooked egg noodles
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of corn beef, chopped into small pieces
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup green peppers, diced small
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup bread crumbs
In a large saucepan, cook noodles in boiling water until tender. Drain; stir in cream of chicken soup until blended. In a large bowl, combine corn beef, milk, cheese, green pepper, cooked noodles and soup mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a greased 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs on top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
Cheesy Chicken Noodle
1 (16 oz.) bag egg noodles
1 1/2 lb. cooked chicken, cubed
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
milk
In a large stock pot, cook chicken until done. Remove from bone and set aside. In a large saucepan, cook egg noodles until tender, drain. Combine chicken, noodles and peas in a 2 quart casserole baking dish. Pour cream soup over noodle mixture, adding enough milk to cover noodles. Sprinkle Parmesan Cheese and bread crumbs over noodles. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.