The arrival of a new baby brings a hail of trumpets from the villagers, and blessings from far and near! But inside the nursery, life is turned upside down as night becomes day, and day becomes an endless repetition of feedings and diaper changes, of walking the floor at all hours with this new little bundle, marveling at the miracle of it all, but also blurrily wondering if life will ever feel normal again!
As the new parents’ needs are put on hold and the baby takes center stage, it soon becomes apparent that he or she isn’t the only one who needs to be fed. That’s where friends and neighbors, family and co-workers come in. They arrive bearing gifts of lasagnas and soups, curries and casseroles, those all-important salads or prepped and cut-up fruits and veggies, all in disposable or gifted containers.
Have you heard the term “meal train?” It’s basically a list compiled by a best friend, an angel from heaven really, who steps in and organizes a steady stream of meals delivered by the community to the new parents. It is the gift of sustenance and love. Little dresses and creative onesies are adorable, but in those first chaotic weeks, it is the sight of these amazing people showing up at the front door with a hot bowl of stew or a platter of brisket and potatoes that is most welcome.
What do you bring to a new mom and dad? We’d love your ideas (and recipes!) After the birth of our new granddaughter a few weeks ago, we began to give this some serious thought. Here are a few suggestions from the new mamma who is over the moon about her baby but also is so very hungry!
- 2- 2 ½ pounds chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
- 1 cup breadcrumbs, Italian, or plain
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 - 3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cups marinara sauce of your choice
- 8 slices mozzarella
- ½- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Place chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap or in a one gallon plastic bag. Using a metal kitchen mallet, pound the chicken breasts until they are ¼ to ½-inch thick.
- In a shallow bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, parsley, salt and pepper.
- In another shallow bowl, beat the eggs with a fork.
- Dip both sides of the chicken breast in the eggs, then in the breadcrumb mixture.
- In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat until oil is hot. Cook cutlets about 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and the juices run clear.
- Drain cutlets on paper towels and then transfer to a serving platter. Add more oil if necessary to cook the remaining chicken breasts.
- You could stop at this point and enjoy the chicken cutlets all by themselves. Or carry on with the last few instructions.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cover the bottom of a 9 X 13½-inch baking dish with 1 inch of sauce. Arrange the cutlets in a single layer in the baking dish. Ladle the sauce over the cutlets and bake uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove baking dish from oven. Top cutlets with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and return to oven. Bake uncovered an additional 10 to 15 minutes until sauce is bubbly and mozzarella is melted.
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces pancetta (or bacon), diced
- 2½ pounds beef chuck or sirloin, fat trimmed, cut into even 1-inch cubes (it's important to have the pieces be the same size so they cook evenly; your butcher can do this for you)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 6 carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
- 2 yellow onions, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- ½ cup Cognac or brandy
- 1 bottle red wine (I use Burgundy or Shiraz, but Merlot or any will work fine as long as it's not sweet)
- 1-2 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (I keep a tube in my refrigerator for just this purpose - no sense opening a whole can!)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 5 tablespoons flour
- 1 pound frozen pearl onions
- 1 - 2 pounds mushrooms, stems removed, thickly sliced
- Parsley for sprinkling at the end, about 1 tablespoon (optional)
- Preheat oven to 250F.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the pancetta or bacon and cook for about 9 minutes, until lightly browned.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Pat the beef cubes with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Without crowding the meat (cook in batches in a single layer), sear the meet in the oil for about 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides.
- Remove the beef and set aside with the pancetta.
- Toss the carrots, sliced yellow onions, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper into the pan and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring until the onions are lightly browned.
- Add the garlic and cook an additional minute.
- Add the Cognac or brandy and being very careful, ignite and stand back as the alcohol burns off.
- Put the meat and pancetta back into the pot with any accumulated juices.
- Add the wine, plus enough broth to almost cover the meat.
- Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a boil, cover tightly and place in the oven for 1¼ hours.
- Remove and place on top of the stove.
- Combine 2 tablespoons of the butter and 3 tablespoons flour with a fork and stir into the stew (If the sauce is too thin when you're finished, you can add more of this butter/flour mixture and whisk it in.)
- Add the frozen pearl onions and stir to combine.
- In a medium fry pan, saute the mushrooms in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned, and then add to the stew.
- Bring the stew to a boil, lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
- Sprinkle chopped parsley before serving.
- Serve over orzo or other pasta, mashed potatoes, or thickly sliced garlic bread
A few favorites that people brought for us that I like to make for others are lentil soup with rice, quinoa and roasted vegetables, and good old veggie lasagna!
These are great suggestions that would be so welcome. Thanks, Sarah.
That picture is priceless!!! I always loved bringing chicken piccata and pasta. A little salad rounds out the meal. Of course, you can’t forget the dessert…..some lemon squares or chocolate chip cookies for the nursing mom……and dad too!!
Another idea is turkey meatloaf. The recipe might have to be adjusted on the addition of onion and garlic, but can use sparingly. This can be sliced for sandwiches and frozen as well. It can be served with rice, potatoes, or quinoa.
Can’t wait to meet little Nes!!! Sending love and hugs!!! 💕💕
I knew you’d have some great ideas! These sound perfect. Thanks so much. 🙂
I’m not a new parent. However, these recipes would do just fine for us hungry grandparents.
You’re right! 🙂
I made chicken noodle soup and big containers of egg salad, chicken salad ( or tuna) and cut up fruit and vegetables. Most appreciated. Little Nes is precious!!
These are exactly what new parents need! Protein salads and veggies….great ideas!
We were brought a sealed container of freshly baked chocolate chip banana bread (no nuts) and it was perfection! It was first delivered to us at the hospital, which was perfect as a non-hospital food treat, then again when we were back home. Easy to store, didn’t need reheating, and tasted delicious!!
Also, this is one of those treats that is good to have around for when guests drop in to see the new little one!
Ok, I’m going to add a few more ideas! How about lasagna……either vegetarian or meat.
Enchiladas made into a casserole, just not too spicy. These can also be made as chicken, beef, or spinach and cheese.
Any soups, such as butternut squash, tomato, chicken, tortilla.
Baked pasta in meat or cheese sauce.
All can be served with salad and fruit
Chicken Marbella served with rice
Just a few more I came up with.
Wish we lived closer to the new parents
I’m hungry reading this!
chili/cheese topping, warm bread
Chicken enchiladas, make a batch, freeze 1/2
That’s all I have for now ❣️
Great idea! (Don’t forget the salad to go with it! Mamma needs veggies!)