So, my friend's grandmother passed today.

I know it's nice to take a meal to the family, any suggestions of meals to make? Things that are easy to heat up?

A visit, "meals" OK but then 100 dishes of bean salad can go over the top, and so much is often thrown out.

Are they having a lot of family over ? When my dad died, it was me and mom basically, we liked the 8 pies and cakes, but most never got ate.

Often just knowing someone is there and cares means a lot.

Our staples for food for families in crisis are usually things like...

Baked pasta casserole (several variations on this I can give... my wife's italian, so I'm always making her family red sauce and freezing extra, but there are ways to make a canned sauce better)

Egg noodles and in a thick chicken/turkey soup and mashed potatoes (soup goes over)

Turkey and sausage tortellini soup with crackers and/or biscuits.

Beef brisket in bbq sauce with supplied bread/buns, cheese slices

Homemade vegetable beef soup/stew

All hearty "comfort" foods.

Most of these can be frozen for later use, which I this is important. Also, I try to use containers that are disposable. Glad makes some nice black plastic containers that are oven safe below 400F.

I try to make it as simple as possible... sure, I could send over fajita stuff, but its messier, more containers, more work. Best to give heat and eat items.

I'm not really sure about the arrangements yet. She passed just about an hour and a half afo, so it's all very fresh.

I used to be very close with the friend but we had a huge falling out, he was close with my boyfriend and I (he was originally my friend and didn't know my boyfriend). After my boyfriend and I broke-up he remained close to the friend. My boyfriend and I recently patched things up and the friends and I started talking again and such, but we're not close by any means so I don't really know my place in all of this. I made him a card when I heard she was seriously ill, and I called him today to let him know I was here for him, but I don't really know what else to do.

Well, sending flowers and a note to the family is kind.

Going to the wake and funeral shows support... you don't have to be close... just being present for a short time shows a kind act of support.

You could send a card and include a gift certificate to a restaurant that has many different menu items. They could use this when they needed to, and order something to their liking, instead of having 15 tuna casseroles that go bad. Also this way, they don't need to worry about washing dishes, or returning peoples casserole dishes etc. and everyone can order what they are in the mood for, and they don't even need to worry about heating things.

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Originally Posted by starbuck8

You could send a card and include a gift certificate to a restaurant that has many different menu items. They could use this when they needed to, and order something to their liking, instead of having 15 tuna casseroles that go bad. Also this way, they don't need to worry about washing dishes, or returning peoples casserole dishes etc., and everyone can order what they are in the mood for, and they don't even need to worry about heating things.

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Absolutely or at least disposable containers. When my husband died neighbors and friends brought food and once I was functioning again I had no idea which dish belonged to which person.