Joining A Meal Train? These 40 Dinners, Breakfasts, & More Are What People *Really* Want
Chugga chugga choo choo-se these recipes that bring the comfort, every time.
So you’ve joined a meal train—now what? You know that there’s nothing better than a home-cooked meal, but deciding what to make can be tricky. You want to make sure whatever you make brings the comfort, but you also don’t want to just make the same thing as everybody else. That’s where these 40 recipes come in. No matter whether you’re making food for a family member with a new baby, a friend who’s suffered a loss, a neighbor who’s just gone through surgery, or for anyone who could just use a little help, there’s something on this list they’ll love. Bookmark these meal train-ready casseroles, sheet-pan dinners, breakfasts (!), and more, and you’ll always be ready. Choo choo!
In case you’re unfamiliar, a meal train is effectively a schedule of meals that friends and family can sign up to make for a loved one in need over a period of time. As good as they may be, no one needs 6 casseroles the first day they get home from a big event in their life, right?, so the idea here is that it helps people get meals they need, when they need them, not all at once right in the beginning.
We'll never say no to the standbys like lasagna or goulash, but we also know those can get old, FAST. To combat meal train fatigue, we've first included some spins on the classics, like our Boursin baked ziti or our enchilada stuffed shells. We’ve also included some more creative options that are easy for you to cook, and for your loved one to assemble in a variety of ways. Take our cheesy baked burrito rice, our BBQ brown sugar chicken, our chicken shawarma sheet-pan dinner, or our French onion pot roast. Pack them up with some crusty bread, burger buns, or pita, and some accompaniments like coleslaw, tahini sauce, or pico de gallo so your meal recipient can make a fun meal their whole family can enjoy. These recipes also great eaten just on their own, and are super freezer friendly too.
And don’t forget about fresh options and breakfasts too! These things often get overlooked for meal trains, so including them in your package will really make you the hero. We’ve included a few here, like our fruit salad, our homemade cinnamon rolls, our spinach salad, and our breakfast strata, but check out our top breakfast casseroles and our best green salads for even more inspiration.
Beef Stroganoff
With its rich sauce deepened in flavor with red wine, Dijon mustard, and finished with tangy sour cream, beef stroganoff is the dish to keep in your back pocket when you need a reliable, cozy weeknight dinner. While it may be an old-school classic, this is the comfort food we take seriously.
Get the Beef Stroganoff recipe.
Breakfast Strata
If you ask us, breakfast casseroles are the one of the BEST meal train recipes. If you’re looking for the ultimate—loaded with Italian sausage, cheese, veggies, and bread—then this strata is it. It’s hearty enough to keep everyone satisfied, and is endlessly versatile (throw whatever you got in there, it can take it!).
Get the Breakfast Strata recipe.
Chicken Shawarma Sheet-Pan Dinner
This chicken shawarma-inspired weeknight dinner checks all the boxes: it's easy, only requires a few dishes, won't make you regret cooking, and most importantly—packs an WILD amount of flavor into one sheet pan. We highly recommend packing it up with a Greek salad, a creamy sauce (like tzatziki), and some pita for scooping.
Baked Spaghetti
While we could never get tired of classic spaghetti with homemade meat sauce, for a meal train, baked spaghetti is where it's at. This casserole is what comfort food is all about—cheesy, hearty, and completely versatile to whatever you have on hand.
Get the Baked Spaghetti recipe.
Freezer Burritos
To make these burritos, ground beef gets simmered in a hearty spiced tomato sauce, then layered into flour tortillas with refried beans, rice, and a blend of cheese. Double-wrapping them in plastic and foil will keep them protected in the freezer for up to 3 months (!), so you can feel safe doubling the recipe if you want.
Get the Freezer Burritos recipe.
Lasagnchiladas
Instead of creating an argument in the family group chat about what to have for dinner, just mash two favorites together like we did for this lasagna-enchilada hybrid we’ve dubbed lasagnchiladas! It's exactly what it sounds like, i.e. INCREDIBLE.
Get the Lasagnchiladas recipe.
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
This recipe perfects the beloved, soft, and fluffy sweet pastry—follow it to a T if you’re looking to go classic, or use it as a jumping-off point to add your favorite seasonal flavors (the flaky and buttery dough is unbeatable, and can take everything from chocolate to fruit).
Get the Homemade Cinnamon Rolls recipe.
Fruit Salad
You might be wondering—do you really need a recipe for fruit salad? In this case, we say yes. Our simple honey-citrus dressing takes the delicious fruit up a notch in this recipe, elevating this classic to new heights.
Get the Fruit Salad recipe.
French Onion Mac & Cheese
TikTok may be obsessed with French onion pasta, but we added a special Delish twist: French onion mac & cheese. The comfort food classic gets a grown-up upgrade from Gruyère and caramelized onions in this recipe, lending that rich French onion flavor you know and love to extra creamy mac.
Get the French Onion Mac & Cheese recipe.
French Onion Pot Roast
This French onion pot roast is the perfect cross between slow-roasted chuck and classic cheesy French onion soup. Taking inspo from our onion soup rib roast, the beef is seasoned with onion soup mix to add depth and an extra umami boost.
Get the French Onion Pot Roast recipe.
Egg Muffins
Egg muffins are one of the BEST things for a meal train because you easily make a big batch of them at once, and they'll keep in the fridge for up to 7 days. Feel free to change up your mix-ins if you like!
Get the Egg Muffins recipe.
Enchilada Casserole
Everyone loves a good casserole, and this one doesn’t disappoint. It has all of the flavors of chicken enchiladas (with a few worthwhile additions), but eliminates the only tedious part of making enchiladas: all that rolling. In this recipe, you just layer all your components in a casserole dish, bake until melty and saucy, add your desired toppings, and serve!
Get the Enchilada Casserole recipe.
Sushi Bake
This casserole is the perfect thing to make for a family you know loves sushi, without having to spend the big bucks on takeout or the time rolling it yourself. This is exactly like everyone's favorite spicy tuna roll, with extra toppings, like creamy sliced avocado, cucumber, and plenty of sriracha. Send it with some nori for scooping!
Get the Sushi Bake recipe.
Chicken Cacciatore
Rooted in Italian tradition, chicken cacciatore—meaning “hunter-style”—was originally a rustic dish made with whatever was on hand. Our modern take keeps that comforting vibe but makes it foolproof. Pack it with crusty garlic bread, creamy mashed potatoes, or polenta for the ultimate comfort meal that’s sure to please everyone at the table.
Get the Chicken Cacciatore recipe.
Egg Roll Bowls
If you're meal train recipient is a fan of crispy savory egg rolls, then you might consider this unwrapped version their dream healthy dinner. Without the need to wrap or fry, this veggie-packed meal comes together in well under an hour too.
Get the Egg Roll Bowls recipe.
Sloppy Joes
If you're craving a reliable, nostalgic, easy (and cheap) option for your meal train contribution, then there’s no debate: sloppy Joes’ are in order. The perfect answer to, “How far can I stretch this package of ground beef?”, you only need only require a handful of simple ingredients to create this classic family dinner.
Get the Sloppy Joes recipe.
Focaccia
With only 6 ingredients and no kneading involved, this recipe is low-effort, high-reward. Whether you send it to your recipient family with sandwich fixings or alongside an Italian-inspired meal, this focaccia is guaranteed to please.
Get the Focaccia recipe.
Enchilada Stuffed Shells
We know what you may be thinking: enchiladas + pasta? Hear us out: Here, we swapped out the tortillas for jumbo pasta shells, and stuffed them full of rotisserie chicken, green chiles, and enchilada sauce, all topped with melted cheese and a drizzle of sour cream for the ultimate hearty, flavorful dinner.
Get the Enchilada Stuffed Shells recipe.
Vegetable Curry
When we want something comforting, savory, and just a little spicy, we usually go with some form of curry. The robust flavor of a curry sauce acts as the perfect base for virtually any protein or vegetable. In this recipe, a variety of vegetables takes center stage alongside a creamy Thai-style curry. We promise no one will even miss the meat.
Get the Vegetable Curry recipe.
Goulash
A classic nostalgic comfort dish, goulash is the hearty weeknight dinner everyone can get behind. We love that everything in this goulash cooks together in one pot– even the pasta! Once you cook pasta this way, you might never go back to boiling water again.
Get the Goulash recipe.
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