Hospitality Hints is a monthly feature on our blog with some helpful hints for being hospitable in everyday life. Our hints may involve inviting people over, but not always! Most of the time, they will be about having a posture of hospitality—welcoming others into our lives.
Whether someone you know just had a baby, moved to a new home, had surgery, or is grieving the loss of a loved one, there are many times in life when meal preparation is hard. During these times, hospitality may not look like we traditionally think of it. Rather than inviting people to your home, sometimes the way you can love and serve someone best is by taking them a meal.
But then the questions roll in.
What do I make? How do I get it there without it all ending up on the floor of my car? What if they’re allergic to everything I’m good at making?!
Well rest easy, sweet friend. We’ve got some hospitality hints that will make your meal-taking experience easy, efficient, and stress-free.
May we suggest soup? We love making soup for so many reasons.
It’s easy and inexpensive to make in mass quantities. Check out this recipe for 8-can taco soup. You can also substitute the can of chicken for ground beef if you want it to be more like chili. This soup takes less than 20 minutes from start to finish, it’s super simple, and it gets compliment every time.
It’s a leftover that warms up really well. In seasons when people are bringing you food, you’re likely not on a regular meal schedule. Soup doesn’t have to be eaten right away, so it’s a hit no matter when you can get around to eating it. Plus, all this goodness in a slow cooker? Sign us up. This recipe for potato soup is only 5 ingredients and gets 2 big thumbs up.
It’s a crowd pleaser. You really can’t go wrong with something as classic as chicken noodle soup. This is a great one for finicky eaters or those with small kids. We love this recipe from Ina Garten.
However, we recognize that every plan has its limitations. The main issue with taking soup comes in transporting it. It’s hot and sloshes and has a tendency to stain everything it sloshes on. We have a few tips for taking soup from your house to another:
Mason Jars. These work so well because the soup can still be warm when you pack it; no need to wait for it to cool! They also seal well so they’re spill proof. Win-win.
Take it in your pot and transfer it to theirs. This way, you can bring home your dirty pot and still have use of your dish without any pressure for them to return it speedily.
Make it in a larger dish than necessary. Even if you’re only going to make a few servings, make it in the biggest pot you have. When you drive with it, there is room allotted for sloshing, but it’s less likely to spill over the edges.
We hope these tips are helpful the next time you take a meal to a friend!
What are your favorite tips for transporting meals? Do you have any go-to soup recipes you’d like to share? We want to hear from you, so let us know in the comments!
Great ideas!!!
Loved this idea! But cans are terrible for your health! May I suggest to give the same thing you are cooking for your family
I like to use a big plastic beverage container like you would put ice tea in… They have a lid you can put on that turns to turns to seal and they are perfect for transporting soups. <
That’s a great idea!
Theses are delicious soup recipes, and simple to make. Thank You!
Make it ahead of time, cool and transport in ziploc gallon size bag. Alternatively, transporting a pot of warm soup in a cooler works well. Put a large towel inside to keep the pit from moving. if any soup sloshes out, the cooker is much easier to rinse out than the floor or your car
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What a great suggestion, Natalie! Thanks for sharing!
The one thing that I ALWAYS do when taking a meal to someone is deliver it in containers that do NOT have to be returned to me. It is a hassle to get dishes back to the giver if you have been ill, just had a baby, etc. Why put another burden on them?
–I deliver the meal and bring my box home.
I use foil pans, plastic plates, plastic bags and foil–works wonders. I put everything in a large cardboard box –from Costco shopping
That is a great tip, Kathy! I do the same. Those foil pans are amazing. Thank you for sharing!