5 Meal Train Recipe Ideas

Meal train recipe ideas that are budget friendly

My friend and her 2-year-old autistic son were in a 5-car pileup recently and it was really scary for them. She suffered a broken wrist but, baby boy was okay and thankfully there were no fatal injuries. My friend, *Sarah* is a really great person who heads up a Facebook group for moms in the area. It’s how we met, and I’ve grown to know her as a complete superstar. She’s a hard-working single mama who takes great care of her son and her story is so inspiring. That’s why when the group got wind of the accident, we rallied together to help her out by creating a meal train. So, I had to quickly find meal train recipe ideas because I’d never even heard of one and wanted to do it right!

I was excited to join the meal train because (as i said) I’d never heard of one before and I would appreciate the gesture. Plus, cooking is seriously one of my favorite things to do. And naturally, as a mama I wanted to help keep a kid fed. Her son, who’s non-verbal is quite the picky eater which made it a challenge but, I was totally up for it. I used Pinterest to help me friend meal train recipe ideas that would accommodate both their diets and found some great suggestions.

What’s a Meal Train

If you aren’t familiar with what a meal train is, let me tell you! A meal train is when you coordinate with friends or family and each choose a time/day to provide food to your loved one. Often, meal trains are created for people who:

• Are coming home after having a baby
• Recovering from surgery
• were involved in a major accident
• experienced a recent passing of a loved one

Of course, there are plenty of other occasions that people might create one. All you have to do is sign up and show up with food. However, now with Covid-19 people are opting to send food delivery gift cards from places like Doordash Psst..Get $30 off ($10 off each of your first 3 orders) when you sign up with this link.)

Meal Train Recipe Ideas + Etiquette

DOWNLOAD FREE MEAL TRAIN RECIPE/NOTE CARDS HERE!

I won’t pretend to be a meal train expert, after all this is my first rodeo. But, I did do a little research. So, here are a few etiquette guidelines.

1. Be respectful and aware of dietary restrictions. (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Peanut Allergy, etc.)
2. Be respectful of the schedule (don’t show up way before/after the time you agreed to or on another day).
3. Now isn’t the time to experiment in the kitchen. (Stick with recipes you know and love, or are within your cooking abilities or send a giftcard)
4. Use tupperware, aluminum pans or another storage option for them to keep/discard. (Try to minimize the hassle and necessity of them returning your dishes or bakeware)
5. Don’t make this a social call. (Give congratulations/condolences or whatever is appropriate and offer visiting once they’re better)

Check Out These Essentials for Cooking, Storage and Travel

Meal Train Recipe Ideas

Now that we’ve got the etiquette out of the way here are some recipes that are not only super tasty but, budget friendly.

1.Fried Rice

Fried rice is an excellent choice since it’s budget friendly and you can choose to add in meats like chicken, steak or shrimp or exclude them all together.

*Side note: I use this great alternative to soy sauce which your healthier eating loved ones might enjoy (Click here)

2. Chicken Fajitas

This super affordable meal is easy and one requires one dish to cook and serve.

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3. Baked Spaghetti Casserole

This delicious dish can also be frozen and provided as a make ahead meal for another day.

4. Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup My favorite Meal Train Recipe Idea

This flavorful recipe for chicken noodle soup might have your recipients banging on your door for more.

5. Vegan Keto Walnut Chili

Soups and chilis are always a great meal train choice. This recipe is perfect for vegan loved ones.

Thanks for stopping by! Until, next time enjoy and don’t forget to PIN THIS!