Have you ever been tasked with making a meal for someone through Meal Train or another request? If you're not familiar with MealTrain.com (official site) - Organize Meal Support in Minutes, it's a free platform to solicit volunteers to bring meals to friends, families, neighbors, etc. in a 'thyme' of need.

I'm the official "Main Dish" person at my church which means when someone has a new baby, has undergone surgery, or is unable to cook for themselves for whatever reason, I'm asked to get the train moving. Meal Train is a great way to do this.

Dietitian Brain

As a dietitian, I love to get these requests. I typically put on my "assessment" hat and ask about food allergies, preferences, cultural requests, likes and dislikes. There's nothing worse than sending over a meat-laden dish to a family of vegans. It's also not a bad idea to ask what they already had. A week of tacos might be great for some, but most people enjoy a variety of dishes.Recently, my husband's friend's wife (I know, that's a mouthful), had back surgery.

Everyone rallied around them and made casseroles, chicken and rice, and other delicious dishes. While he was grateful for the food, he mentioned to my husband that they would love some breakfast items. Challenge accepted! I'm a simple breakfast person and don't delve into hard-core recipes by nature. I'm happy with peanut butter on toast with fruit or Greek yogurt and fruit with chopped nuts. But I couldn't show up with a giant bowl of oatmeal here. I needed something a little fancier.

I decided that a breakfast strata would be good but found out that their daughter was vegetarian. I knew my husband's friend was a bacon fan but opted to make half of the muffins with meat and the other half without. I included veggies in both, of course! They add color, flavor, texture, and nutrition.

Spinach and peppers are my go-to. I made sure to ask which veggies his daughter liked. Thankfully, she liked all of them. Mushrooms, onions, or zucchini are also great to include at breakfast. These strata muffins can be frozen and eaten for up to 3 months. Total prep and cook time is 45 minutes. I served this with a seasonal fruit salad. My husband added his famous sourdough bread. These would be great for brunch, or dinner, too!

Here's the recipe:

Mini Veggie Strata Muffins

Ingredients:

8 large eggs

1/4 cup 1% or 2% milk

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. salt1 slice sourdough bread, ripped into small pieces

1 bell pepper, diced2 green onions, chopped1 cup raw spinach, chopped

1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheesenon-stick cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oregano, and salt.

3. Add the ripped bread, diced peppers, onions, spinach, and mozzarella cheese.

4. Using non-stick spray, coat a muffin tin.

5. Pour the strata mixture into each muffin cup filling it about 3/4 full.

6. Bake for 30 minutes or until muffins are lightly browned.

7. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before eating.

Makes 12 muffins. Nutrition facts per serving: 270 calories, 18 grams fat, 4.5 grams saturated fat, 22 grams protein, 4.6 grams carbs, .3 grams fiber, 630 mg cholesterol, 272 mg sodium

Things to consider when making meals for others:

• Ask about food allergies. The most common are eggs, fish, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, shellfish, sesame,

• Inquire about cultural foods. Does the receiver follow a Kosher or Halal diet?

• Consider food preferences. Are there certain foods the person does not eat for some reason? Ask about meat, fish, dairy, vegetables, fruit, grains, and fats.

• Ask about any dietary restrictions such as gluten-free, low-fat, or lactose-free.

• Label your dish so the receiver knows what you've made.

• Be sure the person is home to receive the food. Ask about delivery time window.

• If the person isn't home, be sure the food is kept cold if it's going to sit for a long time. Ask the receiver to leave a cooler on their porch with cooler packs inside.

• Use recyclable Zip lock bags or plastic containers for cold foods.

• Provide heating instructions if needed.

• Dessert is optional but usually appreciated.