You know yourself that when you’re sick, there’s nothing like someone bringing in a meal to cheer your heart and help you get better. When I’ve experienced this I’ve always felt like I had a “ministering angel” come to my rescue. Really, what better thing can we when someone we know and love is sick, than take them a meal?

With that in mind, then, let’s look at some of the most recommended and most appreciated foods we can take to the sick. This information is the result of lots of informal surveying throughout our neighborhood and in talking to lots of my family members. And if you have an idea for a great meal to take to the sick, please share.

Lasagna in a disposable aluminum pan is a top choice. You have to love how you can make it ahead, make it in large batches, refrigerate or freeze it, reheat it, and so on.

Chili is another favorite for all the same reasons as lasagna. Add to this list of pros the fact that it’s an economical dish to make and give as well.

This dish is called Wedding Soup. It’s wonderful for a person who is sick, recovering a surgery, or just had a baby.

EASY WEDDING SOUP

2 large cans of chicken broth (low-sodium)

6 chicken breasts

1 cup dry Acini de Pepe noodles (actually, any small pasta will work well)

1 small bag frozen meatballs

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced onions

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon dried parsley

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Boil chicken broth in a large pot. Add chicken and chopped veggies. Simmer until chicken is cooked through. Take chicken out and dice into bite sized pieces. Add meatballs, dry noodles, parmesan cheese, and parsley until noodles are tender and meatballs are cooked. Add chicken back into the pot. Simmer until ready to serve. Top with additional Parmesan cheese, a sprinkle of parsley, and serve with crackers.

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And of course, homemade chocolate chip cookies can’t be beat.

Beef stew is another winner. It seems like anything with broth soothes and speeds recovery.

Quiche is also a good idea to take to someone who’s been sick. It’s easily digested and refrigerates well.

Calzones are an easy fix, a popular dish, and are easy to transport. They also refrigerate well. You can even bring them unbaked, so the recipient can bake them as needed.

Pasta e fagioli is another dish that refrigerates well, warms up well, and tastes even better the second day.

But sometimes someone that’s sick can’t, or doesn’t feel like eating a full-blown meal. What then? Homemade crackers and a fruit basket do the trick nicely. Crackers are easy on the tummy and can be eaten fully lying down, if need be. They’re also an affordable gift and easy to make.

I’ll close with one of our favorite recipes. The secret in a good cracker is not just in using the freshest ingredients, but in the rolling. Roll them as thin as you can. And one last thought: You might want to create a chapter in Cook’n for recipes you turn to over and over when serving as someone’s “ministering angel.”

EASY HOMEMADE CRACKERS (yield: approximately 100 crackers)

2 teaspoons sugar

3 cups all-purpose or whole grain flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup water

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Optional toppings: 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds, 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, or 1 teaspoon of poppy seeds, or a mix together all of the above and cheese powder for a very flavorful experience.

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put the rack on the lowest level of the oven.

2. Sprinkle the baking sheet with flour and set aside until needed.

3. In a medium sized mixing bowl mix together all of the dry ingredients. Whisk together the sugar, salt and flour.

4. Pour in the water and oil. Stir the cracker mixture until a sticky dough is formed. If the mixture is too dry or a lot of flour remains around the bowl and on the dough, add one tablespoon of water at a time until the desired stickiness is present.

5. Divide in half and set one half aside. On a lightly floured work surface, pat the dough into a square shape with your hands.

6. Work form the center of the dough and roll into a rectangle shaped approximately 1/8-inch thick.

7. Sprinkle the dough with additional desired toppings. Lightly brush the surface of the dough with water.

8. Cut the dough into cracker shapes using either a sharp knife or a pizza cutter. The cracker shapes should be about 1-inch by 2-inches. If little ones are helping, hand them a cookie cutter and make some fun-shaped crackers.

9. Use a spatula or scraper to transfer the crackers to the baking sheet. Prick all of the crackers with a fork to prevent them from becoming too puffy during baking.

10. Bake the homemade crackers for 12 to 15 minutes in the oven. The edges should look lightly browns. Prepare the second tray of crackers for baking while the first batch is in the oven.

11. Tips: Dried herbs and chili powder are also popular cracker toppings. If cheese crackers are preferable, simply add 1 ½ cups of shredded cheese to the flour mixture. Set your food processor to pulse mode and do not press stop until the mixture looks something like corn meal.

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