Dinner Swaps

My friend Tonya asked me last week if I would be interested in a dinner swap.  The gist of it is that four families would make a main dish for each others families once a week. The other three nights we would get dinner delivered to our house. Of course I didn’t hesitate to say, “Yes!” The idea of having one day that’s kind of crazy is totally worth not having to worry about dinner for three days per week.  We’re still working on details, like if we should plan menus ahead of time, and purchasing a set of Pyrex that will get passed from house to house so there is no need for returning anything.

Wednesday was our first night and I made a creamy pesto pasta with chicken and garlic bread for each family. We had one family opt out, so we’re trying it with three families for a couple weeks, and then we’ll add a new one if it works out.  On Thursday night Tonya brought us stuffed red peppers, which were delicious, and I have never made stuffed peppers so it was especially fun.  Tonight Eliza brought a deluxe chef salad with a loaf of fancy artisan bread.  I never would have made a salad as a main dish either, I’m afraid my kids aren’t fans of fresh spinach or lettuce. However, it was also fabulous, and I think this is just what our family needs. I am totally loving it!  Lately I have been feeling like the meals I make are uninteresting and not so healthy.  This way we get some variety and the kids are more willing to try something new because they know their friends are eating it too. And now I try harder to think about what I’m feeding my family, because I don’t want to deliver mac n cheese with hot dog bits to my friends’ families.  So I’m now on the lookout for recipes that are pretty easy to prepare, are easy to multiply by 3 families, and aren’t awkward to deliver. Please send me your recommendations!