Healthy Holiday Take and Bake Casseroles and Desserts

Health is the greatest gift we can give the people we love. As we continue to socially distance in the name of health, many of us won’t be able to gather over the holidays. We’ll miss our family, friends, and the traditions we look forward to all year, too. Our collection of Healthy Holiday Take and Bake Casseroles and Desserts is one small way to can help you share holiday cheer at a distance.
Channeling the era of dropping off a pie to welcome a new neighbour or delivering a comforting casserole to a friend with a new baby, we’ve curated a list of easy to make dishes that are even easier to transport! Delivering these meals at a distance is a beautiful way to say you care—it’s as much a gift of healthy food as it is of your time. A holiday take and bake casserole made with love can offer relief to vulnerable family members who aren’t shopping as often due to COVID. It can bring comfort to a friend who lives alone. Or it can be a small sanity-saving gesture for parents overwhelmed by months of trying to work-from-home and school-from-home at the same time.
These holiday-worthy sprouted whole grain take and bake casseroles are healthy, delicious. We admit our definition of ‘casserole’ is a bit loose (our collection does include a stunning stuffed squash!). But every one of these dishes are simple to make-ahead, drop-off, reheat, and enjoy together virtually. And they freeze well to help make getting through this strange season a little easier for everyone.
We might be apart this year, but we can still make the season bright. Here are five healthy holiday take and bake dishes—two true casseroles, a stuffed squash, a lentil loaf, and one dessert!—to drop-off or contribute to a virtual potluck.
squash casserole with toasty sprouted breadcrumbs
lentil shepherd’s pie
stuffed kabocha squash with sprouted bread stuffing
sprouted lentil loaf
Outside the snow is falling and friends are calling “yoo hoo!” from (at least!) six feet away. It’s lovely weather to drop off a Sprouted Lentil Loaf to your neighbour. This dish is made from sprouted lentils and with three easy sauce options using ingredients you’ll find in your fridge or pantry. Send a loaf fit for slicing as a seasonal main. Baked in muffin tins, this recipe freezes particularly well as its smaller portions defrost and reheat faster—very fitting for an individual who lives alone or families with kids who have smaller appetites.
maple walnut bread pudding with blueberries
Take and Bake Holiday Food Safety Tips:
Help keep the holidays healthy and remember food safety. As you prepare to share the take and bake dishes on this list, plan your delivery strategy. Even if you don’t have to worry about your dish defrosting on the way, consider other food safety factors:
- Dropping your dish at the door? Call from the curb so your delivery doesn’t sit out at non-food-safe temperatures.
- Loved one won’t be home? Pack your dish in a cooler to keep it frozen. Or use ice packs to keep a take and bake or reheat-and-eat dish safely cool until they get home.
- Dropping it off hot out of the oven? A cooler can help your dish stay hot and keep it from cooling down to unsafe temperatures.
Whether you deliver your dish hot, ready-to-bake, or frozen, include easy reheating or baking instructions. Delivering dinner or dessert for a friend or loved one who lives alone? Make the food love last. Portion your dish into single serving containers they can easily freeze and reheat all season long.
Wishing you and yours a safe, healthy, and happy holidays from Silver Hills Sprouted Bakery!