Don't mean to advertise my blog but you might find some good ideas there...my recipes are for baby and the entire family! It's www.bitesforbabies.com. Hope to inspire you with a recipe ;-)

I stayed with my sister and her husband for a few weeks after their baby was born in June, and before I left I made a few things for the freezer which she said were incredibly nice to have after I left when they didn't feel like cooking. Homemade pasta sauce is good, and if you put it into ziplock bags, it's easy to find space for it in any freezer. Mini quiches (baked in muffin pans) are also great, since they can defrost them individually as they need them. A pasta salad might be nice also, as that will last a few days, they can eat for lunch or dinner, plus there's no reheating involved.

Things they can snack on can be useful too. I've made granola and trail mix for new moms and gotten good feedback. Muffins freeze well. Even some cut up carrots and celery can be really handy.

A quiche packed with fresh vegetables would be a nice, quick dish - all they'd have to do is microwave it quick, and voila!

I second the snacking comment by CAEDSTROM. My friends with babies tell me that they're not really sitting down for real meals for the first few weeks, so having healthy things in the fridge that they can grab is nice. I would vote for cut up fruit and veggies and things of that ilk.

How about lettuce wraps? seasoned ground turkey in one tupperware (I like jalapeno, ginger, onion, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil in mine), a head of leaf lettuce, some sliced toppings (limes, shredded carrots, green onions, and little radishes) in another, and a jar of hoisin.

My summer casserole alternative is always a pasta salad and it always has a lot of veggies in it. My favorite is a chicken and pasta salad from Penzey's, which has black beans and corn and is filling and tastes good both cold and at room temp.

I had a summer baby and my most memorable meals were more "wintery" One friend brought me pork chops baked on a bed of saurkraut and homemade applesauce and it was wonderful. Another brought me a big pan of lasagne...which I mostly ate cold because for some reason it was tasting good that way.

Some other ideas might be chicken salad and croissants, a tray with nice cheeses and meats along with crusty bread or rolls, a salad that's a meal, devilled eggs.

Aussie meat pies.Cooking them might be arduous and a little too hot in summer for you, but microwaving is easy for them. And then dad gets something a little meatier and more filling for him too.

Pesto pasta salad: toss some grilled chicken, sauteed onions, and roasted red peppers in- SO delicious, and just gets better with time, and when it's cold.

I made my new mama friend stuffed shells from 101 Cookbooks. The best thing is, you don't need to put it in the oven. You need to make the sauce and boil the water on the stovetop, but that's it. Stuff them, freeze them, or just take it to your friend and have them bake (30min) and serve or freeze for later.

Roasted veggie and pasta/grain salad, a couple of cheeses, focaccia and strawberries. Some burritos all made up and wrapped, with salsa and guacamole on the side. Chicken kebabs with rice and veggies. Ice cream and cookies (super important for late nights).

I'm due in a few weeks and I would love cut up fruit, the taco box sounds so good too. Granola bars, lactation cookies, cheese, crackers, meat platter. Pasta salad with veggies also sounds good. Basically stuff with lots of calories that I can eat with one hand.

Thanks for the ideas everyone! I have a friend who's due to have twin girls (and who already has two boys, 9 and 7) October-ish, and I've been trying to think of things I could make for her.

How about some delicious heirloom tomato salsa she can snack all they long with tortilla chips or mix with pre-cooked rice and beans? http://7th-taste.com/2012/08/02/heirloom-tomato-salsa-with-ancho-grilled-prawns/

Breakfast burritos FTW! When I was home with my newborn burritos really fit the bill. 1) they warm up quickly, 2) they can be frozen if you're already inundated with other gifted meals, 3) no prep required, 4) most importantly, they can be eaten with one hand. I just gave a friend with a new baby a ziploc bag full of breakfast burritos made with egg, potato, bacon, cheese and green chile and I think they went over well.

I'm meeting a new mom tonight and bringing: a big tupperware bowl full of fresh gazpacho (made from all farmer's market ingredients), hummus, assorted cheeses, olives/artichokes, bread, and crackers. And, of course, a bottle of wine.

I raided the salad bar at my co-op for the hummus, olives, and artichokes. And check the cheese section at your grocery store or co-op for the "odds and ends" bin where you can get 10 different kinds of cheese for less than a buck or two each.

I'll put in a vote for small portions that can be eating out of hand or with a single fork. Mini meatloaves, empanadas, egg rolls, muffin cup mac and cheese (or lasagna or enchilada stacks), I was always hungry **RIGHT THEN** and waiting an hour and a half for a huge casserole to bake wasn't an option.

If the family has bigger kids, a "bar" type meal would be good (baked potato, taco, salad, noodle) or breakfast dishes (pancakes & an egg casserole). If the mom is breastfeeding, check in about tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, cruciferous veggies and dairy--they sometimes cause tummy trouble in the baby.

I did a breakfast box for a friend that they seemed to enjoy - bagels and cream cheese, bread and cheese and grapes, orange and apple juice, granola, fruit salad, and some cooked & frozen breakfast sausages - oh, and chocolate doughnuts, too! Lots of stuff, all ready to eat (minus the microwaving of the meat), no dishes to worry about returning, and easy to grab whenever.

The site mennonitegirlscancook.ca has tons of great recipes for bulk meals that arent' pasta/casseroles :)

If you get small disposeable pie tins, you can make single-serving pot pies -- they freeze well, and require no attention to reheat! A bunch of those and some cut-up veggies & fruit are lovely.