Ronald McDonald House Meal Guidelines
Thank you for your interest in our Ronald McDonald House. Providing meals for our families
is a very important part of our mission. Our guests really appreciate a hot home-cooked meal
prepared by caring individuals and the extra time that it gives them to focus on their child.
Helpful Hints:
1. Dinner is usually served between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm. Most groups arrive between 3:30 and 4:00 but you can
arrive earlier to prepare dishes which need more time. Please notify the staff if you need to arrive earlier.
2. Plan to cook dinner for 30-35 individuals. However, be aware that the actual number of people attending the meal
varies greatly even when the House is full. Not all families will be able to make it to the House between 5:00 pm
and 6:00 pm, but they will be searching for leftovers when they return. Rest assured that whether the food is eaten
in the kitchen at the time of the meal, carried away, or warmed up as leftovers later; it will be eaten, and is very
much appreciated. Feel free to contact a staff member a day or two before you serve your meal to confirm the
number of people in the house.
3. Groups of two to five volunteers work best, but we request groups be no larger than 10 people so as not to
overwhelm our guests. If you have more than seven volunteers the kitchen space and jobs for everyone will be
limited. Groups should be of high school age or older, but younger siblings of a family may help too.
4. We ask you to provide a complete meal with a meat, side dish and vegetable. Many dishes can be enjoyed by all
ages, but we ask you to avoid serving lamb, fish or exotic dishes, or if they are included in your menu, please
consider it a side dish and offer an alternative selection. When selecting your menu, be aware that the majority of
our guests are adults. Please notify the staff of your dinner selection when you decide on your menu, ideally one
week in advance to avoid providing a duplicate dinner.
5. All food must be prepared and cooked on site at the Ronald McDonald House.
6. Groups should bring a list of all ingredients used in preparing the meal.
7. Beverages do not need to be provided as we already have a $.25 Coke machine, coffee and milk. Feel free to bring
a beverage if you prefer, but no alcohol is permitted at the Ronald McDonald House.
8. We have two large kitchens with plenty of utensils. There are two stoves in each kitchen. You are able to prepare
the meal in our large kitchen, if needed you may use the ovens in the small kitchen, but please keep that kitchen
available for families use as much as possible.
9. As most families arrive back at the House at different times please set the meal up buffet style, this way the
families can make plates and see all the food available to them. Please wash any dirty pots and pans before you
leave.
10. Please remind all chefs to wash hands thoroughly before and while preparing food, food safe gloves are required
when handling all ready-to-eat food, for example while preparing salad & slicing bread.
11. Please sign in at the front desk in our Goods and Services Book upon arrival. Tours may be given upon request,
please ask the volunteer or a staff member.
12. Please keep in mind that the guests who you will be serving are presently experiencing crisis in their life. It is
important to be empathetic and set a respectful mood while cooking in the Ronald McDonald House. We hope
volunteers will be friendly to our guests while cooking, but to consider their need for privacy and space as well.
13. To ensure the comfort of our guests and adequate quantities of food for the families you are providing for, groups
of more than three volunteers are asked not to stay to eat at the House. Food should be left out when you leave, as
many families return later in the evening. The RMH volunteer on duty that evening will label and refrigerate items.
14. If an unforeseen conflict arises, you can provide for a pizza, deli, or Chinese night instead. Please call a staff
member to make arrangements.
To pick a date or ask further questions, call Tina, Debbie or Lori at 438-2655
Health and Safety
1. For the safety of our children and parents, ALL participants of this program and
visitors to our House should be healthy: free from fever, cough or colds, or
stomach virus symptoms. We encourage frequent hand washing while in the
House and gloves are available and required when handling ready to eat food.
2. Never touch ready-to-eat foods with bare hands. Food safe gloves are required
while preparing ready to eat foods.
3. All kitchen surfaces must be wiped down with antibacterial kitchen cleaner before
and after food preparation.
Meal Suggestions
Would you like some other ideas on what to plan for dinner? While ziti and lasagna are
easy to prepare, they are served frequently at the House. Check this list of suggestions of
meals that have worked well in the past. You may use any of the following ideas or feel
free to prepare something you don’t see on the list.
Beef Meals
Beef Stew
Beef Tips and Gravy
Pot Roast
Stir Fry Beef
Pasta Sides
Stuffed shells
Lasagna
Fettuccini Alfredo
Baked Macaroni & Cheese
Chicken Meals
Barbeque Chicken
Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken Fajitas
Chicken Marsala
Chicken Parmesan
Garlic Chicken
Lemon Chicken
Sweet & Sour Chicken
Stir Fry Chicken
Stuffed Chicken Breast
Side Dishes
Baked Potatoes/ Baked Potato Bar
Mashed Potatoes
Oven Roasted Potatoes
Rice
Egg Noodles
Perogies
Baked French Fries
Pasta Salad
Potato Salad
Hamburger Meals
Chili
Goulash
Meat Loaf
Sloppy Joes
Swedish Meatballs
Tacos
Bigger Meals
Turkey Dinner
Roast Beef Dinner
Baked Ham Dinner
Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner
Veggies
Broccoli
Carrots
Cauliflower
Corn
Corn on the Cob
Green Beans
Green Bean Casserole
Peas
Salad
Squash
Zucchini