Local meal kits and take-and-bake meals
The pleasures of eating out from the comfort of your own kitchen
By Amy Paradysz
If you’re not a fan of cooking, but love good food... Or maybe your schedule gets busy sometimes and you’d like a local alternative to take out or grocery store ‘to go’ meals, you’re in luck.
The pleasures of eating out and the comfort of staying in. That’s what you get with these locally sourced meal prep kits, catered date night dinners and family-style take-and-bake almost-ready meals.
Updated August 2023
Chicken pot pies. Photo courtesy of Wild Oats Bakery and Cafe.
Wild Oats Bakery & Café
166 Admiral Fitch Ave., Brunswick
wildoatsbakery.com
Take-and-bake options for made-from-scratch meals with fresh local ingredients include chicken pot pies, quiches, mac & cheese, shepherd’s pie, chicken cordon bleu, chicken tetrazzini, lasagna, curried chicken and risotto. Or pick up a quart of frozen sauce to heat and serve over pasta or rice.
Ada’s
449 Main St., Rockland
adaspasta.com
Ada’s makes fresh pasta and gourmet ravioli for restaurants—so why not go right to the source? Pick up grab-and-go meals for two such as lasagna, meatballs in Pomodoro sauce or macaroni with spinach, mushroom and Béchamel sauce. Ada’s also offers a Pasta Club, a subscription for minimal prep midweek meals.
Photo courtesy of Fusillo.
Fusillo
These Fusillo pasta kits are the ultimate way to support a small business—in this case, a one-man show. Chef Siddharta Rumma makes his pasta and sauces fresh in small batches, using fresh organic produce and imported Italian flours and cheeses. He bags up everything you need (along with prep instructions, backstory on the dish and suggestions on wine or craft beer pairings) and delivers to your door. Menu options vary weekly with the likes of tagliatelle ragu Bolognese, cavatelli cacio e pepe with pistachios, or butternut squash and goat cheese ravioli. Each kit comes with fresh pasta, 8 ounces of sauce, 1 oz of freshly grated or shaved cheese and any other fresh herbs or toppings needed. Kits are $15-17 each. Delivery is available in Portland, Westbrook, Falmouth, Cape Elizabeth and Scarborough with a minimum order of $60. Place your delivery via Fusillo’s online order form.
Craft Curbside local favorites, clockwise: Craft Burger, ramen, tacos and paella. Photo courtesy of Craft Curbside.
Craft Curbside
81 W. Gray Road, Gray
craftcurbside.com
Craft Curbside local favorites, clockwise: Craft Burger, ramen, tacos and paella. Photo courtesy of Craft Curbside.
This hyper-locally sourced shop offers ready-to-eat meals, specials 7 days a week, and meal kits that can be taken home and quickly finished in your kitchen, such as BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, classic lasagna or mac and cheese. Add on house made potato chips, potato salad, large format green salads, or dessert and make it a feast. Weekly specials run the gambit from Ramen Night on Mondays to Pizza Night on Fridays. Other local favorites include Tacos on Tuesday and Paella on Thursday.
Fork Food Lab
72 Parris St., Portland
forkfoodlab.com
Through the Online Market, order frozen pre-made vegan meals, soups, quiches, Chinese dumplings and Australian sausage rolls. All made in the Fork Food Lab, a membership-based shared kitchen for Portland’s rising food entrepreneurs. Check online for pickup/delivery details.
Good Life Market
1297 Roosevelt Trail, Raymond
thegoodlifemarket.com
Hot (or heat-and-eat dinner entrées) chicken pie, a mixed variety of quiche, Cherrywood smoked pork ribs, Pesto pasta salad, Cashew chicken and wild rice, and a rotating variety of soups.
Chicken divan. Photo courtesy of Hungry Hollow Country Store.
Hungry Hollow Country Store
28 Bethel Road, West Paris
facebook.com/HungryHollowCountryStore/
This country store in an old farmhouse is a popular stop for from-scratch heat-and-eat meals like chicken and beef pies, chicken divan, quiches, meatloaf, shepherd’s pie, vegetable or meat lasagna, and chicken enchiladas. They’ve also got weekly soup specials, Indian pudding, baked beans, potato salad, old-fashioned wheel cheese and all manner of pies, cookies and other baked goods.
Rosemont Market
537 Shore Road, Cape Elizabeth
580 Brighton Avenue, Portland (Rosemont)
88 Congress Street, Portland (Munjoy Hill)
40 Pine Street, Portland (West End)
231 US Route 1, Falmouth
96 Main Street, Yarmouth
Thompson’s Point, Portland
www.rosemontmarket.com
With seven locations—and counting—in Greater Portland, Rosemont’s makes it convenient to eat locally sourced food. Their ever-rotating menu of premade dinners that can be simply warmed in the oven includes meatloaf (and lentil loaf), enchiladas, lasagna (meat or vegetarian), shells and cheese, and pasta carbonara.
Slab Sicilian Street Food
25 Preble St., Portland
slabportland.com
Take-and-bake a Slab Sicilian cheese pizza—now sold frozen at the restaurant and at Portland-area markets, including Lois’ Natural Marketplace, Rosemont Market and Royal River Natural Foods.
Terra Cotta Pasta Company
434B Cottage Road, South Portland
5A Route 1, Kittery
www.terracottapastacompany.com
Terra Cotta’s offers fresh and frozen prepared meals. If you’ve got enough people for 8 or more servings (or really enjoy leftovers), consider ordering a lasagna from the catering menu (traditional cheese, Italian meat or roasted vegetable). Preheat. Bake. Dinner!
Union Wharf Market
1 Union Wharf, Portland
theblacktieco.com
The Union Kitchen Supper Club is like a date night to go: one fancy dinner entrée per weeknight with a beer or wine pairing. Pick up the meals in store, Check the Union Wharf Market Facebook page for the weekly Supper Club menu.
Know of another locally sourced take and bake or meal kit option? Email us or comment below, and we’ll add it to the list.
