Last Updated on October 21, 2020 by Stacy Averette
I love long weekends and the extra time with family. And if your family is anything like mine, they’re always looking for something good to eat. If you want to feed your people well without spending all your time in the kitchen or breaking the bank on groceries and take-out, then this post is for you. Today I’m sharing a few of my favorite recipes for filling hungry tummies while making family time a priority.
Good Food Made Simple
The best thing about making good food at home is #1: you’re at home (yay for home!) and #2: you can choose the best ingredients to fit your healthy living goals. These recipes adapt well to substitutions.
- Creamy Parmesan Chicken and Pasta
- Crock-pot Mexican Chicken
- Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream
- Easy Breakfast Casserole
- Crock-pot Sausage and Bean Soup
(Click the links below for easy recipe printables)
Friday, I spent the day out of town doing a little thrift store therapy. On my home I stopped at the grocery store with my list and still had plenty of time to make dinner. We ended up eating a little later than usual waiting for two to make the drive from out of town and another to get home from work. We were all looking forward to a restful weekend together and the Creamy Parmesan Chicken and Pasta was the perfect ending to a long day.
We all stayed up very late so Saturday morning breakfast was easy with biscuits and gravy. I used frozen biscuits and the package gravy mix. The food was simple and delicious and the fellowship around the table was sweet.
At lunch I tossed the ingredients in the crock-pot for the Mexican Chicken Sliders we were having for supper. (These are really good with Hawaiian Rolls!) We spent a lazy afternoon together watching Netflix and taking cat naps. At supper time we enjoyed the Mexican Chicken sliders with chips and salsa and homemade chocolate ice cream for dessert. It was perfect since the temps made it feel like a spring day but then again, homemade ice cream is good no matter the weather. After supper, while we cleaned the kitchen, I assembled the Easy Breakfast Casserole for Sunday morning and the Crock-pot Bean and Sausage Soup. I stored the casserole in the fridge and cooked the soup overnight.
Early Sunday morning I baked the casserole and turned the crock-pot soup to “warm” before we went to church. After church, I baked cornbread.
Sunday evening we had plenty of leftovers to choose from and Maddie made her famous homemade chocolate chip cookies. Monday morning we enjoyed a brunch of French Toast and bacon since I’d found Texas Toast at the Bakery Thrift store for $0.99! French toast is always a favorite at our house!
I think planning ahead is really important when it comes to making good food on a budget. And even though I had to do some prep work, I enjoyed every minute of it. Eric was my sous chef and the kids were in and out of the kitchen talking and laughing (and to see what I was making!)
Each of these recipes fed a hungry crowd of seven (parents and young adults) with plenty of leftovers. If your family is smaller you could freeze the leftovers!
I always try to remember this verse when I’m spending time planning and preparing to feed my family.
Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.
Proverbs 17:1
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