Just like that, a storm has hit. But the family still needs to eat! Planning in advance will ensure that there’s plenty of food to eat when the power is out. First, stock up on nonperishable goods like dried fruit, nuts and canned food. If you know a storm is coming, prepare some (again, nonperishable) snacks in advance, like energy bars or even homemade beef jerky, and fill the pantry with staples like oatmeal.
During a power outage, stay away from the fridge and freezer—keeping the door closed will help maintain the cooler temperature and keep food from spoiling. Instead, plan to make meals that use only shelf-stable ingredients.
Make-Ahead Jar Meals & Seasoning Blends for Fast, Flavorful Weeknights (Sizzling Sauces & Condiments Book 2)
Dry Mix Dinners
By Josie B. Malone — Read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited
Let’s be honest—many dry mix cookbooks ask for things you can’t find in a regular grocery store. I know, because I’ve bought those same ingredients myself. The truth is, Dry Mix Dinners isn’t about making you hunt down obscure bulk items—it’s about teaching you how to build better mixes with what you have, and showing you how a few smart pantry staples can turn into endless meals.
Yes, some recipes call for specialty items like powdered butter or freeze-dried vegetables, but only because they make your mixes shelf-stable and giftable. You can always swap, skip, or scale them to fit your budget and pantry. Many of these ingredients now come in smaller bags online—no need for 20-pound sacks or emergency-prepper bins.
And as for serving sizes? I keep them small and flexible by design. Every recipe lists one serving so you can multiply or divide without the math gymnastics. Whether you’re cooking for one or six, you decide how much to make—because food should fit your life, not the other way around.
As for beans, rice, and pasta—some mixes absolutely do need to be cooked separately. That’s part of making sure everything cooks evenly and tastes right. I’ve noted it clearly in the instructions, and each mix is meant to be easy, not complicated. These jars are about real food convenience, not shortcuts that sacrifice quality. Inside You’ll Discover
Troubleshooting & Seasonal Ideas — fix clumps, boost flavor, and refresh your pantry year-round. Why You’ll Love Dry Mix Dinners
Real Ingredients, Real Choices: Use what you have, substitute what you can, and don’t stress over perfection.
Flexible Servings: Recipes are portioned for one person—easy to scale for families or gifting.
Practical, Not Pretentious: These mixes work whether you shop at Walmart or Whole Foods.
Family-Tested: Every recipe was tried, tweaked, and approved by my five kids.
Gift-Ready: Beautiful jars that make thoughtful, personal presents.
A Note from Josie: I’m new to writing cookbooks, and I’ve learned that formatting, portioning, and ingredient choices matter as much as flavor. Dry Mix Dinners is the result of hundreds of hours of testing—and of listening to readers who wanted a more down-to-earth, flexible guide.
This book isn’t about selling bulk ingredients—it’s about empowering you to make wholesome, shelf-stable mixes that fit your real life.
Follow me for recipe demos, pantry inspiration, and kitchen stories on Instagram: 📸 @josiebmalone
Ready to simplify your kitchen and cook with confidence? Grab your copy of Dry Mix Dinners today and start building your own pantry magic—one jar at a time.
There’s nothing like noodles to please everyone at the dinner table. Whether you’re feasting on impressive baked pasta recipes like lasagna or stuffed shells, or enjoying a bowl of saucy tortellini, every shape of pasta satisfies. These go-to pasta recipes prove that you don’t need to have a lot of time on your hands to whip up a delicious and comforting Italian-inspired meal.
Round out your carb-heavy entree with spaghetti side dishes (they go with ziti, penne and ravioli too) and some crusty Italian bread. If you’re feeling ambitious and have the time to spare, homemade fresh pasta is well worth the effort.
Satisfy your craving for a home-cooked meal—without making a sinkful of dirty dishes.
Simple, Perfect Chili
Creamy Skillet Chicken
One-Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni
Chicken Pot Pie
Dinner, with Less Mess
There’s no denying that the least exciting part of cooking is cleaning up the mess afterwards. Whether you tackle a good, old-fashioned Sunday supper or a simple weeknight meal, it feels like the dirty pots, pans and plates always pile up fast. That’s where these one-pot wonders come in. Grab your favorite casserole dish to make a dump dinner, break out the cast-iron skillet and whip up rustic chicken and dumplings or turn to your Instant Pot for shrimp scampi in just 20 minutes; whatever you decide, you’ll find that these recipes are wonderfully delicious—and make cleanup a breeze. Take this American version of goulash, for example. It features hearty pasta and plenty of aromatic spices (including paprika as a nod to the traditional Hungarian dish) for a comforting and complete meal that can be made entirely in your Dutch oven. What could be easier?
Keep this easy chicken Alfredo casserole recipe on hand when you need a simple dish that doesn’t require a lot of hands-on time. This is a “dump and bake” casserole recipe that uses a single baking dish.
Stir together the pasta, pre-made Alfredo sauce, broth, leftover chicken, cheese and seasonings. Bake for about 30 minutes and serve with salad, or see our variations for an option to include veggies in the bake. You will have dinner on the table in record time, with minimal fuss.
Ingredients for Chicken Alfredo Casserole
Penne pasta: Combine uncooked pasta with the sauce and the broth and bake in the oven until tender.
Alfredo sauce: Use two jars (15 oz each) of your favorite prepared Alfredo sauce.
Chicken broth: Store-bought or homemade chicken broth, along with the Alfredo sauce, provides enough liquid for the pasta to cook right in the oven.
Cooked chicken: Cubed chicken breast adds a lean protein to this easy casserole.
Garlic: Minced garlic adds plenty of savory flavor.
Cheese: Combine parmesan and mozzarella cheese to get the best of both cheesy worlds. Parmesan has lots of flavor and mild mozzarella melts beautifully.
Parsley: Minced parsley is a simple way to add a dash of vibrant green and some brightness to this rich and creamy casserole.
Overnight oats recipes start your mornings off on the right foot, even if both feet are running out the door as soon as you wake up. These recipes are so simple to make; just mix oats, milk, yogurt and a little honey together the night before and stick the mixture in the fridge to enjoy in the morning with some fruit and granola. Nutritious, wholesome and packed with fiber and protein—what’s not to love about this easy breakfast idea for busy mornings?
If you’re anything like me, though, you can’t eat the same breakfast for weeks on end, no matter how convenient and nutritious. Luckily, this overnight breakfast is super easy to customize. Our overnight oats recipes use simple ingredients like cocoa powder, fruit, nut butters, baking spices, jam and so much more to create exciting flavors like apple cinnamon, PB&J, chocolate and tiramisu.
If you’re ready to add healthy grab-and-go breakfast recipes to your weekly repertoire, start with overnight oats. They’re the most simple, nutritious and quick—not to mention: No cooking is required!
This baked recipe with cottage cheese can be whipped up quickly when you need something tasty in a pinch, or it can be meal-prepped ahead of time and stored in the fridge for easy grabbing on busy mornings. To make it, all you have to do is whisk together simple ingredients to form the batter, pour the mixture into a baking dish, top with blueberries and bake. This easy breakfast recipe will be ready to dish up for any occasion in under an hour.
Ingredients for Blueberry Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bake
Cottage cheese: Cottage cheese provides moisture and a boost of protein in this breakfast bake.
Eggs: Three whole eggs are incorporated into the mixture to provide a fluffy base for this easy breakfast.
Rolled oats: Add rolled oats into the mix for a bit of texture. They also help soak up some of the additional moisture from the cottage cheese.
Milk: We use whole milk for this recipe, but you can easily swap in 2% if preferred.
Vanilla extract: Enhance the flavor of this breakfast bake with a touch of vanilla extract.
Cinnamon: A small amount of cinnamon makes all the difference in enhancing the taste of this bake.
Salt: Just a pinch of salt goes a long way in balancing the sweet flavors in this blueberry cottage cheese breakfast bake recipe.
Blueberries: Add pops of juicy, fruity flavor throughout by stirring fresh blueberries into the mixture. Wash the berries and let them dry before getting started.
When I moved to Texas, I was introduced to new-to-me foods, like sun tea, chess pie and sweet potatoes. Though I had loved the easy potato recipes my mom whipped up, I quickly realized sweet potatoes were not the same. I watched friends load them up with butter, brown sugar and even marshmallows, finding room for sweet potato recipes at every meal. Although it took a few attempts, I came to love sweet potatoes too, and now I always have some at home for making baked goods, sides and hearty dinners.
This collection features the naturally sweet, nutrient-dense spuds in a variety of recipes, from skillet breakfasts and quick satisfying lunches to easy sides, dinners and sweet treats. If marshmallows and sweet potatoes aren’t for you, there are plenty of savory sweet potato recipes with beans, herbs, cheese and spices. Or, you can embrace the root vegetable’s sugary edge with recipes for sweet potato desserts, including cookies, pies and cakes.
When shopping for sweet potatoes, look for ones that are firm with taut, unbroken skin. And don’t be confused by signage at the market: Sweet potatoes are different from yams, but many places still use the words interchangeably. If it has a thin, mostly smooth skin, it’s a sweet potato. Whether you already know how you love to eat sweet potatoes or you are looking for new flavor combinations, you’ll find inspiration here for sweet potato dishes to enjoy year-round.
Whether you’re looking to feed a crowd or whip up an easy weeknight meal for the family, sloppy joe casserole is a comforting one-pot meal that’s packed with flavor. Requiring just 20 minutes of prep time, the mostly hands-off dish gets piled into a slow cooker, where the juices of the meat soak into crispy Tater Tots. Whether you enjoy it on its own or serve it with a simple salad, this nourishing casserole is easy to prep, serve and store.
We start by browning ground beef, then combine it with the sweet and tangy flavors sloppy joes are known for—tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Next, the meat gets layered into a slow cooker with Tater Tots and topped with shredded cheese and sprinkle of paprika. It’s an easy way to get dinner on the table with minimal prep or cleanup.
Sloppy Joe Casserole Ingredients
Leticia Almeida for Taste of Home
Frozen Tater Tots: These little pops of shredded potato are so versatile, they’re a great ingredient to keep in your freezer. In this recipe, we start by lining the slow cooker with a layer of tots to act as a sturdy base for the slow cooker Tater Tot casserole. They hold everything together while soaking in the juices and flavor from the meat mixture.
Ground beef or turkey: While ground beef is a really rich addition to this dish, you could easily swap it out for lighter ground turkey. Either protein will bulk up this dish with hearty flavor, so you can’t go wrong no matter which you choose. Be sure to break the meat into smaller crumbles to help it disperse evenly throughout the casserole.
Tomato sauce: Sweet and acidic at the same time, canned tomato sauce is a great way to add moisture and flavor to this sloppy joe casserole. We add it to the cooked ground beef and let it simmer for a few minutes before pouring it over the tots.
Sweet chili sauce: This can be a really rich dish, so adding a bit of tangy spice is a great way to offset any leftover grease from the beef and tots. Bottled sweet chili sauce combines with the meat and tomato sauce to add vibrant flavor that’s equally sweet, acidic, spicy and savory.
Brown sugar: Adding a bit of brown sugar is a great way to accentuate the savory flavors in this recipe. Brown sugar also has a more caramelized flavor than white sugar, so it adds a deep complexity that pairs nicely with the ground beef.
Worcestershire sauce: Tangy, peppery, salty and just a tiny bit sweet, a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce go a long way in this recipe. The umami flavor complements the richness of the beef and adds complexity throughout the dish.
Minced garlic: Dried minced garlic has a slightly milder flavor than the fresh version, and it’s a convenient way to add quick flavor to soups and meat sauces. However, you can certainly swap in the fresh version if you prefer it.
Minced onion: This rich, slightly nutty dried spice is packed with sweet and savory flavor. Using the dried version also saves a ton of time. It delivers a powerful punch of flavor without the need to spend time mincing a fresh onion by hand.
Colby-Monterey Jack cheese: This pleasantly mild cheese melts easily and consistently, so it’s a great choice for casserole recipes like this one. We finish this sloppy joe casserole with a handful of shredded cheese and let it melt gently before serving.
Paprika: A few dashes of paprika make for a flavorful and colorful topping here. It’s a warm and vibrant spice that helps add smoky, sweet flavor to whatever dish it’s used in.
Ever since the hype around protein shifted to fiber, everyone has been trying to include more fiber-rich ingredients in their diets. For anyone unsure where to start, I recommend lentils. Lentils are packed with both fiber and plant-based protein, making them extra appealing. They’re versatile, too, which means there are plenty of lentil recipes to help you meet your fiber goals, without getting tired of the legume.
The most common way to use lentils is in cozy lentil soup recipes. You can make sausage and lentil soup, curry lentil soup, spicy chicken lentil soup and so many more, each with its own unique texture and flavor. Thanks to their tiny size, lentils are also a great plant-based alternative for meat in ground beef recipes, so you’ll also find recipes for lentil meatballs, tacos, sloppy Joes, meatloaf and potpie.
I love that a lot of these lentil recipes are plant-based, but many combine lentils and meat to boost the protein and fiber of the meal even more. Several options are also gluten- and dairy-free, so there’s truly something in here for everyone.
Good Food, Good Meat, Good God, Let's Eat! 