Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Big Family Food and Fun: June 11-17, 2023

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Only 1.5 weeks until our big move. Here’s a look at what we ate this week as we clean out freezers and pantries and try to survive!

Food We’re Working With

I’ve put in a couple of Walmart pickup orders for fruits and veggies (we are going through fruit like crazy!). Otherwise, we are working our way through our freezers and pantry in an effort to use up food before we move. You can compare these pictures to last week’s shelves to see how we’re doing. This shelf doesn’t look like it’s emptying out much, but we used quite a bit from our stores this week.

You can tell a big difference in our freezers compared to last week!

I don’t have time to bake that turkey, so he’s likely going to make the move to Lincoln with us. ;)

And now on to the meals we ate last week!

Our Big Family Food and Fun

I had a Breakfast Casserole in the freezer, which was GREAT to have on Sunday for lunch. I slid it into the oven frozen, turned on the oven to 225, and let it bake while we were at church. It was done the minute we walked in the door and we ate it with fruit. SO EASY. I highly recommend putting some of these in your freezer!

Kelsey (Justus’ wife) had come to help us over the weekend and brought frozen Sloppy Joe meat with her. I warmed it for our Sunday evening meal and served it with green beans and watermelon. What would I do without my wonderful daughters-in-law? :)

Monday I had to take BabyBoy#11 in for a medical procedure, so I appreciated having lots of ready-made foods to pull out and serve for breakfast. I set out last week’s Mudballs and Pumpkin Muffins then warmed up leftover Breakfast Casserole to go with those. (Our air fryer warms food up so nicely!) Everyone ate well as Baby and I headed out.

Our fella was a trooper through his morning. I was glad he fell asleep on our way home to take a well-deserved nap! :)

Knowing I’d be gone all morning, I had mixed up Chicken Salad and put it in the fridge before I left. We made quick sandwiches when I got home and ate them with carrots, tomatoes, and watermelon.

For the record, chicken salad sandwiches taste better when cut into triangles. :) Also, this little girl LOVES peanut butter on her carrots. If you struggle to get your kids to eat carrots with other dips, try peanut butter. It works for Kiya!

After lunch, we played outside before naptime. Anna chose her own outfit today: shorts and a swim cover-up. Oh, and moccasins. :)

All three little girls crawled into the wagon, so I took them for a short ride. Then it was naptime – one of my favorite parts of the day after a long morning!

For dinner that night I baked a Meatloaf that I’d made a few weeks ago and frozen. Brayden and Kiya scrubbed potatoes so I could make these amazing Mashed Potatoes, plus I stir-fried some veggies and warmed up leftover corn and beans. Justus and Kelsey came from Lincoln for a church event so they joined us for dinner.

For breakfast on Tuesday I made scrambled egg sandwiches and served them with canned peaches.

I cooked three pounds of hamburger one night, seasoned it like this, then we put together tostadas with some shells someone had given us. I made this Cream Cheese Salsa Dip as a topping option.

This week at the YU campus is a camp called Soul Quest. Malachi is there as a camper for his final year with this amazing group of friends. (Malachi is second from the right.)

On the Wednesday of Soul Quest, they send out their hundreds of campers and staff out into our community for service projects. OUR FAMILY was blessed to receive one of these groups this year! They sent 26 high schoolers and adults over and we handed them all paint brushes!

It was a great, but full, morning. Thankfully, earlier I’d put lunch in the crock pot so it was ready to serve our family as soon as the crew left. This casserole doesn’t look pretty, but it truly was tasty! What do I call it? I have no idea. “Clean out the Fridge Casserole?” Yes, that’s it. I used last night’s taco meat stirred into frozen hashbrowns with the leftover Cream Cheese Salsa Dip, shredded cheese, sour cream, and salt. I cooked it on low all morning and it was delicious with steamed green beans on the side.

I left that afternoon to work for several hours while sitters came to stay with our kids (and Matt kept painting the house). Elias picked up pizza on his way home, using the gift cash we decided to enjoy for our Wednesday pizza night until after we’ve settled into our new home.

We sent the kids outside to eat their pizza because the sitters also did some cleaning while they were here. We always hope to keep the floor clean for at least five minutes after our sitters have worked so hard. :)

I went all out the next morning by getting out cereal and oatmeal packets for breakfast. ;)

In an effort to clean out our freezers, I pulled out this super discounted pork roasts I’d gotten marked down for $1.49/pound.

I put them in my large electric roaster, seasoned them, and poured barbecue sauce over the top. Then I slow cooked them all day to shred and freeze in meal-sized portions.

All day these pork roasts smelled AMAZING!! That evening, I shredded all the meat and scooped up some for us to eat for dinner before bagging up the rest for the fridge and freezer. This made five meal-sized portions for us.

I had two pounds of strawberries so I sliced them and made this Cheesecake Parfait to eat with them.

For lunch on Thursday I made grilled cheese and tomato soup – a funny meal on a 90 degree day but a great way to use up soup from the pantry!

Elias was home on his lunch break from work so he grabbed some grilled cheese to take back to work with him, plus chips and guac.

Friday we had a family of eight coming to help us get our house ready to sell. So in preparation, I had thawed two of these big packages of chicken legs. (Remember how I got these for around $0.75/pound?!?!) What a great way to feed 17 people!

I dumped on some sauce and put these in the fridge to marinate all day while we worked.

Meanwhile, Eva (Asa’s wife) came to help us all morning and early afternoon. We took all the littles to the library for the morning so Matt could paint. For lunch we invited our friend Tori to join us and headed to the backyard. We had a lot of sticks we wanted to burn up in our firepit so we thawed the hotdogs we had left in our freezer for the kids to enjoy. We grown-ups enjoyed the pork roast I had cooked the day before.

Our other friends arrived after lunch and they were a powerhouse, working so hard on our house with us all afternoon. I got the chicken on the smoker and we pulled out some easy side dishes. It tasted so good after working in the heat all day!

We were marveling at our two tribes of kids filling up the kitchen and spilling into the living room. :) We are so thankful for our precious friendship with this family.

Matt and I are feeling pretty worn out (but also very grateful). But this might explain why I said “yes” the next morning when Keith and Anna requested butter for breakfast. Nothing else. Just butter. Here’s a slice of butter, and here’s another slice of butter…

So this is where I’m at right now. Thank goodness I do have plenty of butter in our freezer! :) :) :) I did manage to pull off some Father’s Day treats today, which I’ll share about next week. Hope your week is off to a great start!

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Make-Ahead Recipes to Serve Holiday Guests

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If you’re hosting guests for the holidays, I suggest making some of these Make-Ahead Recipes to make your time together more enjoyable!

Any time I’m hosting company for any occasion – but especially during holiday time – I like to have meals, snacks, and desserts prepared ahead of time if possible. This way I can enjoy visiting with our guests without spending much time in the kitchen. (I don’t do a great job of talking and cooking at the same time, oy!)

Here are some of my favorite recipes to make ahead and serve guests who are visiting:

Make-Ahead Recipes to Serve Holiday Guests

Main Dishes

Desserts

Snacks

Breakfast Foods

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving or Christmas this year, here are recipes to make your entire traditional Holiday Dinner ahead of time. I do it this way every year:

What do you like to make-ahead to serve to guests?

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73 Freezer Meal Ideas

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As we settle into a new school year, we thought it would be helpful to compile as many freezer meal ideas as we could!

No matter what your school year looks like this fall, having prepared food in our freezer for busy days never hurts!

Freezer Meal Ideas

49 Favorite Breakfast Freezer Foods

We’ll start by sharing great breakfast and snack food ideas that can be made ahead of time. Here are our favorites:

24 Main Dish Freezer Foods

My favorite freezer foods include meals that can be pulled out and baked without any additional prep. Here’s our big list:

What ways are you getting ready to stay ahead during the school year?

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How to Have a Successful Freezer Cooking Day

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Hoping to get ahead by having a successful freezer cooking day? Here’s how!

Why have a freezer cooking day?

I love to have food pre-made and in the freezer to pull out and use as convenience foods on extra busy days! It’s beyond great to have a casserole in the freezer that I can slide into the oven for dinner without any prep (because I’ve already done the prep!).

In addition, it’s great to have muffins or cookies ready to pull out to bake or serve with just a few minutes’ notice.

If you have extra freezer space, it is worth your time to spend a few hours getting head so you can save time and energy later!

How to Have a Successful Freezer Cooking Day

Here are my top bullet points, with details to follow:

  1. Make a plan
  2. But don’t over plan
  3. Consider how you can multitask
  4. Get out everything possible the night before
  5. Be prepared for a mess, and save energy to clean it up!
  6. Have your evening meal already prepared and ready to serve.

1. Make a plan.

It’s a great idea to jot down a list of food you want to make ahead of time for your freezer so that you can prepare for your freezer cooking hours. Buy the groceries you’ll need, block out the time necessary for your freezer cooking extravaganza, and consider how you can make your time most efficient.

2. But don’t over plan.

But wait! Take it from me, the one who used to almost pass out during her freezer cooking days by trying to execute too much then becoming exhausted and grouchy at the kids (sorry, boys).

Be reasonable when you make your freezer cooking plan. If you only have two hours, your to-do list needs to be able to be fulfilled within just an hour and a half so you still have the energy to clean up afterward (see #5).

It’s easy to become overexcited, thinking of ALL THE THINGS you want to put into the freezer. Yay, you! But make your lofty list, then consider paring down to what is actually doable and reasonable. Perhaps break your lofty list into two or three different freezer cooking time slots.

3. Consider how you can multitask.

When making your list, look at what will help you be the most efficient with your time and energy. For instance:

Perhaps your freezer cooking day can focus on chicken dishes so that you can get out fewer ingredients, cut up several meals worth of chicken at once, and knock out more work in less time.

Or maybe your freezer cooking day is all about baked goods this time. Again, you can get out fewer ingredients so instead of working with meat and vegetables and flour and sugar – you are instead only focused on putting together sides, snacks, and desserts this time.

4. Get out everything possible the night before.

Say you’ve decided to make three batches of muffins, a double batch of cookies, and a pan of oatmeal bars during your freezer cooking session. The night before you are ready to take on the task set out all possible ingredients like baking powder, salt, sugar, flour, etc. Thaw your butter, lay out your recipes (or pull them up on your computer), get out bowls and measuring cups.

Whatever you can do to make the job easier tomorrow, do it today. Thaw meat, grate cheese, prep veggies, get out freezer bags. If you grind flour for baked goods, get that flour ready so you’ll save time tomorrow.

5. Be prepared for a mess, and save energy to clean it up!

In my experience, freezer cooking makes a pretty big mess. It’s worth it though, because of how easy it is to use and serve these prepared foods later! So remember that the mess you’re making now saves many messes later!

But also keep in mind that after you’ve spent an hour or four prepping food for the freezer, you’ll be a bit tired from your work. Plan ahead to save some of your energy and time to wash dishes, wipe down messy countertops, and sweep the floor.

6. Have your evening meal already prepared and ready to serve.

Is it just me, or do you ever not feel like cooking after you’ve spent the day cooking?

It is a good idea to plan ahead for this because, for some reason, everyone will still want to eat the night of your freezer cooking day. Crazy.

My suggestion is to have something in the crockpot already cooking, or better yet, if you’re making some casseroles for the freezer, save one to bake for dinner tonight.

7. It is worth noting that…

If you have big kids, they should be put to work with you on this endeavor! My big kids are my cheese graters, my floor sweepers, and my general go-to taskers. I have gotten very good at handing out small jobs left and right, which makes every big job (including freezer cooking!) so much easier!

Want some freezer cooking ideas?

Here are some great ideas to get you started!

Eat Right Away!

You can buy this awesome eBook that includes all the details, recipes, and grocery lists 20 meals you can make ahead for your freezer. Or become a club member and access it any time!

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Back to School Freezer Cooking Plan 2019

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It’s this year’s Back to School Freezer Cooking Plan!

Back to School Freezer Cooking Plan, 2019

I have to do it every year. I can’t not do it. I make all the food and I stock up on everything under the sun. My brain somehow cannot handle thinking that we might have to go to the store for toilet paper on the third day of school, so I make sure we have three…cases. Every year. Apparently, we need toilet paper to get us through until Christmas, as if I won’t go to the store for other things before then?

Even though I do think that in some ways my brain is crazy, there is much to be said for my desire to get ahead a little and stock-pile food and essentials before a new school year begins. With a new school year comes fall soccer season, which for our family is intense as we have players, referees, and a collegiate coach under our roof. We live, eat, breathe soccer from August until November. This year we added a brand new 5-year old soccer player to the ranks.

When we found his first pair of soccer cleats on clearance this summer, he was beyond excited. Finally, he can be a soccer player like his big brothers!

And let it be noted that this year we are also toting a Boy Babe to all the games with us while trying to keep him from eating electrical cords and climbing into the fireplace during a homeschool history lesson. So now who’s making fun of my three-case stash of Northern?

I’ve been working since mid-July to fill the freezer and stock-pile essential ingredients and household goods. I’ve taken wonderful advantage of Amazon Prime Pantry and Subscribe and Save. Amazon brings me joy…and groceries. And yeah, lots of toilet paper.

Here’s what I’ve been working on so far to get ahead:

Chicken Cheeseballs with a Kick

I got three pounds of ground chicken on mark-down, so I quickly added this recipe to my freezer-cooking list. These mix up quickly, and having them in the freezer ready to bake for a quick lunch or dinner will be perfect during this busy time of year.

Meat and Cheese Burritos

Burritos. Always burritos. I cannot tell you how good it is for me to have burritos in my freezer for my boys to warm up when they need one (or two).

Pancake and Waffle Mix

This isn’t actually in my freezer, but I did make a huge batch so we can pull it out for quick breakfasts or easy dinners. Man, I love this mix.

Simple Muffin Mix

I also mixed up a huge batch of Muffin Mix so that all we have to do is add liquids and whatever add-ins we want before baking up a batch of muffins. It’s so easy!

Bacon

One of my favorite tricks for saving time is baking several pounds of bacon, then freezing it to pull out and rewarm on the stove. When I do this, we can have hot sizzling bacon with our eggs or pancakes in just 30 seconds.

I also love cutting up bacon and making several pounds of bacon bits to use in salads and in scrambled eggs.

Lasagna

It’s our family’s favorite meal, so having a couple in the freezer will be great!

Hamburger Meat

I cooked 7 pounds of hamburger meat in my Instant Pot. So now I have meat to use quickly as needed. You can see a list here of 33 meals that can be made quickly once there’s meat already cooked and ready.


Cheesy Beef and Rice 

This is one of our favorites. If I have it in the freezer, I can slide it into a 250-degree oven before a game and it will be baked and ready to eat a few hours later when we get home!

Cheesy Salsa Enchiladas

This is also a favorite, and I can do as I mentioned above – bake it while we’re at a game and have dinner ready immediately when we get home!

In addition to all these prepared foods, I have worked to stock up on a supply of most of our essential ingredients so I can “shop from the pantry, fridge, or freezer” as much as possible instead of going to the store.

Want a cheat sheet full of Simple Ingredients to help you have all the real food basics on hand too? It’s free – grab it here!

Also in the freezer:

  • Strawberries, bananas, mango, pineapple, and peaches for smoothies
  • Green beans and peas for quick sides
  • Chicken nuggets and hotdogs #noshame
  • Homemade Ice Cream

Why the Homemade Ice Cream? Because it is as essential as toilet paper. Obviously.

What’s in your freezer these days?

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How to Make Real Food Easy

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Are you ready to eat real food, but you’re overwhelmed by all the work that seems to be involved? Allow me to introduce you to my friend…the Chicken. And to my other friends: Apples, Butter, and Cream. Don’t forget the infamous Green Bean. Gather ’round. I want to show you how to make real food EASY!

Sure, there’s no such thing as a free {real food} lunch. What I mean is, real food doesn’t just appear on the table by magic – so I certainly can’t claim that making real food for your family doesn’t take any work at all.

But I can tell you how to make the work much, much easier!!

And if you’re afraid of switching over from processed, boxed, pre-made foods or take-out because you don’t even know where to start – I would be so very happy to guide you along in this transition! I PROMISE it is much easier than you think!!! And it tastes delicious and normal. Who knew?

How to Make Real Food Easy!

I want to walk you through taking some very simple, inexpensive first steps toward transitioning your kitchen away from processed foods and settling into enjoying more real food.

The good news with this? You can start with whatever step you’re ready for! Struggling to give up soda? Don’t despair. Just start with something else. Can’t stand veggies? How about learning some new ways to eat them, or just start with fruit instead. If nothing else, start your journey to a real food kitchen by switching from margarine to real butter. There are so many places to start – and you can begin with whatever is right for you!

You Can Do This!

You may remember this eCourse from many years ago. I’m happy to share that we’ve spent the past few months re-working it so that it is brand new and improved!

It includes 49 pages, 5 lessons, printables, worksheets, videos, tutorials, instruction, tips, and recipes. You can use this to baby step or giant step your way toward a real food kitchen – go at your own pace!

You can read all the specifics of this awesome eCourse here.

Let’s Do This!

Oh look! We updated our Let’s Do This eCourse too! It includes 32 pages, 5 lessons, printables, worksheets, videos, tutorials, instruction, tips, and recipes. This eCourse walks you through managing your real food kitchen so that you can simplify and actually get ahead! Fill the freezer, make tonight’s dinner in the morning, get some healthy snacks stashed away for the week.

It actually is possible to get ahead and simplify your life, and this eCourse shows you how!

You can read the specifics about this eCourse here.

Afraid to take an eCourse?

Don’t worry. The teacher is very nice. ;) Upon completion, everyone gets an A. The only homework involved is yours and yours alone, to be done on your own time and for your family’s benefit. Once you purchase, you can keep the course information forever and reference them as needed. Read them on your computer or print the pages you need in your hands. What else?

Oh, these eCourses only cost $10 each. (“Where else can you take an entire class at such a low cost?!” exclaims the mother of many college students.)

It’s kind of too good to be true, except that we love all that these offer and we want to make them accessible to everyone! So it’s good AND it’s true. And there’s something else:

We put them together into a Real Food Kitchen Package!

We packaged up both of the new-and-improved eCourses, and we threw in our Make-Ahead Meals and Snacks recipe eBook because you really need those incredible recipes along with these eCourses!

Total cost for all three of these would normally be $25. But for one week, you can get this entire package of 3 resources for just $12! Total!

Ready to start working your way toward a healthy, real food, easy kitchen life? This time couldn’t be more perfect!

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How to Prepare Your Holiday Meal BEFORE the Holiday

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I’ve been talking about this for years, and with good reason. It truly is possible to prepare your holiday meal BEFORE the holiday. I love using these methods so that I can enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas just as much as everyone else!

For several years, I’ve been sharing how to easily make most of our Thanksgiving or Christmas dishes ahead of time. Truly! You can get ahead, then when the big day comes, you don’t have to spend hours cooking and cleaning. Imagine actually savoring the turkey and side dishes you slaved over. (Except that you don’t have to actually slave over them because I’ll show you how to make them the easy way!)

Enjoy the following recipes and preparation guide to help you get ahead this holiday season!

How to Prepare Your Holiday Meal BEFORE the Holiday

One Week Before Thanksgiving

Two Days Before Thanksgiving

One Day Before Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day

  • Enjoy a large cup of steamy coffee in my recliner for a very long time (because I can)
  • Everyone on their own for breakfast (probably cereal)
  • Mix dry ingredients together for Stir-and-Pour Rolls (for easy, no-brainer mixing about an hour before meal time)
  • Put Cranberry Apple Cider into a crockpot to heat (this is a huge hit with guests!)
  • Set out butter to soften for rolls
  • Plates, silverware, cups, and napkins set out

About 1 1/2 hours before serving time, I will bake or re-heat prepared foods. Then I will make gravy and bake the rolls. Easy peasy!

Here are the quick links to all the recipes you’ll need:

Get our FREE Holiday Prep Guide!

We’ve got a fabulous freebie for you today!

Grab our Holiday Prep Guide Packet filled with 9 fun printables to help you get ahead for the holidays! Sign up here to receive it for free!

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Simple Creamy Layered Enchiladas (For Oven or Crock Pot)

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How simple are these Creamy Layered Enchiladas? Well, I was able to throw them together in just five minutes before running out to church on a recent Sunday morning. So I’d say they’re pretty simple!

This recipe is simple in and of itself, but if you happen to have hamburger already cooked and waiting to be used, then you really can throw the rest of this together in just five minutes. (Or use pre-cooked chicken if you prefer!)

There are two great options for cooking this casserole: Crock Pot or Oven.

I use the Crock Pot on days I don’t want to heat up the house with the oven or on Sundays when I want to have our meal ready and waiting when we get home from church. I use the oven when I have these enchiladas made up ahead of time in a casserole dish. Then all I have to do is slide it into the oven and let it bake while I get other work done!

Simple Creamy Layered Enchiladas

Simple Creamy Layered Enchiladas (For Oven or Crock Pot)
 
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Author:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • sea salt to taste
  • 2 cups salsa
  • 1½ cups sour cream
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
  • 8 whole wheat flour tortillas (or corn tortillas)
Instructions
  1. Brown meat. Stir in salt, salsa, sour cream, and ½ cup of cheese.
  2. Lay 4 tortillas in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
  3. Spread half of meat mixture over tortillas.
  4. Layer again with the 4 remaining tortillas.
  5. Spread remaining meat mixture over tortillas.
  6. Top with 1½ cups cheese.
  7. Bake uncovered at 350° for 20-25 minutes.
  8. OR Layer ingredients into a crock pot. Cook on Low for 6-7 hours or on Hi for 4 hours.

 

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Make-Ahead Mac-n-Cheese For a Crowd

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I’d never tried Make-Ahead Mac-n-Cheese before, but figured it was worth a shot! I wondered: Could I make my easy Mac-n-Cheese for a crowd, then put it in the crock pot to stay warm? After all, I didn’t want to be a slave to the stove just as my guests were arriving.

Obviously it worked marvelously, otherwise I wouldn’t be here telling you about it. I definitely feel that this dish is best fresh, right off the stove. But the day I was feeding 25 teens, I needed a side I could make ahead and keep warm. As it turns out, we can make Creamy Mac and Cheese en mass, then put it in a crock pot to stay warm until serving time.

A few small details about making Mac-n-Cheese for a Crowd: Plan to use lots of sea salt. It can be rather bland otherwise. I even go the extra mile and stir in some garlic powder for a little extra pazazz.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: When making this Creamy Mac and Cheese, always remove it from the heat BEFORE you add the cheese. It’s not difficult, but breaking this creamy mac-n-cheese rule will give you weirdly textured pasta. So cook your pasta in the milk, slide it off the heat, then add cheese. See how simple?

Make-Ahead Mac-n-Cheese for a Crowd

Make-Ahead Mac-n-Cheese For a Crowd
 
Save Print
Author:
Serves: 25-30
Ingredients
  • 32 ounces dry pasta (I use whole wheat noodles)
  • 6½ cups whole milk
  • Sea salt to taste (1-2 teaspoons)
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 3-4 cups shredded cheese (I use Colby jack; cheddar is also great)
Instructions
  1. Mix pasta, milk, sea salt, and garlic powder in a large sauce pan. (I've found it best to divide ingredients into two large pots for faster and more even cooking.)
  2. Cook over medium-high heat stirring almost constantly until the pasta is tender (10-15 minutes).
  3. Remove from heat. (IMPORTANT!)
  4. Add cheese and stir until melted.
  5. Transfer Mac-n-Cheese to a large (6-8 quart) crock pot.
  6. Keep warm at "lo" setting for up to three hours.
  7. Stir in a bit more milk at serving time as needed.

 

When making a large amount of Mac-n-Cheese like this, I usually use this variety of whole wheat elbow noodles.

Need more ideas for cooking for a crowd? Check out this link:

44 Meals to Feed a Large Crowd

Did you download a free Simple Ingredients list yet? Keep all the basic ingredients on hand that you need to put together delicious, Simple Meals!

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Getting Ahead for the Holidays – New and Improved FREEBIE for Simple Meals Members!

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You might remember that a couple of years ago I spent the entire month of November detailing how we get ahead for the holidays so that we can (wait for it…) actually enjoy the holidays.

Call me selfish, but I like to actually enjoy eating my turkey instead of sweating over it while guests are walking through my door. And you and I both know I can’t talk and cook at the same time. It’s perfectly ridiculous how bad I am at doing both tasks simultaneously.

Here’s more proof (as if you need any): A few weeks ago a college girl stood in my kitchen with me while I finished preparing the meal I was about to feed a crowd of students. Dreamily, she asked, “So tell me how you and Matt met!” And I was like, “Matt who?”

matt and laura3

Oh, that Matt. I remember now.

I try to be a delightful hostess, I do. And it’s ridiculous how much I love feeding people in my home. But why do people ask such difficult questions like “Where’s your bathroom?” and “Is that your youngest son?” when I am trying to remember if I salted the green beans? I don’t have a PhD. You know who has the answers to your difficult and practically impossible questions? Google. Or better yet, Jesus. Jesus is THE answer. Ask and it shall be given to you. Read your Bibles, people.

So once again, as we head into a Merry Thanksgiving and a Happy Christmas season, I encourage us all to alleviate holiday stress and to give ourselves the best chance at enjoying our wonderful guests by doing everything we can ahead of time. Maybe you are better than I am at synchronized talking and cooking. Even so, we’ll all be blessed to have our creamed whipped and our potatoes mashed and our stuffing stuffed ahead of time.

Getting Ahead for the Holidays

Getting Ahead for the Holidays Cover2

This is an absolutely free resource we’ve created to be new and improved – made available once again for all Simple Meals members! Here are a few of the sample pages in this downloadable packet:

Make Ahead Holiday Sample

And rest assured, we included links so you can access all the recipes and instructions for how to make all of these wonderful holiday dishes ahead of time!

I can think of no better time of year to join Simple Meals. You know why? Because you have turkeys to bake and presents to wrap and carols to sing. This is no time for you to have to figure out what to feed your family on a regular Tuesday or to calculate how much chicken to buy.

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Simple Meals does all your meal planning, grocery listing, and recipe finding for you. The meal ideas are all perfectly simple and fast, and of course, they are family friendly.

Read more details here, and sign up today. You’ll get a complete weekly planning packet every Thursday morning in your inbox. The hard work is done. Simple Meals saves the day, every day of the week, for only $1 a week. Score!

It comes with oodles of freebies, and for this week and next, it will include this one, the Getting Ahead for the Holidays resource packet! (Current members: watch for yours to come in your regular Thursday Planning Packet email!)

Bonus: Now through November 15, get $10 off your first year’s subscription! No coupon code needed. Simply click through to order and the $10 discount will be automatically applied! Offer expires Wednesday, November 15.

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Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!