5 Comfort Food Dinners to Serve Family Style

Save prep time by serving dinner family style. Everyone grab a fork and dig into Cheeseburger Hamburger Pasta Skillet, Leftover Turkey Pot Pie, or whip up a batch of Crispy Panko Fish Sticks.

By
Marta Rivera
Marta Rivera
Marta Rivera
Marta has 25 years of experience in the food service industry and has been developing recipes for 3 years. She is the author of Taste & See Cooks: Recipes to Inspire, Equip and Enjoy.
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Updated August 24, 2021
Marta Rivera
"What's For Dinner?" with a Ginger Pork Rice Bowl pictured behind the caption.

Family-style meals are best served during busy holiday months. Not only do they take the burden of extensive prep off of me, but they’re also a no-frills option that allows for buffet-style (AKA serve yourself) dining. I just set the dish out on the table and everyone digs in.

This week, I’m focusing on some family favorites and comfort food. We are talking pot pies, a hamburger skillet (think Hamburger Helper but better because it’s made from scratch), ginger pork bowls, and vegan sloppy joes.

Make these meals and watch your family dig in!

  • Leftover Turkey Pot Pies

    Leftover turkey pot pie in a large casserole dish with serving spoon
    Nick Evans

    I usually have some leftover Thanksgiving turkey in the freezer, which is perfect for whipping up quick and easy meals like this turkey pot pie. I save myself even more time by making this pot pie in a 9x13-inch casserole dish rather than individual ramekins—fewer dishes to wash and no need to cut individual pie rounds for each dish. Pre-cut, frozen veggies save even more time.

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  • Cheesy Hamburger Pasta Skillet

    Philly Cheesesteak Pasta Skillet
    Megan Keno

    Making your favorite convenience meals can be just as easy as pouring it from a box, and they are generally lower in sodium and preservatives. Once again, help from the produce section in form of pre-cut veggies will help this comfort meal come together quickly.

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  • Crispy Panko Fish Sticks

    Fish Sticks Recipe for Kids
    Nick Evans

    My twins love fish sticks as a main course with sides of coleslaw and hush puppies. I buy fresh cod and have the kids help me bread and fry it. It teaches them an old-timey lesson in what was once known as Home Economics.

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  • Ginger Pork Rice Bowls

    Pork Rice Bowl Recipe herbs in center of bowl with pork and carrots on side
    Nick Evans

    My family now knows that rice bowls are code for “Mom’s not in the mood to cook." Lay out a grazing table of toppings like shredded carrots, chopped scallions, and cucumber slices and let everyone build their own bowl.

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    Continue to 5 of 6 below.

  • Vegan Sloppy Joes

    Cooked green lentils in vegan sloppy joes ingredients
    Nick Evans

    Include this meatless wonder in the mix for the end of week dinner and simultaneously throw it back to your childhood. Not only do these lentil Joes work well between burger buns, but they also fill a lettuce leaf surprisingly well. I usually double this batch to serve as the next day’s lunch because the flavors deepen (and become better) as it sits.

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  • Weekend Baking: Gingerbread Cupcakes

    Gingerbread Cupcakes
    Elise Bauer

    I prefer cupcakes to cookies because I’m not one of those moms who has a good attitude when my whole family is in the kitchen using my cookie cutters. Just being honest. I leave the kids to scoop, bake, and decorate the cupcakes—while I’m out of the kitchen, of course.

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