No matter what the food corporations want you to believe (It’s hard! You don’t have time for cooking!) you can cook from scratch. The food will taste better, you’ll eliminate some questionable ingredients, and there’s much less waste with these homemade recipes.
Homemade Recipes
My earlier post entitled 10 Supermarket Products You Can Make at Home really resonated with people. Some were indignant about the “food” we find in the stores. Others were happy to find dinner ideas and DIY recipes to make some of the products they usually depend on from the grocery store. After all sharing good food with family and friends is an act of love.
As we traverse the supermarket we’re bombarded with “easy!” “fast!” and the purely ridiculous. That speed comes with disposable plastic packaging and — very likely — some unpronounceable ingredients.
But good news: Cooking at home is not difficult. If it’s new to you, it might seem daunting, but it’s not hard. Take this collection of homemade recipes, for example. They use whole food and you’ll find you may even have these ingredients on hand.
Homemade recipes for pasta and grains
Pasta has always been one of my go-to meals for hurry-up nights, and yet someone decided that people might want to make it even faster.
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Ready to switch from store bought to homemade? Let me help you make some changes! Grab my FREE five-part guide to getting started.
- Farfalle Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash[The Organic Kitchen]
- Creamy Tomato Pasta[Scratch Mommy]
- Spaghetti with Collard Greens[Conveying Awareness]
- Linguine with Sweet Bell Peppers and Serrano Chili[The Organic Kitchen]
- 20-Minute Chicken Pasta[Conveying Awareness]
- Dad’s Cheeseburger Helper[Kitchen Stewardship]
- Macaroni and Cheese[Live Simply]
- Homemade Noodles [Cultured Table]
Replacing Instant Potatoes:
Potatoes—normally a very inexpensive, basic ingredient—have been dried, doctored, and packaged up in convenient boxes that cost more than the original by far. Make them a home for less; plan ahead and use your slow cooker and they can be part of an easy weeknight meal.
- The Best Fried Red Potatoes [Attainable Sustainable]
- Three Cheese Au Gratin Potatoes[The Organic Kitchen]
- Loaded Baked Mashed Potatoes [Home Cooking Memories]
- Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes [Your Modern Family]
- Swiss Potatoes [Simply Stacie]
Replacing Ready-Made Rice Dishes
If you’re ready to skip the expensive boxes of flavored rice, these recipes are a good starting place. An Instant Pot is one trick for making quick and easy rice!
- Instant Pot Spanish Rice [Attainable Sustainable]
- Low-Carb Riced Cauliflower [Cultured Table]
- Homemade Chicken Rice-a-Roni[Kitchen Stewardship]
- Coconut Rice and Veggie Stir Fry[Raia’s Recipes]
- Tuna Bake with Rice[Homemade Healthy Happy]
Replacing Ready-to-Bake Cookie Dough
Those tubes and tubs of cookie dough can be enticing, especially when we’re craving something sweet. Blend up some basic ingredients and you’ll have homemade cookies in less than an hour. And in many cases, you can freeze the dough for your own “instant” dessert.
- Chocolate-Dipped Sugar Cookies [Attainable Sustainable]
- Easy Ginger Cookies [Attainable Sustainable]
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies[Live Simply]
- Persimmon Cookies [Attainable Sustainable]
- Chocolate Cut-Out Cookies [Attainable Sustainable]
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies [The Homesteading Hippy]
- Carrot Zucchini Raisin Cookies[Family Gone Healthy]
- Swedish Almond Cookies [The Homesteading Hippy]
- Sprouted Wheat Welsh Cookies [Learning and Yearning]
- Chocolate Oatmeal Pecan Cookies [The Organic Kitchen]
- Ice Cream Cookies [Scratch Mommy]
- Oatmeal Cookies [The Homesteading Hippy]
- Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Creme Filling[Gourmande in the Kitchen]
- Sprouted Peanut Butter Cookies [Live Simply]
- Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies [Cultured Table]
Homemade Gluten Free Cookies
If your family loves cookies but you’re avoiding wheat, try these homemade gluten free cookies!
- Matcha Green Tea Cookies [The Urban Eco Life]
- Chocolate Mint Cookies [Good Girl Gone Green]
- No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Macaroons [Red and Honey]
- Gluten Free Tahini Cookies [Fresh Bites Daily]
- Teff Peanut Butter Cookies [Fresh Bites Daily]
- The Ultimate Breakfast Cookie [Raising Generation Nourished]
Replacing Boxed Sweet Breads
Just as you’d imagine, these loaves are quick to make. Unlike yeast breads, they don’t require any rising time.
- Liliko‘i Bread [Attainable Sustainable]
- Chocolate Zucchini Bread[Attainable Sustainable]
- Blueberry Lemon Loaf [Attainable Sustainable]
- Banana Pecan Bread [Red and Honey]
- Dutch Oven Zucchini Bread [Learning and Yearning]
- Parsnip and Carrot Cake [Conveying Awareness]
- Pumpkin Nut Bread [Scratch Mommy]
- Lemon Cranberry Cake [Cultured Table]
Replacing Muffin Mix
Muffins are a great grab-and-go breakfast or snack, and they’re easy to make at home without the pre-made mix. It doesn’t take a lot longer to bake a batch from scratch — and kids love them.
- Vegan Sweet Potato Muffins [Attainable Sustainable]
- Easy pumpkin banana muffins [Attainable Sustainable]
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins [Attainable Sustainable]
- Double Chocolate Muffins with Chocolate Chips [Attainable Sustainable]
- Sourdough Banana Nut Muffins [Attainable Sustainable]
- Blueberry Muffins[Live Simply]
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins [Attainable Sustainable]
- Soaked Oatmeal Cookie Muffins [Scratch Mommy]
- Solar Oven Blueberry Banana Muffins [Homestead Honey]
- Gluten Free Banana Nut Oat Muffins [Green Talk]
- Blueberry Muffins with Cacao Nibs [The Urban Eco Life]
- Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins [Ever Growing Farm]
- Decadent Double Chocolate Muffins with Chocolate Chips [Attainable Sustainable]
- Chocolate Banana Muffins [Live Simply]
- Apple Cinnamon Muffins [Attainable Sustainable]
- ABC Breakfast Muffins [Raia’s Recipes]
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins [Kitchen Stewardship]
Topping Cakes and Cupcakes
What’s a cake (or cupcake) without frosting? Sad, that’s what. Lucky you, frosting is easy to make at home with just a few ingredients. These recipes are still indulgent, but a smidge healthier than store-bought.
- Cream Cheese Frosting[Raia’s Recipes]
- Angel Feather Icing[Red and Honey]
- Raw Chocolate Coconut Butter[Homemade Healthy Happy]
Replacing Pre-Mixed Drinks
If you imbibe in mixed drinks, you can make them at home, easy peasy. In the liquor section, we find ready-to-roll drinks. Just twist, and slam shots with fanciful names, then toss the disposable hard plastic shot glass in the trash. These alternatives are equally fun, but made with fresh ingredients and less waste.
- Kombucha Kocktail[Homemade Healthy Happy]
- The World’s Most Perfect Hot Toddy [Ever Growing Farm]
- Fruity Rosemary Spritzer [Fresh Bites Daily]
- Sweet Hibiscus Iced Tea [Hollywood Homestead]
- Homemade Irish Cream [Kitchen Stewardship]
- Cactus Cooler [Fresh Bites Daily]
Bacon
People. It’s bacon. You don’t need a recipe. You just need a cast iron pan.
Originally published March 2014; this post has been updated.
