Almost Homemade Entertaining
Simple Shortcuts, Delicious Results
Welcome, friend! If you have ever felt the weight of hosting, planning menus, cooking from scratch, and trying to make everything perfect, you are not alone. I have been there too. But here is the good news: hospitality does not require hours in the kitchen or elaborate dishes. What truly matters is creating space around the table for connection, laughter, and love.
That is why I created Almost Homemade Entertaining. Here, you will find easy, crowd-pleasing recipes that use a little store-bought help without sacrificing taste. Think casseroles that start with a can of soup, cakes dressed up from a box mix, or appetizers made with store-bought dough. These simple shortcuts let you spend less time stirring at the stove and more time enjoying your guests.
Jesus reminded Martha that her focus on tasks caused her to miss the heart of true hospitality. What matters most is not the perfect meal or spotless home, but being present with the people God has placed around your table. In that same spirit, hospitality is not about perfection but about presence. This page is designed to give you recipes and tips that ease the stress of hosting so you can concentrate on what really matters: welcoming people with warmth and joy.
What Does “Almost Homemade” Mean?
Almost homemade means using a few shortcut ingredients to save time in the kitchen while still serving food that tastes amazing. These are the kinds of helpers you will see in our recipes: premade dough, cake or baking mixes, pudding and Jell-O, canned or boxed soups, store-bought crusts, stuffing mixes, and frozen hashbrowns or tater tots.
The goal is not perfection, it is presence. Using store-bought ingredients to do part of the work gives you more time to enjoy your guests and less stress in the kitchen.
