Food and Beverage
5 Time-Saving Cooking Tips for Busy Families
(Family Features) When it comes to sit-down family meals, one thing is for certain: It feels like you never have enough time. With your hectic schedule – full days at school and work, afternoon sports practices for the kiddos and plans with friends on the weekends – preparing a home cooked meal everyone will love can be daunting.
Busy Families
However, that time together in the kitchen and at the table is valuable. It offers an opportunity to bond through shared meals and gives kids a chance to learn life skills, such as measuring ingredients, simple cooking methods and properly seasoning favorite dishes. Dining at home also promotes healthier eating habits like portion control.
By rethinking your approach to home cooking, you can bring back family meals for those special moments together. Call your loved ones together and plan for fresh, homemade recipes with these easy steps.
Plan the Menu in Advance
Thinking about the week (or two) ahead can help avoid last-minute decisions to hit the drive thru. Pick a day – many families opt for Sunday evenings – you can sit down together and schedule meals for the upcoming week. If you can, try and plan dishes little ones can help with so the whole family can get involved. Make sure everyone feels included by allowing each member of the family to pick a recipe for the week. Be flexible and keep in mind plans may change. Try to plan at least one recipe you can make in 30 minutes or less so you can be prepared for the unexpected, and remember to take advantage of hands-off cooking methods like the slow cooker.
Use Ready-to-Cook Ingredients
With fresh, flavorful ingredients from The Little Potato Company, busy families have more options to choose from for meals the whole family will love. For easy and delicious oven-roasted or grilled potatoes, A Little Garlic & Parmesan Oven or Grill Ready Little Potatoes deliver a classic garlic and cheese flavor. Perfect for those seeking plant-based options, they’re an easy side to serve with your favorite main courses.
Grocery Shop Online
If the thought of hunting the store aisles for that one missing ingredient keeps you awake at night, online grocery shopping can save you the time and hassle. While meal planning for the week, jot down a list of each ingredient you’ll need for those recipes then add everything to your digital cart in minutes. Some stores and services even offer delivery so you can collect groceries right off your front porch. An added bonus: Shopping online means you can mindfully plan your shopping list with groceries you actually need.
Take Advantage of Quick Cooking Methods
On those hectic evenings when you don’t even have time to let the oven preheat, look to the microwave for salvation. Combining the sweetness of honey with a little heat from chili, A Little Hot Honey Microwave Ready Little Potatoes provide a pop of flavor that’s ready in minutes. Simply heat the potatoes in the microwavable tray for 5 minutes, sprinkle on the hot honey seasoning pack and enjoy. Because they come pre-washed, require no peeling and are small enough they don’t need to be cut, you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time around the table.
Ask for Help in the Kitchen
Even the simplest of recipes is bound to require a little work in the kitchen. Make cooking at home a family affair by asking loved ones to help set the table, put away leftovers and wash dishes so you can focus on conversation instead of cleanup.
Visit littlepotatoes.com to find a store near you and more quick, convenient family meal solutions.
Photos courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
The Little Potato Company
(Feature Impact) Game day is about more than the big plays, touchdown-saving tackles and final score. Whether you’re gathering in the stadium parking lot or hosting friends for an at-home watch party, a memorable experience begins long before kickoff.
Start your pregame festivities with an MVP-worthy spread that’s simple to serve, easy to eat and keeps fans full through the final whistle. For example, the flavor of Buffalo is a game-day staple, but wings aren’t the only way to enjoy it.
For less mess, Buffalo Chicken Caesar and Celery Wraps pair convenience with the cool crunch of Dandy Celery, a year-round superstar ingredient for many of your favorite football-inspired dishes. It’s packed with flavor and low in calories, making it a smart choice for snacking.
The contrasting tastes and textures offer a satisfying bite, whether you slice the wraps into smaller portions for appetizer-style serving or leave them whole for fans with hearty appetites.
Nervous nibblers during the game’s most tense moments may prefer a lighter bite, and that’s where a dependable dip can come through in the clutch. This Buffalo Hummus recipe puts a tailgate-spin on the familiar favorite, combining creamy texture with a little heat.
Serve it alongside crackers, chips or crisp vegetables like Dandy celery dippers, fresh-cut celery sticks that are pre-washed and ready to eat at your convenience – a true time-saver when the clock is ticking.
Design your own winning game plan by finding more tailgating recipes at DudaFresh.com.
Buffalo Chicken Caesar and Celery Wraps
Servings: 4
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1/4 cup Buffalo sauce
- 2 cups Dandy romaine hearts, chopped
- 1 cup Dandy celery, chopped (about 4 ribs)
- 1/3 cup Caesar dressing
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 large flour tortillas (10 inches)
- In bowl, toss shredded chicken with Buffalo sauce. Set aside.
- To make salad: In separate bowl, combine romaine, celery, Caesar dressing, Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Mix well.
- To assemble wraps: Spoon about 1/4 cup Buffalo chicken along center of each tortilla, leaving small border at each end; top with Caesar salad. Fold up bottom of tortilla over filling then fold in sides and roll up tightly. Slice in half diagonally.
Buffalo Hummus
Prep time: 5 minutes
Servings: 8
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup Buffalo sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 lemon, juice only
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2-3 tablespoons ice water
- dairy-free blue cheese, for garnish (optional)
- chopped chives, for garnish (optional)
- paprika, for garnish (optional)
- olive oil, for garnish (optional)
- Dandy Celery Dippers
- pita chips
- In food processor, puree drained chickpeas, tahini, Buffalo sauce, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Add water through lid until desired consistency is achieved.
- Spread hummus onto serving plate or bowl. Garnish, if desired, with dairy-free blue cheese, chopped chives, paprika and drizzle of olive oil. Serve with celery dippers and pita chips.
SOURCE:
Food and Beverage
ALDI Rolls Out Its First-Ever Line of Ready-Made Meals
ALDI is entering the ready-made meal market with seven fresh, refrigerated dishes priced under $15. The rollout begins in October, with nationwide availability expected by January 2027.
Busy shoppers looking for a quick dinner option will soon have something new waiting in the refrigerated section at ALDI.
ALDI is launching its first-ever collection of fresh, ready-made meals, introducing seven single-serve and family-size dishes designed to combine convenience, affordability and familiar comfort-food flavors.
The new meals begin rolling out at select ALDI stores in early October, with additional markets receiving them throughout the fall. ALDI expects the entire collection to be available nationwide by January 2027.
Seven New Meals — Ready to Heat and Eat
Unlike frozen dinners, ALDI says its new meals are delivered fresh and sold refrigerated in easy-to-heat trays.
The initial lineup includes five single-serve meals priced under $8:
- Beef Bolognese Spaghetti
- Beef Brisket with White Mac & Cheese
- Butter Chicken & Rice
- Chicken Burrito Bowl
- Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Two larger family-size meals will be available for under $15:
- Chicken and Bacon Mac n’ Cheese
- Meat Lovers Pizza Bake
ALDI says the recipes were developed around ingredients including chicken breast, smoked beef brisket, real cheeses and made-from-scratch sauces.
The single-serve meals contain between 30 and 46 grams of protein per serving, according to the company. Family-size offerings provide between 16 and 22 grams per serving.
Convenience Without the Restaurant Bill
The move puts ALDI more directly into the growing market for prepared refrigerated meals — an increasingly attractive option for consumers who want something more substantial than a frozen dinner but don’t necessarily have the time or desire to cook from scratch.
ALDI cited the 2026 International Food Information Council Food & Health Survey, which found that 61% of Americans consider convenience an important factor when purchasing food.
“Our shoppers are looking for meals that fit into busy lives without sacrificing quality or stretching their budgets,” Joan Kavanaugh, Vice President of National Buying for ALDI U.S., said in the company’s announcement.
ALDI supplier Kitchen Food Company said hundreds of recipes were tested while developing the new collection.
Dinner in Just a Few Minutes
Convenience is a major part of the concept.
Depending on the variety, ALDI’s single-serve meals require roughly 3½ to 4½ minutes in the microwave. The company instructs consumers to heat the meals until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
The larger family meals can be prepared in a conventional oven at 350 degrees, with approximately 40 minutes of total cooking time.
Shoppers will find the meals in the refrigerated meals section near the front of participating ALDI stores.
More Meals Are Coming
The seven dishes are only the beginning.
ALDI says it plans to introduce additional ready-made meals through its rotating ALDI Finds selection every month during the next year. That could allow the retailer to experiment with additional recipes, flavors and seasonal offerings while expanding its presence in prepared foods.
The timing also makes the rollout noteworthy. With restaurant meals and takeout competing for household food dollars, prepared grocery-store meals occupy a middle ground: more convenient than cooking from scratch while potentially costing considerably less than feeding a family through restaurant delivery or takeout.
For ALDI shoppers, that means the familiar question of “What’s for dinner?” may soon have a few more answers — and they could be waiting just inside the front door.
Source: ALDI, September 22, 2026
Sources & Related Links
- ALDI — Official Announcement: ALDI Launches First-Ever Collection of Ready-Made Meals
- Original Press Release: ALDI Ready-Made Meals — PR Newswire
- Consumer Research: 2026 IFIC Food & Health Survey — Convenience Outranks Healthfulness
- More ALDI News: ALDI U.S. Newsroom
- More Food & Drink Coverage: STM Daily News Food & Drink
Hungry for More?
Looking for more easy dinner ideas, meal-planning inspiration, and affordable meals? Explore STM Daily News Food & Drink for the latest recipes, food news, restaurant stories, culinary trends and more.
A poached egg may look fancy, but it is surprisingly easy to prepare. With a tender egg white and warm, runny yolk, it makes a delicious addition to toast, salads, breakfast bowls or avocado toast.
Ingredients
- 1 large fresh egg
- Water
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar, optional
- Salt and black pepper
- Toast or English muffin for serving, optional
Instructions
Fill a saucepan with about 2 to 3 inches of water and bring it to a gentle simmer. Avoid a rolling boil, which can break the egg apart.
Crack the egg into a small cup or bowl. Add the vinegar to the water if desired—it helps the egg white hold its shape.
Gently slide the egg into the simmering water. Cook for about 3 minutes for a runny yolk, or 4 to 5 minutes for a firmer center.
Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and place it briefly on a paper towel to absorb excess water. Season with salt and pepper, then serve immediately.
Quick Tip
Fresh, cold eggs usually produce the neatest poached eggs because their whites are thicker and stay closer to the yolk while cooking.
Simple, satisfying and ready in minutes, a poached egg is an easy way to make an everyday breakfast feel a little more special.
