Family favorite recipes: 18 tried and true dishes we love

Hickory smoked pulled pork sliders served with homemade slaw. We start with the pork in the morning. Slow smoked over pecan wood, and let that bark form, then it pulls apart like it wasn’t even there to begin with. The slaw is vinegar-based, fresh, crunchy, and cuts through the richness of the pork perfectly. It’s a group event, my crew makes the rub, makes the slaw, and stacks the sliders until they are about to burst, where they disappear in mere minutes!

It’s special because it’s truly a backyard family affair. We make this for birthdays, backyard cookouts, or on just a random warm Sunday. Everyone puts their phone away. No one skips seconds. Doing these family meals makes me think about the reason I started this business, and that was to bring people together over good food. That is what we always come back to.

Our family’s favorite recipe is smoked chicken enchiladas. We smoke whole chickens with chili powder, cumin, garlic, and lime until the chicken is tender and juicy. After the chicken is shredded, we roll it up in tortillas with onions and peppers, pour our homemade tomatillo sauce on top, sprinkle cheese on top, and then bake. What ends up coming out of the oven is a tray of bubbling enchiladas that fills our kitchen with the scent of smoke, spice, and melted cheese. We typically serve the enchiladas with rice, beans, and some fresh guacamole.

What makes the enchiladas special is the way that they bring everyone together. It becomes a family adventure in the kitchen with each member participating in their own way, whether that be grating cheese or stirring the sauce. It slows us down and gives us the chance to connect and bond in the kitchen. And it always ends in a meal that the kids love and that I know I can serve to adults too. Now it’s become our meal for birthdays or holiday gatherings or simply whenever we feel like having something a little more special than usual on the weekend.

Our go-to family recipe is a simple beef and vegetable soup — hearty, flexible, and perfect for fall weather. We start with a carton of beef broth, 3 cups of frozen mixed vegetables, 2 potatoes cut into cubes, and a pound of ground beef, then add a can of diced tomatoes, a little salt and pepper, an onion soup mix and a tablespoon of Italian seasoning.

The personal touch — and the part that makes it special to our family — is what we do at the end: we boil a pot of macaroni noodles and put a bunch on top of each bowl before serving. That’s something my grandmother started doing when I was a kid, and it’s been passed down ever since.

It’s simple, but it brings everyone together. No screens, no rush — just family, a crockpot, and a tradition that keeps getting handed down one bowl at a time.

In our house, one dish that never fails to pull everyone together around the table is a simple roast chicken and vegetables. We season a whole chicken with garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper and place it on a bed of potatoes, carrots and onions to roast for about two hours. The smell fills the kitchen long before dinner is ready, drawing everyone to the kitchen, and that scent adds to the anticipation. It is filling and substantial enough for a large family but simple enough for everyone to have a hand in preparing it.

What makes this dinner unique for me is not the food itself but the experience it creates. It takes just enough preparation that the family is gathered in the kitchen, peeling, chopping, seasoning, and as a result, cooking becomes an activity rather than a chore. When the food is out of the oven, it goes on the table in one pan with no ceremony or plating, followed by everyone simply serving themselves and sharing conversation while we eat. It is that simplicity that makes it special.

In our house, pasta and pizza nights just sort of happen. It is not a rule, but each week there we are. Somebody is grating cheese. Somebody else is shaping dough that never comes out round.

The pasta’s generally baked penne. Sauce, mozzarella, mushrooms, if no one is watching. Then the smell. That is everything. The garlic bread in the oven, tomato sauce on the stove, it smells like home. It gets you before you sit down.

Pizza is always a bit messy. Toppings everywhere, flour on the chairs, and no one agrees on anything. But it’s so much fun. It’s loud, and nobody’s staring at a screen.

We are not just making dinner. We are making something together, elbow deep in sauce. Even if they forget the ingredients, they will remember this.

I have a few favorite family-friendly recipes, but I think the top tier is the chicken soup my mom always made ever since I was a kid. It’s nothing fancy, and it’s made with very simple ingredients, but it’s always comforting, and it’s something we prepare together. It’s been a tradition in our family to cook that soup with everyone’s help. When I was a kid, my siblings and I would help prepare the vegetables while my mom was boiling the water for the soup. I enjoy doing this, and growing up, I also applied it to my own family, not only as a form of cooking, but as a form of family bonding. I also realized along the way that it’s not just about the food, but it’s about the time I spent with my family while making it.

Homemade loaded nachos are one of our all-time favorite family-friendly recipes. They are easy, customizable, and make dinner a fun activity. We set out a tray with a pile of tortilla chips and have the kids help pile on a layer of seasoned beef or shredded chicken, black beans, cheese, and whatever we are feeling like, and bake it all until bubbly.

Their uniqueness lies in the fact that they are not merely a meal, but a communal experience. Each person participates, whether it be chopping the vegetables or adding the toppings, and it is now a Friday night ritual in our house. They’re fast, cheap, and leave empty plates and full stomachs behind.

Best part? Nacho trays never look alike, and they keep the entire family entertained and imaginative.

My go-to is a 3-layer frozen yogurt bark made with Greek yogurt, fresh strawberries and crushed cashews. It takes five minutes to prep, two hours to chill and maybe ten seconds to disappear. I use about 2 cups of full-fat Greek yogurt, fold in 2 tablespoons of honey, then layer it with diced strawberries and roasted, unsalted cashews. Freeze it on parchment in a flat tray for exactly 2 hours. The texture is snappy and smooth. It is crunchy, cold, and creamy all in one bite. No heat, no drama, no clean-up marathon.

Marinated chicken and vegetables cooked on the grill bring everybody to the kitchen where each member is tasked to do a particular part of the process of cutting, skewering and grilling. The rotation of roles is done so that all people can know the entire process, and each one of us prepares their own marinade using yogurt, lemon juice, and spices in various amounts to ascertain which one is most preferred.

The rotation system makes it interesting as no one will be bothered with the same work over and over again, and the marinade contest makes it more creative and ownership involved. The relatives are taught that a little difference such as marinating for 2 hours as opposed to 4 hours or using cumin at various levels can have a significant impact on the overall flavor and form a perception that details count when it comes to attaining quality.