This list includes my favorite cookbooks for busy families. Learn how to cook, find easy recipes, and get dinner on the table fast.
Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, Keri Houchin earns a commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Meal planning is a great way to save time and money every week. It helps you keep your family running smoothly on the fuel they need. Make meal planning simple and fast with these cookbooks for busy families.
I enjoy meal planning. Really I do. But some weeks, I sit down to write out my plan and already feel defeated.
Either I don’t have any ideas or the ideas I have aren’t appealing. You can only eat the same thing so many times before you don’t want to eat it ever again.
Browsing Pinterest for new recipes is fun, but if you’re like me, you open up that browser window and lose track of time. Two hours later, you’ve still only got one meal on your schedule.
As Kimberly Wilkins famously said, ain’t nobody got time for that!
My almost-never-fail solution for that is this. Keep a library of good cookbooks with easy meals. (You don’t need many! Just one or 2 favorites are probably enough.) You’ll instantly have the perfect balance of new and familiar.
These are my favorites. In a pinch, I know I can flip open one of these cookbooks and plan to make almost any recipe with success.
Cookbooks for busy families
1. The Pioneer Woman: Food from My Frontier
by Ree Drummond
The Pioneer Woman: Food from My Frontier is filled with hearty home cooking. This sweet southern food blogger cooks real, simple food. Some of the recipes are on her blog, but this book has lots of others that aren’t online.
My favorite recipes in this cookbook are sloppy joes, Dr Pepper pulled pork, chicken tortilla soup, and pineapple black bean quesadillas.
Get this cookbook at: Bookshop.org | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble
2. Weelicious: 140 Fast, Fresh, and Easy Recipes
by Catherine McCord
Weelicious: 140 Fast, Fresh, and Easy Recipes is my go-to resource for easy, healthier, homemade snacks for kids. If you’re feeding younger kids that are picky but you want to make more homemade snack foods, this book is a must-read.
Our favorite recipes from this book are pancakes and granola bars.
Get this cookbook at: Bookshop.org | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble
3. How to Boil Water: Life Beyond Takeout
by Food Network Kitchens
I love the recipes in Food Network’s How to Boil Water for one reason: my kids (tweens) can make many of them with little to no help from a parent. There are simple recipes and cooking instructions like how to fry an egg, roast a whole chicken, and bake chocolate chip cookies. I’d recommend it to anyone learning how to cook or teaching someone.
Get this cookbook at: Bookshop.org | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble
4. The Mom 100 Cookbook: 100 Recipes Every Mom Needs in Her Back Pocket
by Katie Workman
I found The Mom 100 Cookbook: 100 Recipes Every Mom Needs in Her Back Pocket at my library and had to grab a copy. This cookbook has recipes that are simple, of course. It also has great advice on practical meal planning and feeding picky kids.
My kids’ favorite recipe in this book is definitely the chicken nuggets.
Get this cookbook at: Bookshop.org | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble
5. 100 Days of Real Food: How We Did It, What We Learned, and 100 Easy, Wholesome Recipes Your Family Will Love
by Lisa Leake
100 Days of Real Food started as Lisa’s blog. This cookbook is a bit different from others you might have in your collection. (I’m less enthusiastic than I used to be about the term “real food” because all food is real. But if you’re looking for an easy way to reduce heavily processed foods, this is a good resource.) It includes over 100 recipes from scratch, including snacks and condiments.
Some of our favorites are spaghetti and meatballs, zucchini muffins, and ranch dip.
Get this cookbook at: Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble
6. The Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook
by Better Homes and Gardens
I have the 12th edition of The Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, but I think they release a new one every year or so. It was given to me by my mom and she had an older version. (We both adore the ring-bound pages!) I will say that I haven’t made all of these recipes and probably never will. There are tons! When I need a staple, though, it’s where I go.
I regularly make cornbread muffins, waffles, pancakes, meatloaf, etc. I also learned how to make many of the recipes I’ve now memorized, like chili, potato soup, and pasta salad.
Get this cookbook at: Bookshop.org | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble
What’s next? Try these other fun and creative ideas on One Mama’s Daily Drama:
Haha! How to boil water…I could have used that when I first got married.
It was really handy when we were newlyweds! I always recommend it to anyone who says they don’t know how to cook.