Come Home to Supper: Over 20 Casseroles, Skillets, and Sides (Desserts, Too!) to Feed Your Family with Love

True family meals begin with realistic planning, and this accessible collection of recipes has been designed with the demands of a busy parent in mind. Jordan, the blogger behind SouthernPlate.com and author of the same-named cookbook, is especially concerned with thrift, speed, and inspiration. Her one-dish mains are organized by main ingredient—beef, pork, chicken, and seafood (vegetarians are out of luck here). To keep the proceedings affordable, Jordan opts for inexpensive ground meats, canned salmon, and imitation crabmeat. To save time, there are shortcuts like instant potato flakes to thicken soup and dried onion soup mix to flavor burgers as well as plenty of set-it-and-forget-it slow-cooker dishes. And to inspire, there are plenty of homespun anecdotes and how-tos, including mealtime conversation starters and a mix ’n’ match casserole chart. The operative word here is “homey,” and while Jordan doesn’t innovate any new flavor pairings, her Spaghetti Lovers’ Soup, Cornbread-Topped Chicken Potpie, and Cinnamon Pudding Cobbler could coax knife-shy cooks into the kitchen and reluctant eaters to the table. Photos. (Nov.)