Are you heading off for a long road trip? If you’re a parent to young children, you know the importance of having a multitude of snacks available. Here are the best homemade snacks for those extra-long rides that require little prep and all the flavor!  

Baked Apple Chips  

Apple chips are delicious and simple to prepare. They are the perfect road trip snack. To make these apple chips, wash, core, and thinly slice a few honey-crisp apples. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees.  

Place the thinly sliced apples onto a lined baking sheet and sprinkle with a touch of cinnamon, or leave them plain. Bake for 2 hours, flipping them over after the first hour of baking.  

Store them in an airtight container and keep them in the car for everyone to enjoy a quick, healthy snack!  

Homemade Trail Mix 

Homemade trail mix is so versatile. Unlike store-bought mixes, you can add more of your favorite snacks or less of another.  

For a fun, kid-friendly trail mix, toss together some goldfish crackers, cheerios, pretzels, peanuts, chocolate candies, banana chips, golden raisins, and dried cranberries. This is a great road trip mix that can keep everyone satisfied until the next meal time.  

Baked Banana Oatmeal Cookies  

I’m not trying to say these cookies are necessarily healthy, but they are absolutely delicious. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.   

In a large mixing bowl, beat together a stick of butter, one egg, and one cup of brown sugar until light and fluffy. Next, mix in 2 bananas and one teaspoon of vanilla extract with a pinch of salt.  

Once incorporated, slowly add one cup of flour, three cups of rolled oats, one teaspoon of baking soda, and two and  ½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon. Slowly mix until everything is well incorporated.  

At this point, you can fold in about a cup and a half of semi-sweet chocolate chips, or you can leave it without. Using a cookie scoop, scoop out the dough, place it onto a line cookie sheet, and bake for 10-14 minutes.    

Allow to cool before moving into an airtight container.  

Homemade Granola Bars 

First, you’ll need to grab all your ingredients. You can switch it up for different flavor combinations, but you’ll need peanut butter (or almond butter), rolled oats, honey, vanilla, crushed nuts, seeds, and mini chocolate chips.  

Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and press into a square baking pan. Allow the mixture to chill for one hour before slicing them into bars.   

This is the perfect mess-free road trip snack that everyone will love!  

Wrapping Up The Best Car Snacks For Road Trips 

With these perfect road trip snacks, you and your kids will be ready for whatever traffic is ahead! Of course, you don’t only have to enjoy these in the car. These snacks are wonderful wherever you are!  

One of the best things about Christmas time is all the family greetings and meetings surrounded by a table full of delicious food. Of course, one of the all-time favorites is when a warm and bubbly casserole gets pulled from the oven. Let’s dive into the top casseroles to make this holiday season.  

Zucchini And Squash Casserole 

Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees and grease a glass baking dish. While the oven is preheating, wash and slice the zucchini and squash into ¼-inch slices and arrange them in the baking dish alternating zucchini and yellow squash.  

Next, to make the sauce, heat some butter in a small saucepan and toss in a few cloves of crushed garlic with a bit of salt and pepper. Once the butter has fully melted and the garlic is fragrant, add a few tablespoons of flour and allow to cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  

Next, add milk and continue to whisk until it begins to simmer. Turn the heat on low and add shredded cheese, Italian seasonings, and salt and pepper to taste if needed.  

Once the sauce has thickened, pour it over the arranged vegetables. Top with breadcrumbs and a touch more shredded cheese. Bake until bubbly and the squash is tender.  

Southern Baked Mac & Cheese  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook elbow noodles per the box instructions and pour them into the prepared baking dish. 

In a separate saucepan, melt butter, add a few tablespoons of flour, and begin whisking. Let this cook for about 5 minutes before pouring in the milk. 

After adding the milk, season with salt and pepper. Let this mixture simmer before adding your cheeses. Use Monterey jack, mild cheddar, and sharp cheddar cheeses. Keep whisking until all the cheese has melted.  

Pour the cheese sauce over the noodles and stir. Top with extra sharp cheddar cheese and bake until the top is slightly browned and bubbly.    

Marshmallow Sweet Potato Casserole  

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter. Peel and dice three pounds of sweet potatoes and add to a large pot of salted boiling water. Allow to cook until fork-tender.  

Drain and return the potatoes to the same pot. Add brown sugar, milk, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt and pepper to taste. Using a hand mixer, blend until creamy and smooth.   

Next, add two beaten eggs and a teaspoon of vanilla to the mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Pour into the baking dish.   

Next, top the potato mixture with pecans and sprinkle over brown sugar and cinnamon. Once you have the pecans, top them with a few handfuls of mini marshmallows. Bake until the marshmallows are melted and slightly browned and the sweet potatoes are nice and hot.  

Wrapping Up The Best Christmas Casserole  

Bringing one of these casseroles to the Christmas gathering this year will surely be a big hit and, just maybe, a new family tradition!  

If you’re looking for cheap one-pot dinner ideas, you have come to the right place! With grocery prices at an all-time high, it’s nice to know you can still pick up simple ingredients and put together a delicious meal. Let’s dive into some tasty one-pot dinner ideas! 

One Pan Honey Mustard Chicken And Potatoes  

Nothing is cheaper and cozier than potatoes and chicken. Let’s take it up a notch with a sweet and savory honey mustard sauce.  

Start with skin-on and bone-in chicken thighs seasoned with salt and pepper. Cook them in a hot pan, skin side down, to get a beautiful crisp on the skin. Flip the chicken and allow it to cook for another 5 minutes. Set the chicken aside. 

Cut up a small bag of baby potatoes or fingerling potatoes and season with olive oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and parsley. Toss into the same pan where the chicken was cooked and cook for 5 minutes.  

Make the honey mustard sauce. Begin with three tablespoons of whole grain mustard, three tablespoons of Dijon mustard, three tablespoons of honey, and one teaspoon of olive oil. Whisk together in a small bowl and add a dash of crushed pepper flakes and parsley. 

Place the chicken back into the pan and pour over the sauce. Cover and let cook until the chicken is at 165 degrees.  

One Pot Creamy Lemon Chicken And Wild Rice  

Creamy lemony chicken dancing around with rustic wild rice? Sign me up. This dish comes together quickly and is inexpensive without lacking any flavor.  

In a heavy-bottom Dutch oven, place a tablespoon of olive oil and sear the seasoned skin-on and bone-in chicken thighs in batches until the skin is nice and crispy. Flip and allow to cook another 5 minutes before setting to the side.  

In the same pot, add onion, garlic, and white wine to deglaze and remove those flavorful brown bits of chicken. Pour in chicken broth, the zest and juice of one lemon, and heavy cream.  

Add the wild rice and the chicken, place a few lemon slices on top, and bake in the oven at 450 degrees until the rice is tender and the chicken reaches 165 degrees.  

One Pan Lemon Parmesan Chicken With Asparagus  

So easy and cheap, this lemony cheesy chicken is perfectly paired with delicious asparagus and baked to perfection on a single sheet pan. What could be simpler? 

Season thinly sliced chicken breasts with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and parsley. Drizzle with olive oil and dip lightly into seasoned bread crumbs. Place in the center of a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle over the juice of one lemon, followed by shaved parmesan cheese.   

Cut the ends off fresh asparagus and place it on either side of the chicken. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and the zest of one lemon. Place a few slices of butter over the asparagus and the chicken and bake at 450 degrees until the asparagus is tender and the chicken has reached a minimum temperature of 165 degrees.  

Wrapping Up The Best Cheap One Pot Dinner  

These inexpensive meals are bursting with flavor and will make clean-up easier than ever. Plus, everyone in the house will enjoy them! Fresh and simple, you won’t have to break the bank to make a delicious dinner.  

Are you hitting the beach this weekend? Do you need help with what to pack in the cooler? Here are some delicious ideas for tossing into the cooler that are perfect for those long, hot beach weekends.  

Italian Pinwheel Roll-Ups 

These Italian Pinwheel Roll-Ups are simple and super refreshing. They also pack a protein punch, making them a versatile and perfect beach cooler snack for everyone. 

Start with a large burrito-sized tortilla. You can choose plain regular flour tortillas or swap them for sun-dried tomato or spinach varieties. Lay the tortilla flat and smear on some room-temperature cream cheese. Sprinkle with some Italian seasonings. 

Layer on the meats—use pepperoni and hard salami, followed by sliced onion, diced tomato, and shredded lettuce. Roll up the tortilla and cut it into 1-inch slices. Place in an airtight container and serve with some freshly cut watermelon!  

Protein/Energy Balls   

Energy balls are the perfect quick snack that can be easily tossed into the cooler and are even okay if they get a bit warm!   

Begin by adding two cups of rolled oats to a large mixing bowl. Then, add two tablespoons of flaxseeds, half a cup of chocolate chips, half a cup of peanut butter (or almond butter), a quarter cup of honey, and a splash of vanilla extract.   

Roll the mixture into bite-sized bites, let it sit in the cooler to set, and then devour. These taste like oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies without the crazy amount of butter and added sugars. 

Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers 

Simple yet delicious. All you need is a bag of mini sweet peppers, a container of whipped cream cheese, and everything but the bagel seasoning mix.   

Begin by chopping off the tops of the peppers, slicing them in half, removing the seeds, and giving them a good wash. Pat dry with a paper towel.   

Next, fill the pepper with the whipped cream cheese and top with a sprinkling of everything but the bagel seasoning. You now have a healthy, satisfying snack perfect for the beach cooler.  

Antipasto Skewers 

This savory combination is perfect for a quick bite. Plus, they are guaranteed sand-free since they are on a stick and ready to eat!   

Using 6-inch party skewers, layer sliced salmi folded into a triangle, mozzarella pearls, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and artichoke hearts. Drizzle with a good quality balsamic glaze and a touch of salt and pepper to taste! 

All you need to do is toss the mixture into an airtight container and pack it into the cooler. The more you toss them, the better! This will allow the balsamic glaze and seasonings to coat everything perfectly.  

Wrapping Up The Best Cooler-Friendly Snacks For The Beach  

There you have it! Four delicious and simple ideas for what to pack in the cooler for your weekend beach trip! Make this ahead of time, grab the cooler, and go. Just don’t forget the sunscreen!