Happy Friday Reader!

I'm out of state this week and not cooking even a little bit. But, I wanted to give you some easy ideas that won't break the bank to help you celebrate Mom this weekend.

Pork and Chicken are still the most affordable proteins available, right now. I purchased a 5-pound pork loin this week for just over $11! That will feed a lot of people without huge expense. Here are some great meal ideas with an inexpensive pork loin.

And keep in mind that any recipe made in the crockpot can be adjusted to use the "sauce" ingredients (liquid and seasonings for cooking) as a marinade and then grill the protein instead of cooking in the slow cooker.

A good rule of thumb is to use 1/2 of the liquid and seasonings as a marinade and keep back the other half for basting while grilling, or to cook down as a sauce to serve on the side.

Pork Recipes for Mother's Day

​Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Pork Chops, a Delicious One-Pan-Meal​

I cut these 1-inch-thick boneless pork chops from a half pork loin. I usually get around ten chops from a 4.5 to 5 lb. pork loin roast. Everything cooks on a sheet pan, and the flavor is spectacular. A true celebration meal that is easy and affordable. You could easily roast the veggies and apples on their own and bust out the grill for the pork chops in this gorgeous Spring weather.

• ​BBQ Country Style Ribs Recipe in Your Slow Cooker - Tender and delicious and oh so easy. If Mom is more of a barbecue girl, she'll love these delicious country ribs. They cook in the slow cooker, so you can still make her an easy-to-prep treat for dinner, even if you don't own a grill.
• ​Pulled Pork Tacos (Slow Cooker Pulled Pork for Tacos Recipe) - And if Mom never met a taco she didn't like, she and I are going to be best friends! You can combine that taco love with BBQ for a delicious and unique dinner option. Or use my Carnitas recipe to do the same thing.
• ​Easy Maple Mustard Slow Cooker Pork Loin - This is an easy favorite that only takes a handful of ingredients and your slow cooker to create. It's bright, flavorful, and juicy. This tasty pork loin will be welcomed at formal or casual dinners alike.
• ​Slow Cooker Kalua Pork - Give Mom a taste of the islands with this crazy good Kalua Pork. It's salty, smoky, pig-roast perfection and it's all done in your slow cooker. Add cabbage to the top near the end of roasting, whip up some macaroni salad, and you'll have a meal fit for a Hawaiian princess!

• ​Easy Pork Loin Recipe, Oven Baked, Juicy and Tender​
• ​Pineapple Balsamic Pork Loin, Crock Pot Simple​
• ​Perfect Pulled Pork: 2 Ingredient Easy​
• ​Baked Ham with Cranberry Glaze, the Best Ham I’ve Ever Eaten​
• ​Best ​3-Ingredient ​ Crock Pot Ham Recipe​

You could definitely substitute a pork loin in my recipe for Southwest Chicken, too, and create a scrumptious Mexican-spiced pork loin for tacos, enchiladas, burritos and quesadillas. Use it in a white chili pulled pork lasagna or substitute it for the beef in Walking Taco Casserole. It will bring the house down!

Chicken Recipes for Mother's Day

​Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken Rice Bowls with Pineapple Salsa​

Still one of my all-time favorite Spring and Summer Crock-Pot recipes! I love the tangy sweet and juicy chicken, just on it's own. But when you make my Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken into Rice Bowls with Pineapple Salsa it's a delicious dinner that everyone in the family enjoys! So gooood!

​Easy Creamy Chicken Tortellini with Broccoli, One-Pan Easy Recipe​

Luscious and creamy Chicken Tortellini with Broccoli is another meal that feels special and elegant, but it's so easy to make and won't break the grocery budget since you're stretching a small amount of very affordable chicken to feed a crowd. Mom will love this easy Italian-inspired dinner!

• ​Italian Chicken Cutlets - These are winners anytime they're served. So easy and delicious. Serve them on a plate with sauces and sides or on a bun as a crisp chicken sandwich. You won't be able to get enough of these easy Italian Chicken Cutlets.
• ​Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu, Quick and Easy - Another favorite that seems so fancy but is actually so simple to prepare. Mom will love this cheesy ham-stuffed chicken breast with tender, juicy insides and crisp, crunchy crust.
• ​Creamy Spinach Artichoke Chicken | Dairy- & Gluten-Free - Looking for an easy gluten-free option for Mom that still feels special and elegant? She'll love this tasty artichoke chicken. Spoon the creamy sauce with minced onion, artichoke hearts and spinach over the easy sautéed chicken for a colorful presentation that invites everyone to have just one more bite!
• ​Easy Southwest Chicken Recipe, Juicy and Tender - My go-to Mexican-inspired chicken recipe. I use it in the tacos that make me swoon, in burritos, casseroles, quesadillas and enchiladas. It makes a killer white chicken chili lasagna. Plus, it's scrumptious served simply on a plate with 10-Minute Mexican Rice, a House Salad, and warm refried beans. It's delicious in a Southwest pasta salad or used in a Southwest-inspired green salad. Many, many possibilities and all of them spicy and delicious!

Quick and Easy Sides for Mother's Day

• ​Easy Tomato Salad Recipe​
• ​Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette​
• ​Strawberry Cottage Cheese Salad​
• ​Bell Pepper Salad, Easy Delicious and Crunchy​
• ​Shirazi Salad (Easy Persian Cucumber Salad)​
• ​Coleslaw with Homemade Coleslaw Dressing​
• ​Asian Cucumber Salad​
• ​Green Beans and Potatoes Recipe, an Updated Classic​
• ​Loaded Baked Potato Salad Recipe​
• ​Easy Delicious Broccoli Cauliflower Salad Recipe​
• ​Mandarin Orange Salad | Easy 5-Ingredient Orange Jello Salad​
• ​Potato Salad | My Secret Ingredient to Make it Perfect​

I hope you'll find some treasures in this list of recipes to help make Mom's weekend special.

You can definitely prepare delicious meals easily and affordably with so many of them.

Have a wonderfully blessed weekend!

I hope you get to share a meal with the people you love most (and that someone else does the dishes!) Hugs!

What's For Dinner?

This is the part of the newsletter where I share recipe ideas from some of my best blogging friends and myself to inspire you with what's for dinner at our houses this week. That gives you seven days worth of new recipes to inspire you for your own delicious meal plan. Enjoy!

• ​Tater Tot Taco Casserole from Laura at Little House Big Alaska
• ​Crispy Italian Chicken Cutlets from Gen at Two Cloves Kitchen
• ​Easy Chicken Street Tacos from Leftovers from Glenda​
• ​Chorizo and Mozzarella Gnocchi Bake from Rupali at Caramel and Spice
• ​Chorizo Egg Bake from Sue at Sula and Spice
• ​Crockpot Pork Carnitas from Lori at A Reinvented Mom
• ​Easy Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore from Kristin at Dizzy Busy and Hungry

My Favorite Kitchen Tools

Visit my Amazon Storefront [affiliate links] to see some of the tools and ingredients I love cooking with at home!