30 Dinners to Make for Your Preacher

Church Supper Hot Dish

This recipe was in my mother’s church cookbook, and now it’s in my church cookbook! Apparently it was too good to miss a generation. I often make this dish to take along to potlucks…and it seems that if I don’t, someone else will! It’s hearty and so tasty! —Norma Turner, Haslett, Michigan

Go to Recipe

Country Chuck Roast with Mushroom Gravy

This tender, savory roast practically melts in your mouth. It looks a bit complex, but the hands-free oven time makes it my go-to company recipe on a cold day. —Mary Kay LaBrie, Clermont, Florida

Ham and Swiss Casserole

When I prepare this noodle casserole for church gatherings, it’s always a hit. It can easily be doubled or tripled for a crowd. —Doris Barb, El Dorado, Kansas

Tilapia & Lemon Sauce

Serve this lemon tilapia with any tossed salad full of your favorite vegetables and buttered bread. It’s easy, quick and unique. And it’s a big hit with company, too. —Susan Taul, Birmingham, Alabama

Zesty Chicken Marinara

A friend served this delicious slow-cooker chicken pasta before a church social, and I fell in love with it. My husband says it’s restaurant quality. —Linda Baumann, Richfield, Wisconsin

Sausage Pasta with Vegetables

I made this for our pastor one night. He loved it so much we nicknamed it “Jason’s Pasta.” It’s a sneaky way to get our kids to eat more veggies. —Suzie Foutty Mansfield, Ohio

Chicken Piccata with Lemon Sauce

Once you’ve tried this tangy, yet delicate lemon chicken piccata, you won’t hesitate to make it for company. Seasoned with parmesan and parsley, the chicken cooks up golden brown, then is drizzled with a light lemon sauce. —Susan Pursell, Fountain Valley, California

Pennsylvania Pot Roast

This heartwarming one-dish meal is adapted from a Pennsylvania Dutch recipe. I start the pot roast cooking before I leave for church, add vegetables when I get home, and then just sit back and relax until it’s done. —Donna Wilkinson, Monrovia, Maryland

Turkey Lo Mein

I substituted turkey for pork in this classic Chinese recipe. It was a hit at our church potluck. My husband and two children love it, too. —Leigh Lundy, York, Nebraska

Garden Chicken Cacciatore

Treat company to this perfect Italian meal. You’ll have time to visit with your guests while it simmers, and it often earns rave reviews. I like to serve it with couscous, green beans and a dry red wine. Mangia! —Martha Schirmacher, Sterling Heights, Michigan

Easy & Elegant Tenderloin Roast

I love the simplicity of this easy beef tenderloin recipe. Olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper—just add the tenderloin and pop it in the oven. In an hour or so you’ve got an impressive main dish to feed a crowd. This leaves you with more time to visit with family and less time fussing in the kitchen. —Mary Kandell, Huron, Ohio

Sour Cream ‘n’ Dill Chicken

With six children and two boarders, it seems I’m always cooking for a crowd. So, almost every recipe I use is doubled or tripled. This one is an updated version of the Sunday dinner my mother would have prepared. You can easily get it ready Sunday morning and let it cook while you’re away at church. —Rebekah Brown, Three Hills, Alberta

Italian-Style Pork Chops

An Italian-style version of pork chops was one of the first recipes I tried making in the early years of my marriage. I’ve changed it over the years to be healthier by reducing added oil and fat and adding in some vegetables. It works well served over hot rice. —Traci Hoppes, Spring Valley, California

Creamy Braised Chicken

A smooth, delicate cream sauce gives a special taste to these tender chicken breasts accompanied by pearl onions and sauteed mushrooms. This dish is so rich-tasting, you’ll want to serve it to company.
—Margaret Haugh Heilman, Houston, Texas

Beef and Noodle Casserole

When I was working on the local election board in the ’50s, one of my co-workers gave me this ground beef casserole with noodles recipe, and it has been a family favorite ever since. It’s quick to make for unexpected company or easily doubled for a potluck. —Mary Hinman, Escondido, California

Slow-Cooked Ham with Pineapple Sauce

We serve this dish during the holidays because everyone is crazy about it. But it makes it to the table all year long because it’s super simple to prepare. —Terry Roberts, Yorktown, Virginia

Tangy Spareribs

I still remember coming home from church to the smell of these ribs baking in the oven alongside baked potatoes. They have an old-fashioned homemade barbecue sauce that clings to every morsel. —Judy Clark, Elkhart, Indiana

Pineapple Chicken Casserole

I’m always looking for one-dish dinners like this Hawaiian chicken casserole that save time and cleanup. I love to cook, but with teaching school, playing handbells at church and juggling my husband’s and teenage twins’ schedule, I have little time in the kitchen. —Susan Warren, North Manchester, Indiana

Favorite Company Casserole

My guests like this casserole even if they don’t usually like all the ingredients in it! For instance, people who don’t care for broccoli don’t mind it in this dish. And I like the way it’s so easy to make and serve when company comes. —Suzann Verdun, Lisle, Illinois

Lemon-Rosemary Pork Tenderloin

This tender pork is seasoned with a wonderful herb and lemon rub I created. Even my husband, who is a chef, thinks this dish is special enough for company. —Carol Birkemeier, Nashville, Indiana

Old-Fashioned Chicken Potpie

Although this uses leftover chicken, I serve this old-fashioned chicken pot pie as a special company dinner. Actually, my husband may enjoy it more than the original roasted bird with all the fixings! —Marilyn Hockey, Lisle, Ontario

Slow-Cooker Burgundy Beef

When my adult children are coming over for dinner, this is the request. All three of them, and their significant others, love this dish. Yum! — Urilla Cheverie, Alfred, Maine

Glazed Rosemary Pork

A honey-rosemary glaze delicately seasons pork tenderloin in this delightful entree. As elegant as it is easy, the main course is ideal for weekend dinner parties and weeknight suppers alike. —Barbara Sistrunk, Fultondale, Alabama

Tortellini Carbonara

Bacon, cream and Parmesan cheese make a classic pasta sauce that’s absolutely heavenly. It’s a delightful option for company! —Cathy Croyle, Davidsville, Pennsylvania

Favorite Hamburger Stew

I got this hamburger stew recipe from a woman at our church, Lois Henry, when I needed a way to use up our bounty of home-canned tomatoes. My husband loves it, and I like that it’s easy to warm up for a carefree dinner in the winter months. —Marcia Clay, Truman, Minnesota

Chicken with Florentine Sauce

Here is my very favorite chicken Florentine recipe. A creamy topping and pretty presentation make it elegant enough for company, but it’s also fast to fix on busy weeknights! —Julie Fitzgerald, St Louis, Missouri

Buttermilk-Mushroom Pork Chops

I went through several variations before creating the pork chops my family considers perfect! I wanted something rich, delicious and tasty that was still relatively healthy. This is a delicious Sunday dinner idea because you can pop it in the slow cooker in the morning and let it cook while you are at church! I suggest serving it with salad or grilled asparagus. —Kristin Stone, Little Elm, Texa

Tuscan Portobello Stew

Here’s a healthy one-skillet meal that’s quick and easy to prepare yet elegant enough for company. I often take this stew to my school’s potlucks, where it is devoured by teachers and students alike. —Jane Siemon, Viroqua, Wisconsin

Baked Orange Chicken

This baked orange chicken is a quick and elegant recipe. It can easily be doubled or tripled for company. I like to serve mine with a baked potato. —Pamela Siple, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania

Honey Lemon Schnitzel

These pork cutlets are coated in a sweet sauce with honey, lemon juice and butter. They’re certainly good enough for company, but perfect for a quick weeknight meal, too. —Carole Fraser, North York, Ontario