Today's lesson: How to please a crowd on a dime.

Growing up in a large family and now raising six kids of my own, I know firsthand what it takes to keep a crowd well-fed.

If there's one baking mix my pantry is never without, it's Jiffy corn muffin mix. I can’t say I dress it up too often—although you can turn it into everything from Southwestern Chicken Pot Pie to ...