There’s something extra magical about winter weekends at the cabin. Slow mornings. Coffee by the fire. Long meals. No agenda. The simplicity of being in nature. My friend Lisa Hackwith and her partner have spent years hosting friends and family at their cabin on a small lake, and over time, Lisa has developed a creative approach to cooking that makes weekends feel both effortless and special. 

Instead of hauling a long grocery list up north and ultimately leaving food to waste, she embraces the challenge of using a handful of ingredients in multiple ways, crafting menus as resourceful as they are delectable. This winter, she designed a weekend-long menu for a group of six that maximizes flavor, minimizes waste, and makes hosting a well-timed and intentional endeavor. From a cozy Friday night dinner to a Sunday send-off lunch, Lisa shows us that limitations in the kitchen can lead to inspired meals.

This is the third installment in the Wit & Delight entertaining series. Find even more recipes and entertaining inspiration in our first two posts on hosting a casual dinner party and an afternoon dessert party.

Get all the recipes and a complete grocery list!

Winter Weekend Menu for 6

Friday Dinner

Potato, Bacon, and Sharp White Cheddar Cheese Pierogies With Sauteed Leeks and Buttermilk Crème Fraîche 

Arugula, Crispy Leek, Date, and Crouton Salad

Saturday Breakfast

Jammy Eggs With Pickled Leeks, Dill, Capers, Smoked Salmon, and Buttermilk Crème Fraîche Toasts

Saturday Lunch

Grilled Sharp White Cheddar Cheese, Bacon, and Date Sandwiches

Arugula and Mustard Crouton Salad With Peppery Buttermilk Dressing

Saturday Dinner

Pan-Roasted Salmon Fillets With Orange, Leek, Date, Capers, and Dill Salad

Bacon Fat Twice-Baked Crispy Potatoes

Saturday Dessert

Vanilla Date Buttermilk Bran Cake With Orange Crème Anglaise

Sunday Breakfast

Buttermilk Bran Pancakes With Maple Syrup

Sunday Lunch

Creamy Potato, Leek, and Poached Salmon Soup With Dill

Total cost per person: $38

General Concept & Inspiration

Kate: What initially inspired you to create weekend menus with a limited ingredient list?

Lisa: When my husband and I first started hosting weekend getaways at our cabin, we would usually divide and conquer meal planning equally among our friends. I noticed that when we did that everyone usually lugged up at least a cooler’s plus worth of food and we always had way too much! A lot of the time no one knew what the other was bringing so the food could sometimes be way too heavy or we’d end up bringing the same thing. I wanted to create weekend-long menus that were easy, efficient, well-balanced, and let nothing go to waste.

Kate: How did the challenge of working with fewer ingredients spark your creativity in the kitchen?

Lisa: I think restraints can sometimes give room for more creativity. When I didn’t have a world of possibilities to create something new but a concise and small ingredient list, I found it easier to come up with new recipes. I love setting out all the ingredients for one weekend and just seeing what I can come up with!

Kate: Were there any “aha” moments when you realized just how much you could do with a single ingredient?

Lisa: Yes! Sometimes it feels like the possibilities are endless! I was working on a spring menu last May and one of my ingredients was rhubarb. I ended up making the five recipes listed below—that’s when I realized there is so much you can do with just one ingredient!

• Green Pistachio Pesto Pizza With Mozzarella, Prosciutto, and Pickled Rhubarb
• Baked Vanilla Rhubarb Dessert Pizza
• Arugula, Pickled Rhubarb, and Parmesan Cheese Salad
• Rhubarb, Lemon, and Basil Mojitos
• Gluten-Free Lemon Ricotta Pancakes With Rhubarb Jam

Weekend Menu Planning & Strategy

Kate: How do you start planning a weekend menu—do you build around a theme, a specific ingredient, or what’s in season?

What’s your process for choosing ingredients that can be stretched across multiple meals?

Lisa: I start with what’s in season. Then I pick two to three main ingredients and start to build from there. After I come up with a few ideas, usually a few more ingredients come naturally into the mix. I settle on five to eight “stars” for the weekend and then let myself free flow and come up with as many combinations as I can think of. After that, I arrange my recipes into what I think would fit best into two dinners, two lunches, and two breakfasts. Sometimes there is a snack in there, one drink, and always one dessert.  

Kate: Do you ever feel restricted by the limitations, or does it always feel like a fun creative challenge?

Lisa: Yes, sometimes it can feel restrictive and I can’t come up with combinations I’m happy about. I usually go back to the drawing board and just try a different combination of “stars” to see if I can come up with something new I’m excited about trying. And I’ve found that once I actually start cooking and tasting, new things often arise. Sometimes the best discovered are recipes that weren’t planned in my head but by tasting as I go while playing around in the kitchen.  

Kate: What are some unexpected ingredient swaps or clever repurposing tricks you’ve discovered?

Lisa: I always try to think of ways to use all the different parts of an ingredient, including parts that are usually just thrown away. For example, in this menu, I used the green parts of the leeks, which are traditionally discarded, for the base of the soup. Also, instead of throwing away the bacon fat, I saved it and used it to roast the potatoes. If you were cooking the Twice-Baked Crispy Potatoes recipe outside of this weekend menu, I would recommend just cooking the potatoes in olive oil. However, within the confines of this menu, it makes sense to use it since it’s already there. Of course, it’s not always possible to use every part or by-product of an ingredient but I try to do it when it makes sense within the menu.

Kate: Are there any pantry staples or kitchen tools that make this style of cooking easier?

Lisa: I always like to keep my pantry stocked with basics like flour, sugar, a good flaky salt, a good olive oil, butter, and eggs. As for kitchen tools, I tried to design the recipes so that if you do need to use something like a blender or food processor, those steps can be made ahead of time at home just in case the place you are staying at for the weekend doesn’t have them. 

Get all the recipes and a complete grocery list!

Timeline & Grocery List

Kate: Do you prep anything in advance before heading to the cabin? If so, what makes the biggest impact?

Lisa: Yes, if I have time, I do like to prep what I can in advance of the weekend. When I’m hosting and with friends, I like to do as much as I can ahead of time so that I can worry about one less thing while we’re together. 

Kate: Are there any sauces, marinades, or doughs that you like to make ahead of time?

Lisa: For this menu, I did prepare a few things ahead of time. The Buttermilk Crème Fraîche is a must—it does have to be made about three days in advance. I also made the Pickled Leeks and Orange Crème Anglaise sauce the day before. You could make the salad dressings ahead of time and could also make the Potato, Bacon, and Sharp White Cheddar Cheese Pierogies ahead of time and freeze them (this recipe made in advance would probably make the biggest impact on your weekend as it’s the most time-intensive).

If you are going somewhere like a rental property, I would also recommend pre-mixing all the dry ingredients for the pierogies dough, Buttermilk Bran Pancakes, and Vanilla Date Buttermilk Bran Cake and storing them in individual containers. That way you won’t have to bring as many ingredients with you and you’ll also save a little time.

Kate: Do you bring everything fresh or do you freeze certain items?

Lisa: For this menu, I brought up everything fresh but the pierogies could easily be frozen and brought along!

Hosting Tips & Tricks

Kate: How do you create a warm, welcoming atmosphere without stressing over the food?

Lisa: For me, being with friends and family comes first. Good food is great and I love it but it is secondary.  I think keeping that in mind is key. I also always make sure to have a backup meal like a frozen pizza in my freezer or a box of mac and cheese in my pantry. Sometimes—usually Saturday night after a long day when everyone is relaxed—no one feels like cooking and that is ok! We just throw in a frozen pizza and send everyone home with the ingredients to make whatever meal we missed for a Sunday night dinner.  

Kate: Any tips to ensure you enjoy time with your guests instead of being stuck in the kitchen?

Lisa: Invite everyone into the kitchen! Delegate different parts of the menu so that everyone is involved. I think it makes the weekend more enjoyable for everyone!

Kate: How do you handle drinks and desserts in a way that keeps the weekend low-effort but still celebratory?

Lisa: I almost always opt for low-key drinks at our cabin. I make sure to let the guests know where they are and to help themselves. If a mixed drink is on the menu, I delegate someone who is not making dinner to be in charge of the cocktails. That way it’s fun and whoever is cooking can just concentrate on making the food.  

Final Takeaways

Kate: What’s your personal favorite meal from this weekend menu and why?

Lisa: I really love all of the recipes from this menu but my favorite might just be the Pan-Roasted Salmon Fillets With Orange, Leek, Date, Capers, and Dill Salad. I think I love it because it’s unexpected. I’m all about the perfect bite and the first time I tried the buttery, pan-roasted salon in combination with the citrusy, tangy orange, buttery sauteed leeks, sweet dates, salty fried capers, and fresh dill it was like little fireworks going off in my head! I didn’t know that combination would work but because of the ingredient restraints for the weekend menu I tried something new with what I had—something I never would have thought of—and it turned out so good!

Get all the recipes and a complete grocery list!

Kate Arends

Kate is the founder of Wit & Delight. She is currently learning how to play tennis and is forever testing the boundaries of her creative muscle. Follow her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.