A couple months ago, we started doing our 2-week vegetarian capsule meal plan. Overall, it’s been nice, but honestly spotty. Between spending time in the RV on and off, getting back to in-person school and sports, and other life events, … Read More
We’ve been fortunate enough to visit Zion National Park a number of times, including Zion with kids and in all 4 seasons. It’s always magical! We love finding the best easy hikes in Zion with kids or just that are … Read More
When I think of a few bucks, I think maybe an ice cream cone or half of a Chipotle burrito bowl. But hours of hands on fun and skill-building? Not usually what I expect. Happily, that’s exactly what you can … Read More
Join us as we learn about Chile! During this virtual tour of Chile for kids, we’ll enjoy fun and inspiring Chile activities. This Chile virtual field trip as part of the Global Children’s Book Club is a perfect way to … Read More
There are so many incredible outdoor activities in Southern Utah – from red rock hiking to water play to jeep tours. Kanab is a great home base if you’d like to explore Zion National Park but also head to Bryce … Read More
I love putting together Easter baskets for my kids. But what I DON’T love is filling them with a bunch of junk that I don’t actually want around my house. I like to stick to pretty minimalist Easter baskets that … Read More
Holi is an ancient Indian festival originally known as “Holika.” Though the festival is very old – believed to have started before the common era – the meaning of the holiday has changed over the years. Most of the legends … Read More
We’ve visited Zion National Park a number of times before, but had never before considered hiking Angels Landing. Here is our experience doing the Angels Landing hike with kids! Where is Angels Landing? Angels Landing is one of the most … Read More
There’s something about red rock hiking that just speaks to me. The bright colors, the clear air, the stunning vistas. And I love how many easy Sedona hikes there are to make these jewels accessible to a wide variety of … Read More
California truly has endless things to do and places to see. But it’s also BIG! It’s almost impossible to explore the entire state, or even half the state, all in one go. So here are 5 epic Northern California road … Read More
Updated Oct 2025 Growing up in Alabama, I used to be terrified of winter travel, and subsequently winter packing. I had no idea how to pack for cold weather and figured it was best to just stay indoors reading a … Read More
A few years ago when we were visiting Sweden, our friends with whom we were staying brought home a Swedish Princess Cake one night. I’d never heard of it before then, but they told us that it’s very traditional and … Read More
A couple months ago, we started doing our 2-week vegetarian capsule meal plan. Overall, it’s been nice, but honestly spotty. Between spending time in the RV on and off, getting back to in-person school and sports, and other life events, our evenings have gotten busier. But one thing that’s remained totally consistent is our Sunday night toast bar dinner.
The toast bar family dinner was something I thought of on the fly as I was coming up with our meal plan. We’ve done Sunday night brinner (breakfast for dinner) for years, but usually did waffles or pancakes, an egg dish, etc. We almost never have toast for breakfast, but it crossed my mind that it might be fun to do some fancy toasts (like the kind you pay $8 in cute shops!) for every other brinner.
Well, it turns out everyone loved it so much that we’ve done it almost every single Sunday since then. The entire family looks forward to a quick and simple family meal that literally takes only a few minutes to prepare. We all love preparing our own combinations, and the kids love that they get to decide what to put on their toast.
I love that it’s an easy family meal where everyone can help – little kids can get out toppings and set the table, everyone can make their own, and clean up is simple.
We’ve enjoyed experimenting with a few different kinds of bread for our Sunday night toast bar. We’ve tried hearty wheat and rye and a few others, but undoubtedly our favorite for toast is sourdough. It has enough structure that it toasts well and holds up to substantial toppings for a more dinner-appropriate toast, and has a nice sour punch perfect for a more savory meal.
Perhaps sometime I’ll make homemade bread for it, but for now, we’ve just bought good bread either from the grocery store or our favorite local bakery.
The biggest trick to an elevated toast is to make sure you have well-toasted bread. We don’t actually have a toaster at home, which is just as well because I think it’s so much more delicious when toasted on the pan. I love buttering both sides and toasting in a cast iron pan.
Since we tend to make a lot of toast with a big family, we often make toast in the oven – just preheat to 350F, place the bread on a baking sheet, toast for a few minutes, then flip and toast for a few minutes more. (Butter after you take it out.) You can also do it in the broiler for 2-3 minutes, but you have to pay VERY close attention so it doesn’t burn.
There are about a bazillion toast combinations out there. We like to have a mix of savory and sweet. We usually start with something hearty and with protein/umami flavor, and then may finish with something a bit lighter and sweeter. It doesn’t get much simpler than toast for dinner so feel free to get a bit fancier with the toppings.
Here are some of our very favorite toast topping ideas, but really, the sky’s the limit!
Have you ever done a DIY toast bar for a meal? Or have you had toast for dinner? I’d love to hear your favorite combos!
