You ever have one of those weeks where time evaporates, laundry multiplies on its own, and your partner disappears for seven days like they’re on a side quest you definitely didn’t authorize? Yeah. That was my week. Which means today’s meal plan is brought to you by: Survival Mode But Make It Edible™.
This is a reserve-based, spoon-friendly, chronic-illness-approved, “I have three brain cells and two are fighting” kind of schedule. Six meals involve actual cooking (mostly crockpot because we respect our energy). The other nights? Reserves. Frozen. Pantry. Leftovers. Whatever doesn’t require you to stand upright for more than four minutes.
If that’s your vibe too, welcome home.
THIS WEEK’S MENU
Cooked Meals:
Tuesday Crockpot Salsa Chicken Bowls
Thursday Slow Cooker Garlic Herb Pork Roast + Potatoes
Sunday Crockpot Honey Teriyaki Chicken (No weird sauces, promise)
Tuesday Lemon Herb Chicken & Rice (No Creamy Stuff!)
Thursday Crockpot Tuscan Chicken & Potatoes (Light, Brothy Version)(Not creamy — just herbs, garlic, broth, and sunshine.)
Sunday Sheet Pan Italian Chicken & Veggies
Reserve Nights (1–2):
Frozen pizza, frozen enchiladas, freezer soup, freezer breakfast burritos, rotisserie chicken + bag salad… whatever you have in the stash.
And boom — another week fed, fueled, and officially handled, even if we handled it while lying horizontally with one sock on and exactly zero energy left. Reserve-based meal planning is basically the cheat code for spoonie life: cook when you can, stash when you can’t, survive the rest of the time on whatever doesn’t require opening the oven.
If you make any of these recipes, tell me which one your family inhaled first. Mine always pick the salsa chicken because apparently we’re a Taco Tuesday household… regardless of the actual day. Til next time gang, take care of yourselves, and each other!
Fall is for fuzzy socks, warm dinners, and absolutely not overcomplicating your grocery list. This round of my two-week reserve-based meal plan is all about cozy, comforting food that doesn’t require you to play kitchen martyr. We’re talking about meals that fill the house with that “mmm, someone’s cooking something amazing” smell — without requiring you to stand too long or juggle twelve pans.
Like always, the plan mixes a few cooked meals with reserve-based options — things you can pull together fast from your pantry or freezer when energy or spoons are running low. The goal: flexibility without frustration. You deserve to eat well, even on the days that don’t go as planned.
So grab your list, sip your coffee, and let’s make sure the next two weeks taste like comfort and sanity.
🥘 Cook Meals
Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie — Creamy, cozy, and low-effort. Add frozen veggies, shredded chicken, broth, and biscuit topping.
Sheet Pan Sausage & Potatoes — Chop, toss, roast. One pan, minimal cleanup, maximum yum.
Beef Tips with Gravy + Mashed Potatoes — Comfort classic. Slow simmer or use the crockpot if you want to make it even easier.
Tuscan Chicken with Spinach and Garlic Butter Rice — Quick skillet dinner that feels fancy without being fussy.
Loaded Baked Potato Night — Bake or microwave potatoes, then set out toppings like cheese, butter, and green onions for a build-your-own vibe.
Simple Spaghetti or Noodle Bowl Night — Customize with what you have on hand — sauce, veggies, or even leftover meat.
🥫 Reserve Meals
Breakfast for Dinner — Eggs, toast, or breakfast sandwiches. Always hits the spot.
Soup Starter Night — Toss frozen veggies, broth, and leftover meat or rice in a pot and call it done.
Wraps or Sandwich Night — Turkey, ham, or whatever deli meat is handy.
Ramen Remix — Doctor up instant ramen with egg, spinach, or leftover veggies.
Snack Board Dinner — Cheese, crackers, fruit, pickles, whatever looks good on a plate.
Emergency Frozen Meal — Whether it’s pizza, burritos, or something store-bought — no guilt, no dishes.
Til next time gang, take care of yourselves, and each other.
If you’re anything like me — fibro-fogged, recently-hip-replaced, raising a gloriously neurodivergent teen, and running on caffeine, hope, and probably expired groceries — then planning dinner might feel like launching a rocket from your laundry room.
This meal plan is for those of us trying to survive the week without crying into a dish towel. It’s a real-life, spoon-theory-approved guide with easy cook-day meals and fallback reserves that don’t require your whole brain.
🗓️ Printable 2-Week Meal Menu (with Attitude)
Week Three
Day
Meal
Monday
Mac & Cheese with Sausage — Leftovers from Sunday. Bonus: Only one pan to clean and minimal effort to reheat. That’s a win in my book.
Tuesday
Sausage & Peppers over Egg Noodles — Bright, flavorful, and uses enough veggies to pretend we’re balanced adults.
Wednesday
Chicken Strips + Knorr Side — Reserve meal MVP. Add a veggie if you’re feeling wild.
Thursday
Baked Chicken + Roasted Veggies — Sheet pan magic. Roast everything at once and act like it was on purpose.
Friday
Reserves — Classic, comforting, and suspiciously filling for something this lazy.
Saturday
Sausage + Eggs + Toast — Breakfast-for-dinner, aka using breakfast foods to emotionally reset.
Sunday
Coke Pulled Pork + Mac or Egg Noodles — The crockpot does all the work. You take the credit.
Week Four
Day
Meal
Monday
Pulled Pork “Tacos” — Leftovers dressed up. Throw in onions, peppers, canned tomatoes, and rice. Tortilla optional. I like to make it a rice bowl or in tortillas, we have also put pulled pork leftovers with some salsa and nachos.
Tuesday
Meatballs in Marinara — From the freezer to the table. Zero regrets.
Wednesday
Eggs + Toast + Hashbrowns or Fruit — Breakfast, again. Because we do what works.
Thursday
Chicken Stir-Fry + Rice — Takes 15 minutes and makes you feel like you’ve got your life together.
Friday
Soup + Crackers or Sandwiches — More reserves. Less thinking.
Saturday
Pasta Bake or Lazy Lasagna — Toss it in a dish and bake until bubbly. Cheesy redemption.
Sunday
Maple Glazed Chicken + Buttered Noodles — The Pinterest recipe you actually pulled off. Hubby-approved. Next time we’re reducing that glaze for stick factor.
🍳 Ingredients for the Cook Day Hits (Sarcasm Included)
Sausage & Peppers over Egg Noodles Ingredients: sweet Italian turkey sausage, red and green bell peppers, yellow onion, garlic, broth (instead of wine), canned diced tomatoes, tomato paste, dried oregano, olive oil, egg noodles. Honestly I tweak this every time. If it sounds like it’d be good in it I’d try. Mood: Colorful enough to feel like you’re trying.
Baked Chicken + Roasted Veggies Ingredients: chicken breasts, potatoes, carrots, olive oil, salt, pepper, whatever seasoning makes you feel chef-y. Mood: Toss it all on a sheet pan. Roasting = pretending you’re fancy.
Coke Pulled Pork Ingredients: pork roast, 1 can of Coke, BBQ sauce, salt, pepper, onion powder. Mood: Dump, set, and go live your life.
Meatballs in Marinara Ingredients: frozen meatballs, jarred marinara sauce, spaghetti or mashed potatoes. Mood: It’s giving “fake it till you bake it.”
Chicken Stir-Fry Ingredients: chicken breasts, frozen stir-fry veggies, soy sauce, splash of broth, oil, rice. Mood: One-pan wonder with zero side-eyes.
Pasta Bake or Lazy Lasagna Ingredients: cooked pasta, any ground meat, jarred pasta sauce, shredded cheese. Mood: Layer, bake, and pretend you slaved.
Maple Glazed Chicken Ingredients: chicken thighs or breasts, maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic powder or minced garlic, BBQ sauce. Mood: So good your partner eats the leftovers. Sauce could use a glow-up — try reducing it next time.
🍆 Reserve Staples to Keep on Hand
Chicken strips (frozen)
Eggs
Bread (for toast & sandwiches)
Canned soups
Frozen vegetables
Hashbrowns
Knorr sides or boxed pasta mixes
Rice
Pasta
Tortillas
Jarred pasta sauce
Shredded cheese
Bacon or sausage (for breakfast-for-dinner days)
Instant mashed potatoes (optional but very sanity-saving)
🚨 Final Thoughts
You don’t have to be a perfect parent or domestic goddess to feed your family. This plan makes use of what you already have, lets you lean on frozen staples without shame, and helps reduce decision fatigue. Keep showing up, spoon by spoon. You’re doing better than you think.
Want more meal plans? Stick around — we’re doing this every two weeks until I run out of freezer space or patience.
Printable grocery list? Right here. Pinterest-worthy recipes? Working on it. Sanity? Pending.
WannaBeNormal 