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🍗 Two-Week Reserve-Based Crockpot Menu: Chicken, Sausage & Beef Edition (Wk 27&28)

Because ovens are rude and we deserve ease.

Let’s be real — chronic illness, neurodivergence, parenting, and general life chaos don’t care that dinner still has to happen.
So here’s a two-week, reserve-based crockpot plan that keeps you fed without a meltdown.

You’ll cook just three days a week (Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday) and still have enough food for reworks, leftovers, and “oops, I forgot to defrost something” days.


🐔 TUESDAY: Chicken Day

🥣 Salsa Crockpot Chicken

The OG lazy girl dinner. Don’t mess with perfection.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 jar (16 oz) salsa
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • Optional: 1 cup frozen corn or a can of diced tomatoes (drained)

Instructions

  1. Dump it all in the crockpot.
  2. Cook on low 6–8 hours or high 3–4.
  3. Shred it up and mix before serving.

Serve With: Rice, tortillas, or potatoes.
Reserves: Use leftovers in quesadillas, nachos, rice bowls, or over pasta.


🍽️ Chicken & Veggie Bowls

Healthy-ish. Easy. Zero oven time. We love that for us.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ lbs chicken (breasts or thighs), chunked
  • 1 bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 zucchini, sliced
  • ½ onion, sliced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Toss it all in the crockpot.
  2. Cook on low 5–6 hours or high 3–4.
  3. Stir before serving to coat everything evenly.

Serve With: Rice, quinoa, or in wraps.
Reserves: Toss leftovers into scrambled eggs or pasta for a second meal.


🌭 THURSDAY: Sausage Day

🍝 Sausage & Peppers Pasta

A classic one-pot wonder — but make it a slow cooker.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb smoked sausage, sliced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups broth
  • 8 oz pasta (add later!)
  • Italian herbs, salt & pepper

Instructions

  1. Add everything except the pasta.
  2. Cook on low 5–6 hours or high 3–4.
  3. Stir in uncooked pasta 30–40 minutes before serving (add a splash of broth if needed).

Reserves: Bake leftovers with cheese or thin it out for soup.


🥔 Sausage, Potato & Pepper Hash

Like a diner breakfast but without having to move.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb smoked sausage, sliced
  • 1 ½ lbs potatoes, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • ½ onion, chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil or butter
  • Garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper

Instructions

  1. Grease crockpot lightly with oil or spray.
  2. Toss everything in and mix well.
  3. Cook on high 3–4 hours or low 6–7, stirring halfway through.

Serve With: Fried egg on top or a warm roll.
Reserves: Wrap leftovers in tortillas for breakfast burritos.


🥩 SUNDAY: Ground Beef Day

🌶️ Lazy Chili Mac (No Beans)

It’s comfort food that won’t fight your stomach.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb cooked ground beef
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 2 cups elbow noodles
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • Salt & pepper

Instructions

  1. Add everything except noodles to the crockpot.
  2. Cook on low 4–5 hours.
  3. Stir in noodles 30 minutes before serving.

Reserves: Serve leftovers over baked potatoes or tortilla chips.


🍚 Beef & Rice Bowls

Your freezer meal hero.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb cooked ground beef
  • 1 ½ cups uncooked rice
  • 3 cups broth
  • ½ onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • Salt, pepper, paprika

Instructions

  1. Combine everything in the crockpot.
  2. Cook on low 4–5 hours or high 2–3.
  3. Fluff before serving.

Reserves: Wrap in lettuce or tortillas, or top with fried eggs.


That should last us into November, wow it flies by, til next time gang, take care of yourselves, and each other.

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Survival & Sanity Week 25 & 26

Listen, meal planning is basically the Olympics of adulting. And if you’re running low on spoons, have kids who think chicken nuggets are a food group, or just don’t want to set your house on fire trying to “whip something up” after 5 p.m., you need a plan that’s simple, flexible, and doesn’t judge you for eating tacos three times a week if you want to.

So here it is: two weeks of real-life dinners that use reserves, leftovers, and a little bit of bacon for moral support. You don’t need to spend an hour chopping. You don’t need five obscure spices you’ll never use again. You just need this list and a fridge that sort of cooperates.


Week One

Monday – Crockpot Tacos
Let the crockpot do the heavy lifting. Dump in meat, seasoning, maybe some tomatoes, and boom—taco night without the skillet babysitting.

Tuesday – Leftovers or Reserves
Translation: fridge roulette or that frozen pizza you “forgot” about.

Wednesday – Leftovers or Reserves
Yes, again. You deserve it.

Thursday – Leftovers or Reserves
See above.

Friday – Salsa Chicken
Chicken, salsa, crockpot. It shreds itself. If only the laundry did.

Saturday – Leftovers or Reserves
The theme is intentional.

Sunday – One-Pan Chicken Fajita Bake
Chop, toss, bake. Minimal effort, maximum flavor. No stovetop juggling act.


Week Two

Monday – Sheet Pan Sausage, Potatoes & Veggies
Cut, toss, roast. Bonus: your house smells amazing, like you’ve been cooking for hours instead of 20 minutes.

Tuesday – Leftovers or Reserves
Champion-level laziness, rebranded as efficiency.

Wednesday – Bacon & Veggie Fried Rice
Bacon makes everything better. Toss it with rice and veggies, and suddenly leftovers feel fancy.

Thursday – Leftovers or Reserves
Nothing like a break day to make Friday’s meal feel even easier.

Friday – Crockpot Creamy Ranch Chicken
Chicken, ranch packet, cream cheese, done. If your crockpot had a fan club, this would be the poster child.

Saturday – Leftovers or Reserves
Consider it a chef’s night off.

Sunday – (Optional Swap Night)
Tired of chicken? Grab something from reserves or takeout without the guilt. The system’s built to bend.


Why This Works

  • Built-in leftovers mean you don’t waste food or energy.
  • Reserve-friendly lets you swap in pantry/freezer staples on the hard days.
  • Minimal chopping, maximum flavor because you’ve got better things to do than wrestle with 15 ingredients.

This isn’t about perfect dinners. It’s about feeding yourself and your people without burning all your spoons in the process. And honestly? That’s more impressive than any five-course meal.


👉 Want the full recipes and grocery list? Scroll down . Dinner crisis = solved. Take care of yourselves, and each other!