Tuesday’s Table: Crock Pots, Planned Overs & Family Favorites

September 22–28

I really hope you’ve been enjoying Tuesday’s Table and have had a chance to try some of the recipes I’ve shared!

This week is another one filled with family favorites. After living in a trailer for almost 10 months with a VERY limited kitchen, we’re still enjoying being able to make so many of the meals that were difficult—or downright impossible—to make while we were there.

And with my schedule being insanely busy right now, I’m leaning heavily on two things that have always helped me feed a big family without completely losing my mind:

My crock pot and planned overs.

I’m adjusting to working outside the home while still running our home and several businesses, so there are plenty of nights when I’m simply not here early enough to start dinner. I usually have more time in the morning, which means if I can get dinner cooking before I leave, that is a WIN.

So, grab your crock pot. We’re putting it to work this week!

Tuesday: Chicken Alfredo

If you’ve never made homemade Alfredo sauce, you really should!

It is SOOO easy, and the flavor is a thousand times better than anything you can buy in a jar.

Another bonus? It freezes really well.

Make a double batch, use what you need tonight, and freeze the rest for another meal.

Hello, planned overs!

If your family isn’t picky like mine, you can add broccoli and sneak some veggies into dinner. Around here, I usually keep it separate and let everyone make their own choices. 😂

I also put a little extra effort into the chicken because it adds so much flavor to the finished dish.

I brown my chicken in a little butter and season it with Italian seasoning, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese. It's a simple extra step, but trust me—it makes a difference.

Planned-Over Tip

Even though the chicken isn't necessarily the main part of tonight's meal, I cook the same amount of chicken I would if it were.

Why?

Because then I automatically have another meal's worth of chicken ready to go.

Package the extra for baked ziti, quesadillas, soup or another easy dinner. I find it much easier to portion meat for the freezer when I cook roughly the same amount each time instead of trying to figure out how much "extra" I need.

And don't forget to make that extra Alfredo sauce for the freezer!

Wednesday: Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

My schedule is INSANELY busy right now.

Between adjusting to working outside the home, running our home and keeping up with several businesses, I'm using my crock pot as much as possible.

I tend to have more time in the mornings, and many evenings I'm not home in time to make dinner. Being able to walk in and have most of dinner already finished makes such a difference.

For stroganoff, you don't need an expensive cut of beef. Use whatever you can find on sale. Cooking it low and slow will help tenderize it.

Cut the meat into larger bite-sized pieces, season it well and add it to your crock pot. Sometimes I add a little beef stock for extra flavor.

Cook it on low, but keep an eye on it. You want your beef nice and tender—not completely shredded.

About 30–60 minutes before dinner, mix your stroganoff seasoning packet with milk and sour cream. If you have a lot of liquid left in the crock pot, remove some before adding your cream mixture.

Stir everything together and let it simmer until you're ready to eat.

I usually serve ours over egg noodles, but I've heard of people serving stroganoff over rice, toast or even biscuits.

You do you. Make whatever your family will eat. 😊

Thursday: Chicken Nachos

Tonight is exactly why I love planned overs.

Remember the extra chicken you saved from tacos on the 18th?

Pull it out!

And if you have leftover rice and beans from the baked burritos on the 20th, grab those too.

Suddenly, most of tonight's dinner is already made.

Layer your chips with chicken, cheese, beans and whatever else your family likes. Add your leftover rice on the side or even throw some right onto the nachos.

Dinner doesn't always have to mean cooking an entirely new meal.

Sometimes dinner is simply rearranging food you already cooked.

And I am completely okay with that!

Friday: Teriyaki Burgers

If you made extra teriyaki sauce earlier this month and tucked it into the freezer, today is the day to pull it out.

I usually make these with turkey burgers, but ground beef or ground chicken works just as well.

Use whatever you have—or whatever you found on sale.

Grill your burgers and, when they're almost finished, start basting them with teriyaki sauce.

Top each burger with Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese and leave it on the grill just long enough for the cheese to melt.

Then add a pineapple slice and sandwich everything between a grilled bun.

Quick. Easy. And SO good.

Perfect for a Friday night.

Saturday: Beef Dips

Another family favorite—and another crock pot dinner!

For beef dips, I buy whatever cut of beef I can get at a good price.

Chuck roast? Great.

Tri-tip? Perfect.

London broil? Throw it in.

Add your meat to the crock pot with a little beef broth and Au Jus seasoning, then let the crock pot do the work.

I have my own Au Jus seasoning blend that will be available soon through Seasoned with Grace, but your favorite store-bought version works just fine, too.

I intentionally make extra meat because the leftovers are delicious.

You can use them for lunches, sandwiches or one of my favorites:

Beef Dip Mac & Cheese.

Make some macaroni and cheese and pile that leftover beef right on top.

So simple and SOOO good.

Sunday: Pulled Pork Sandwiches

We're keeping that crock pot out for one more day!

Pulled pork is another meal where you absolutely do NOT need an expensive cut of meat. Buy whatever pork works for your budget. Pork loin is often what I can find at a good price.

Season it lightly and cook it on low until it easily shreds.

Once it's finished, remove any excess liquid, shred the pork and add your favorite BBQ sauce.

Pile it onto a French or sourdough roll and serve it with fruit, salad or even some tater tots.

Dinner is done.

Don't Waste That Leftover Pork!

Just like Saturday's beef, pulled pork is fantastic over macaroni and cheese.

But here's another way we love to turn it into a completely different meal.

Mix your leftover pulled pork with some chopped cooked bacon and shredded cheddar cheese.

Press refrigerated Grands biscuits into muffin tins, pushing the dough down into the center and up the sides to create a little cup.

Spoon your pork mixture into the center and top with a little more cheese.

Bake according to the biscuit directions until the biscuit is cooked through and golden.

Super easy and REALLY good!

That's a whole second dinner from meat you already cooked.

Monday: Easy Jambalaya

We're ending this week's Tuesday's Table with a cheat dinner.

And I'm not even a little bit sorry about it. 😂

I open a box of jambalaya mix.

That's it.

I do not make my jambalaya from scratch. Aldi has a great mix that's pretty affordable, so that's what I use.

I slice up some kielbasa sausage, brown it and add it to the cooked jambalaya.

Quick. Easy. Affordable.

And MOST of my family likes it.

Hey, I can't win them all with every meal!

This Week's Planned-Over Game Plan

This is what I want you to start noticing as you follow Tuesday's Table: planned overs don't have to mean eating the same dinner twice.

Tuesday's extra Alfredo sauce goes into the freezer for another meal. Extra chicken can become baked ziti, quesadillas or soup. Thursday's nachos use chicken, rice and beans we've already cooked. Friday's teriyaki sauce came from a batch we made earlier in the month. Saturday's beef can become lunches or Beef Dip Mac & Cheese. Sunday's pulled pork can become another dinner entirely.

That's why I love cooking this way.

I'm not spending an entire day meal prepping. I'm simply looking at what I'm already cooking and asking:

Can I make a little more now to make another day easier?

Some weeks, that saves money.

Some weeks, it saves food that might otherwise go to waste.

And some weeks, when life is absolutely crazy and I'm walking through the door at dinner time, it saves my sanity.

If you've been following along this month, I'd love to know if you've tried anything from Tuesday's Table—and especially if you've started making some planned overs of your own!

Until next Tuesday,

Cook once. Eat more than once. ❤️
Jennifer