Tuesday’s Table: Leftovers, Crock Pots & Family Traditions

October 27 – November 2

Welcome back to Tuesday's Table!

This week, we're keeping things pretty simple. My schedule is full, we've got events to work, and I'm trying to make dinner happen without spending every evening in the kitchen.

We've got a couple of crock pot meals, some family favorites, a night dedicated to cleaning out the refrigerator, and one of our longtime family traditions.

And, of course, PLANNED OVERS!

If you've been following Tuesday's Table for a while, you know I love finding ways to cook once and get more than one meal out of it.

Not only does it save time, but with the cost of groceries these days, I want to make sure we're using every bit of the food we're buying.

Some nights, that means making a little extra for another dinner. Other nights, it means pulling everything out of the refrigerator and letting everyone fend for themselves.

And you know what? Both count as dinner!

Let's get into this week's menu.

Tuesday: Chicken Tacos

We're starting the week with Taco Tuesday!

We love Mexican food in our house, and tacos are one of those dinners that everyone can make exactly how they like.

Chicken tacos are especially nice because chicken is usually one of the more affordable meats I can buy, and there are so many ways to prepare it.

Season your chicken with your favorite taco seasoning, cook it however works best for your schedule, and shred or slice it for tacos.

Set out tortillas, cheese, lettuce, salsa, sour cream, or whatever toppings your family enjoys.

I love meals like this because everyone gets to make their own plate, and I don't have to worry about making something different for each person.

PLANNED OVER: If you have enough chicken, make a little extra. Cooked chicken is wonderful to have in the refrigerator or freezer for quesadillas, nachos, casseroles, or another quick dinner.

One less thing to cook later!

Wednesday: Leftover Night!

I don't know about you, but I HATE throwing food away.

Especially with the cost of groceries being so ridiculous right now.

I work hard to plan our meals, shop within our budget, and make enough food to feed everyone. The last thing I want to do is throw perfectly good food into the trash.

We eat leftovers for lunches throughout the week, but sometimes there's still a little bit of this and a little bit of that hanging out in the refrigerator.

Not enough of any one thing to feed the whole family, but certainly enough food that I don't want to waste it.

So, tonight we're having what I like to call our leftover buffet.

I pull everything out of the refrigerator and line it up on the counter.

A little pasta. Some chicken. Maybe a casserole. A few vegetables. Whatever we have.

And then I tell everyone:

You're on your own! 😂

Everyone gets to choose what they want, put together their own plate, and heat it up.

My kids are all adults now, so they're perfectly capable of reheating their own dinner.

And here's why I love leftover night:

• Everyone gets to eat something they actually want.

• We use up food before it goes bad.

• I get to clean out the refrigerator.

• We're not spending money on another dinner.

• And best of all, I DON'T HAVE TO COOK!

Seriously, what's not to love?

Sometimes the smartest meal on the menu is the one you don't have to make.

Just remember to use refrigerated leftovers within a safe storage window, generally three to four days, or freeze them sooner.

Thursday: Crock Pot Apricot Chicken

Today is a LONG day.

I'll be working all day, and then I have a gig with Paige, so I need a dinner that will be ready whenever my family wants to eat.

Which means...

Hello, crock pot!

This is actually a recipe I used to make all the time, but somehow it slipped out of our regular dinner rotation.

Does that happen to anyone else?

You make something for years, everyone loves it, and then one day you realize you haven't made it in forever.

Well, we're bringing Apricot Chicken back!

And it couldn't be easier.

Easy Apricot Chicken

Ingredients:

• Boneless chicken breasts or thighs

• Apricot jam

• Catalina dressing

• 1 packet onion soup mix

Directions:

Place your chicken in the crock pot.

In a separate bowl, mix together the apricot jam, Catalina dressing, and onion soup mix. I adjust the amounts of jam and dressing depending on how much chicken I'm making and how much sauce I want.

Pour the mixture over the chicken, cover, and cook on low until the chicken is tender and reaches 165°F. Cooking time will depend on your crock pot and the size of the chicken pieces.

That's it!

The sauce is sweet, tangy, and full of flavor.

I usually serve it over rice or pasta, depending on what I have on hand.

This is exactly the kind of dinner I need on days when I'm gone from morning until evening.

TIP: On especially long days, I use a programmable crock pot so the chicken doesn't continue cooking for hours after it's done. If dinner needs to stay warm for a long time, I make sure it's held at a safe temperature.

Friday: Beef & Noodles

Okay, I have a confession.

I still haven't decided exactly which version of Beef & Noodles I'm making tonight. 😂

I have several different variations that I make, and I keep going back and forth about which one sounds the best.

Sometimes I make it with a creamy sauce. Sometimes I make it with a richer beef gravy.

It really depends on what I'm in the mood for and what ingredients I already have.

But that's one of the things I want Tuesday's Table to show.

Meal planning doesn't mean every single detail has to be decided weeks in advance.

Sometimes I know what we're having, but I leave myself a little room to change how I'm making it.

And sometimes I change the whole dinner because life happens.

Stay tuned!

I'll let you know which version wins.

Saturday: Halloween Chili

This isn't just dinner.

It's a family tradition. ❤️

We haven't really celebrated Halloween in the traditional way, and when the kids were younger, we always tried to find fun things to do together instead of going trick-or-treating.

For years, that meant making a big pot of chili, buying lots of glow sticks, getting some snacks and soda, turning off the lights, and watching movies together.

The kids LOVED it.

And I loved that we were making our own memories and traditions.

Of course, things look a little different now.

My kids have outgrown the glow sticks and movie nights.

They're older, they have jobs, their own schedules, and their own things going on.

But one thing hasn't changed.

We still have chili on Halloween.

It's one of those little traditions that has stuck around even as our family has grown and changed.

And I love that.

Sometimes family traditions don't have to be elaborate or expensive.

Sometimes they're just a pot of chili and a memory of all the years that came before.

PLANNED OVER: Make a BIG pot of chili tonight! We're going to use the leftovers for tomorrow's dinner.

Sunday: Chili Baked Potato Bar

Remember that big pot of chili we made last night?

Well, we're turning it into an entirely different dinner tonight.

Chili Baked Potatoes!

This is one of my favorite kinds of planned overs because there's really not much cooking involved.

Bake some potatoes, heat up the leftover chili, and set out your favorite toppings.

Shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, or whatever your family likes.

Everyone can make their own loaded baked potato.

And because I have a couple of family members who aren't big fans of baked potatoes, I usually make some French fries or hot dogs for them.

They can top those with chili instead.

Either way, we're using up the leftover chili, and I'm not making an entirely new meal.

Cook once. Eat more than once.

This is exactly what I mean!

Monday: Spaghetti & Garlic Bread

We're ending the week with a simple family favorite.

Spaghetti and garlic bread.

Nothing fancy. Nothing complicated.

Just a filling, fairly affordable dinner that everyone enjoys.

And while ground beef isn't exactly cheap these days, spaghetti is still one of those meals that I can stretch to feed a lot of people.

But tonight, I'm doing a little more than making dinner.

I'm making extra sauce.

Actually, I'm making a double batch.

Some will go into the refrigerator for Chicken Parmesan Casserole on Wednesday, and some will go into the freezer for Pizza Pasta later in November.

I love making homemade spaghetti sauce, but it does take time. So if I'm already making it, why not make enough for several meals?

The extra sauce doesn't take much more effort, but it saves me a lot of time later.

PLANNED OVER: Make extra spaghetti sauce for November 4 and freeze another portion for November 12.

That's three dinners from one batch of sauce!

And that is why I love planned overs.

This Week's Planned-Over Game Plan

This week is a great example of how meal planning can save both time and money without requiring hours of meal prep.

Tuesday: Make extra chicken for another meal or the freezer.

Wednesday: Clean out the refrigerator and use up leftovers before they go to waste.

Saturday: Make extra chili for Sunday's baked potato bar.

Sunday: Turn leftover chili into a completely different dinner.

Monday: Make a double batch of spaghetti sauce for two more meals in November.

Nothing complicated.

Just using what we have and making a little extra when it makes sense.

A Little Thought from My Kitchen

I think sometimes we get so caught up in trying to make beautiful meals, find new recipes, and come up with something different every night that we forget the whole point.

We're feeding our families.

And that doesn't always have to look like a brand-new, homemade, three-course dinner.

Sometimes it's leftovers lined up on the counter.

Sometimes it's chicken thrown into the crock pot before work.

Sometimes it's a recipe you've made a hundred times.

And sometimes it's a big pot of chili that brings back memories of little kids, glow sticks, snacks, and movie nights.

I love trying new recipes, but I also love the comfort of those meals that have been part of our family for years.

And as our family continues to change, with everyone working and our schedules getting busier, I'm learning to appreciate simple dinners even more.

I hope this week's menu gives you a few ideas, helps you stretch your grocery budget, and reminds you that dinner doesn't have to be complicated to be meaningful.

And if you have a special family food tradition, I'd love to hear about it!

Until next Tuesday,

Cook once. Eat more than once. ❤️

Jennifer