Grinders in the Slow Cooker

How’s your pandemic cooking fatigue? Yes, it’s a real thing. Chances are even if you dove into cooking projects with gusto back in March, it’s not bringing the same joy.

You know what? It’s okay. It’s okay to dial back. It’s okay to ask to share the load. It’s okay to take the easiest option.

I found myself burning out hard a little more than a month ago, so I made a conscious effort to switch up my meal planning. After I pick our meals for the week, I sit with the list and go though asking – what can I do to make this easier? In many cases, that means putting off new blog experiments for things I know will work.

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Slow Cooker Italian Sandwiches

How’s life lately? I mean really – are you hanging on?

I’m hearing from so many friends that they’re overwhelmed. There are so many balls in the air that things like dinner just get pushed to the back burner. They want to make dinner but they can’t handle more work.

This is a great meal for those nights.

Hot sandwiches make a great, easy dinner. These are individually wrapped – making them easily customizable for each family member – and warmed in the slow cooker – which makes the cook time flexible.

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12 Easy Dinners Perfect for Back-to-School

Back-to-school is busy! Whether you’re going in person or virtually, I’m sure that as soon as you hit that first day of school, your calendar suddenly looks a lot more full.

Often, that makes getting dinner on the table harder. Easy becomes the name of the game.

If you’re looking for some new, easy dinners for back-to-school, I’ve rounded up a dozen of my favorites!

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Cauliflower Bahn Mi Sandwiches

It’s the first Friday of Lent which means I’m kicking off my annual meatless meal series today! Over the next seven weeks, I’ll be sharing new meatless meals every Friday.

Cauliflower Bahn Mi 3

First up is this Cauliflower Bahn Mi and, guys, it’s a good one.

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Big Mac Sloppy Joes

My kids are good eaters. I’m lucky. We can plop down nearly anything in front of them and they will try it – and usually eat it. We have yet to take them to a restaurant they didn’t enjoy.

Still, my son’s most-requested meal? McDonald’s.

Big Mac Sloppy Joes 1

He asked me a few weeks back if I could make “McDonald’s burgers”. Sure, bud, here we go.

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Slow Cooker Cheesesteaks

Have you ever had a Philly cheesesteak? I’m not talking about something homemade or the one at the closest sandwich shop – I mean a real Philly cheesesteak from a real cheesesteak place in Philadelphia.

Slow Cooker Cheesesteaks 1

I was introduced to them during my first few weeks of college. The biggest surprise? Cheez Whiz.

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Chickpea Caesar Sandwiches

Welcome to our second Lenten Friday and another fabulous, vegetarian, make-ahead meal!

Chickpea Caesar Sandwiches 2

Today I’m sharing a super versatile sandwich base.

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Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwiches

Are you participating in #Veganuary? Even if you’re not, these Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwiches will have you drooling!

buffalo cauliflower sandwiches 1

I don’t normally cook vegan, but I’m always up for a challenge, so when The Baking Fairy said she was putting together a vegan roundup for #veganuary, I jumped right in.

If you have any preconceived notions of vegan food, you’ll need to drop them before digging in here. Whether you’re vegan or not, you will love these sandwiches.

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8 Great Ways to Use Up Thanksgiving Leftovers

Thanksgiving is officially over, but chance are your fridge is still full of remnants from yesterday’s meal.

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I’m not a fan of eating the same meal over and over, so I always re-purpose my leftovers into new creations. Here are eight of my favorite ways to re-imagine Thanksgiving leftovers!

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Barbecue Turkey Sloppy Joes

I hit on this dinner a few weeks ago and it was a smashing success. I’ve made it twice so far. Leftovers have been served over baked sweet potatoes for lunch. And then I made the barbecue sauce again to go over meatloaf another night.  Considering how often I repeat recipes (read: not very!) the fact that this keeps popping up is a testament to how much we’re enjoying it.

This really couldn’t be easier to pull off on a week night – mix everything for the sauce together, brown up the meat and veggies, combine them and done! It also reheats really well so it’s great to make ahead for nights when you literately just have time to microwave something.

Barbecue Turkey Sloppy Joes

Barbecue Turkey Sloppy Joes
(from The Foodie and the Fix)
Makes 5

1 6 oz. can of tomato paste
2/3 cup water
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
4 tsp. pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. liquid smoke

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
Salt & pepper, to taste
Whole wheat buns, for serving

In a bowl, whisk together the first 9 ingredients – tomato paste to liquid smoke.

In a large non-stick skillet, brown together the turkey, bell pepper, and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Break up the turkey as it cooks. When the turkey is cooked through and the vegetables are soft, stir in the sauce and cook until heated through. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve on rolls.

Barbecue Turkey Sloppy Joes