Both UT and ACC have reported students who are infected with coronavirus. Neither cancelled classes. Kid 1 goes to UT. Kid 2 goes to ACC. I get to doomsday prep.
For two years I have resisted purchasing a second freezer. For two years I have only bought enough frozen groceries for a week at a time. Well, not more. With the possible quarantine looming, I have fallen off the wagon. I asked Gordon to buy me a 7 cubic foot stand up freezer. For a grand total of $250, I now have a magic cold box that stores my meat in the garage. And I have filled it!
Que demonic laughter: Muhahahahaha!
Okay, so I didn’t fill it all the way, but there are meats in there.
With that in mind, I wanted to share a simple recipe with you. This is one of the easiest recipes to make, and it’s my officially designated cook-when-sick recipe. To be assigned this designation, a recipe must meet strict criteria.
- It must be simple to prepare. Best if it involved throwing all the ingredients into a pot and turning the heat on.
- It must not include any easily perishable ingredients like fresh mushrooms or avocados. Pantry ingredients are best.
- It must make decent leftovers, because nobody wants to continuously cook.
Slow-Cooker Carnitas.
Christian Geischeder
- 1- 1 1/2 lbs pork carnita meat. It’s usually just chunks of pork shoulder roast.
- 1 tsp garlic powder or three large cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp Rustic Italian herbs or 1 /2 tsp dry oregano, 1/2 tsp dried basil. You can fiddle around with this, but basically you want dry aromatic herbs
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp of cinnamon. Go easy on the cinnamon, a little goes a long way when it comes to pairing it with meat.
- 1 tsp salt
- If you want your carnitas a bit spicier, you can toss 1/2 tsp of chill powder in there or not
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 2 cups chicken broth or water
Put the bay leaves on the bottom of the slow cooker. In a large bowl combine all of the spices and mix them together. Add pork and mix until the meat is thoroughly coated. Transfer meat to a slow cooker. Pour water into the bowl to get whatever spices are left and carefully pour it around the sides of the meat in the slow cooker, taking care not to rinse the spices off the pork. Cover.
Now you have options. Some people cook it on low for about 5 hours, flip the meat over, and cook it for another 5. I don’t have that kind of patience. I cook it on high for about 2-3 hours, then flip it over, and then cook for about 3 hours more. If you don’t want to mess with it at all, you need to chop pork into smaller pieces and make sure that water just barely covers it. It smells awesome while it cooks.
Once the meat is down, shred it with a fork, pick out and discard the tough bits, and add a little bit of liquid to keep it nice and moist.
You can serve the meat in soft tacos. You can serve it by itself with a baked potato. If you want it to go an extra mile, add some BBQ sauce and serve it on a bun. I’ve also shredded it, added BBQ sauce, and popped into the oven for about 20 minutes at 375 to get the sauce cooked a bit more with the meat.
Please feel free to share your own cook-when-sick recipes in the comments. If we are all stuck at home, at least we can have yummy food.
Miam! I don’t have a crock pot, but I have a creuset, so I usually put the pork roast in, glue the lid to the with some bread dough and put it in the oven for a while at low heat.
Last time I had stored cinnamon in it, and even after I had removed it, it had flavored the meat while cooking. I loved it!
Thanks for the recipe!
glue to lid to the pot…
Creuset or dutch oven will also work at low heat. 🙂
Applesauce Ham. One large jar of the apple sauce of your choice and a spiral cut ham (I prefer bone out, but YMMV). Toss them in the crockpot on low for 6-8 hours or until juices run clear on the top. The end. It’s that easy. And super tasty.
I hope you all stay healthy and safe and I’m glad you bought the freezer and feel more at ease now.
The Germans have a word for the drive to soothe uncertainty and feeling out of control by buying : Hamsterkäufe, meaning to shop like a nervous, bulging-cheeked hamster. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing for Brexit and now it’s coming in handy for this crisis.
Thanks for the recipe! Although I am slightly disappointed, I read “rustic Italian spices” as Russian Italian spices and I wanted to know all about these spices I never heard of. Oh well. I hope you all are safe and your new freezer serves you well.
I’m not on lockdown or ill..but this sounds so good I’m going to make it anyway ????
Freezer crockpot meals!
http://ashleynoelbarnes.blogspot.com/2013/05/10-freezer-to-crockpot-meals.html
I am a staff member at Michigan State University. Yesterday the administration transitioned us to no face-to-face classes and recommended those students who could return home do so. My belief is that this is in order to decrease the number of students in the dorms so when coronavirus shows up on campus (I think it is inevitable) there isn’t: a) mass panic, and b) a less crowded living situation for those living in the dorms who cannot go home, hoping to alleviate the crowded condition endemic to all dorms.
whoops – my last post went without my recipe!
2 lbs of ground beef (I use 85/15 ratio)
1 pkg Liption beefy onion soup mix
2-3 eggs
generous handful of dried minced onion
1 clove garlic – chopped, or equivalent in garlic powder
1 Tbsp mustard (I use stone ground)
1 Tbsp Ketchup
1Tbsp Worstershire Sauce
1/2 tsp of mustard powder if available
1/2 tsp oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste
about of 1/4 – 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix all ingredients together. Form log on sheetpan with sides.
Cook appx 30 minutes or to 150 F. Spread generous layer of ketchup on top of log and cook until internal temp is 160F
2 years ago my husband was “let go” in May. From May until October we lived on an income of $400/month. We cashed in a small 401K and made house and car payments… and we lived on what we had in the pantry, the freezer, and the baking cupboard. We bought milk and a few vegetables and eggs fresh.
My husband no longer says anything about me making sure we have a full freezer… Not one word. (He hasn’t bitched about the yarn since I did 15 Christmas Presents out of it one year when our business was just taking off and we were really broke.)
That’s what I do. I hoard food and yarn… and books, but really, that’s not hoarding.
When we lived in Utah the church was talking two years supply of everything you would need for two years. They sold metal storage cans including one gallon size to fill and seal. Dry products will last forever as long as they are protected. And it wasn’t just food but aspirin and personal products too, stuff I never thought about. I’m not a hoarder but there is always a stash at my house because you never know when a paycheck will disappear.
Several years ago I went on a much needed diet. About three months into it, Ilona posted this recipe. I was getting bored with the monotonous fare I was eating so I decided to give this a try. It was a resounding success. I started adding it to pasta, rice, quinoa, etc. I ate it at least 3 times a week for the next year and a half. It’s just that good. I lost 175lbs in 22 mo. And I give a lot of credit to always have 1lb containers of these carnitas in my freezer and fridge at all times. I still always have this stashed in my freezer because it’s delicious, adaptable, plus quick and easy.
Everyone stay safe and continue washing your hands with plenty of soap and hot water.
Congrats on your weight loss! That’s very impressive. (I read that as you were actively trying to lose weight and wanted to congratulate you on your dedication and success, but in no way meant it badly for anyone else!) ????
Greetings from Seattle, where public schools are now closed through the end of the month. Today is day 1 of being home with my very demanding kindergardener. Offices are closed, “community gatherings” are all cancelled through the end of the month, social distancing of 6’+ is encouraged. We are basically home except for going to the store. I’m kind of thrilled by your post because it’s beyond surreal to be basically quarantined for the month and to see people elsewhere in the country going about day-to-day life without taking any precautions – especially people 60+ who are going out and about with large groups of people! May we all take good care of ourselves by making good choices. May we all take good care of our neighbors and communities by STAYING HOME to help flatten the curve of spread so we don’t overwhelm our hospitals.
Hey Jessica,
Sending you an e-Seattle hug. I feel you. I work as a Paraeducator with the seattle school district. April 24th feels VERY far away.
Yummy recipe!
I love the new freezer, I have one too…
????
Yum. Thanks
My family beef stew recipe, can be cooked on the stove top, crockpot, or Instant Pot:
1 lb ground beef (but I have also used cut up leftover roast, steak, or stew meat)
1 med onion, chopped
2-3 tsp diced garlic (or 2-3 cloves, diced)
2 med potatoes, cubed
1 can green beans
1 can yellow corn
1 can diced tomatoes
1 sm can tomato paste
1 packet beefy onion soup mix, Lipton
2 T Worcestershire sauce (honestly, I just eyeball it)
1 1/2 T soy sauce (again, I eyeball it)
1 bottle beer of your choice (alcohol will cook off)
1 bay leaf
1 C water + tsp better than bullion bf OR 1 C beef broth
sprinkle Johnny’s seasoning salt
sprinkle McCormick’s steak seasoning
Whichever way you cook it: sauté meat in pan, remove grease, add onion and cook until soft about 2 minutes. Add garlic but be careful not to burn it. Add Lipton soup mix, Worcestershire and soy sauce. Stir for a minute or so. Add beer. Let simmer while adding potatoes, diced tomato, and tomato paste. Add green beans, corn, and beef broth. Add remainder of seasonings including bay leaf. Simmer on stove until potatoes are done/cook on low in crockpot/or stew setting in IP. Remove bay leaf before serving. Add some garlic bread or French bread. My husband requests this about once a week, lol. I keep the ingredients on hadn’t to throw together whenever we don’t feel good, as it’s a hearty meal that still qualifies as “soup” and is easy to throw together.
Chicken and spinach: line 9×9 pan with spinach. Mix 1 can cream of chicken, 2tbsp mayo, squirt of lemon juice for gravy. Put chicken breast on top (alternatively, dice chicken and mix with gravy for easier leftovers). Top with gravy, sprinkle bread crumbs and sharp cheddar cheese (bonus points for white cheddar). Bake at 375 for 45 minutes and serve over rice.
This was my mom’s “I’ve been at work all day, so for the love of God just eat it and don’t complain” growing up ????
Did not much care for pulled pork the one time I tried it, but it’s so nice of you to share your recipes. I am always looking for easy (for me) to prepare items. Thank you.
Mmmmm… carnitas! Thank you for sharing!
https://12tomatoes.com/8-can-chicken-soup/?utm_source=GLP-WAP&utm_medium=social-affbb&utm_campaign=WAP&fbclid=IwAR2Yx0wy54wzK7VWs8c2-BDcjwWynD_avrUITwnUlpkwBRqEeKRvDidcH28
This is perfect for “dump everything in a pot and cook”
When my grandmother was a child, she lived on a pineapple plantation in south Florida. The supply boat only came once a month. Towards the end of the month, her mom would make potato soup, using potatoes, onion, milk (from their cow) and salt pork. I’ve changed up the recipe a bit, but it’s still one of my comfort foods.
It sounds great! What are the proportions?
My store cupboard dish isn’t slow cooker but only dirties one pot! Tomato and bacon risotto:
Chop up about 6 slices of smoked back bacon, fry in a splash of olive oil, add 2 diced leeks or a large onion, 2-4 cloves of garlic depending on taste and fry for a couple of minutes, then about 200g risotto rice, splash of white wine if you have it. Chuck in 2 400g tins of chopped tomatoes (1 will do its just not as good). Keep adding water until the rice is done (usually about 15mins).
Make tiny cubes of cheese, i like really strong cheddar but anything that goes oozy will work. Ther original recipe called for about 50g but my kids want at least double that!
When the sotto is done stir in ther cheese and scoff.
Veggies could skip the bacon and use smoked cheddar to get a similar flavour
Have you tried freezing it afterwards? I occasionally freeze cooked meats for later (single household). I was curious if you had any tips of you do, like straining it, or something.
Excited to use your recipe! I wonder how I could adapt it for the instapot… I work pretty late every evening, so I love anything that makes cooking decent food quicker!
Mmm. That sounds good. Reminds me of the tacos a coworker would make in the slowcooker and the hand fried shells she served with them (I drove across two states for that meal once)
I don’t have recipes at hand, but slow-cooked oven stroganoff is delicious. As is a mock Kahlua pork in the instant pot/slow cooker. Tater tot hotdish is also a great backstop for dinner.
As certified Chef this is smart way to cook CHUNK of meat. I change the spices and do this for corned beef. Also like my roasts to be darker so broil the outside for few minutes first. When I flip the corner beef I add in order chunks of carrots potatoes onions and bigger chunks of cabbage. If cabbage isn’t firm sometimes I bind it with dental floss so it doesn’t fall apart. I also add beer later on with little more broth.
This sounds good! I’ll definitely have to try it, I love an easy and flexible pork recipe. My current favorite super easy dump and go recipe is this one-also pork, but I love love love this glaze and just get a big loin that I slice up in rounds to have plenty. Usually either have it with trader hoes (or insta pot rice) and/or bake at home bread and roasted broccoli. Super good! https://www.theslowroasteditalian.com/2014/12/crockpot-pork-chops-recipe.html?m=1
Another super easy dump and go, this one is awesome for quesadillas especially. We usually up the seasoning a bit and veggie mix ins are optional, just a nice way to get some extra in. https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=871817
This one I haven’t tried yet, but it’s on the menu to give it a shot this week because it sounds amazing and I’m excited https://pinchofyum.com/easy-crockpot-carnitas
Slightly higher effort (but not a LOT) recipes that make enough for lots of leftovers (that’s my key consideration, for one day of effort how many days can this feed us?)
https://www.theslowroasteditalian.com/2017/10/slow-cooker-potato-soup-recipe.html?m=1
https://pinchofyum.com/crockpot-chicken-gnocchi-soup
I’m dying laughing that I missed my Trader Joe’s typo up there ????????????????♀️ Also forgot to mention for the slightly higher effort recipes that include bacon- this is literally the easiest and best way to make bacon that I’ve found. Just don’t try to make more than one pan at once, I found out the hard way that’s destined to fail.
https://pinchofyum.com/easy-crockpot-carnitas
Ugh. Guys this is a day. Wrong link on the last comment, the amazing bacon is HERE.
https://food52.com/blog/24898-cooking-bacon-in-the-oven
This is my last “I messed up” comment, I swear.
If you use an Instant Pot it’s even faster!
YUM! Thank you!
Yum
Hello, the Czech Republic here, Prime Minister has just declared a state of emergency. All schools, libraries, theatres, pools etc have been closed, events cancelled, shops are packed with people who are panic-buying everything they can lay their hands on. The authorities are talking about a month at least. Thanks for the recipe, I might need some inspiration soon. So in return here´s my favourite:
Cut pork neck into thick slices, do the same with potatoes and onions. Take your largest baking dish, put a layer of potatoes at the bottom, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then a layer of pork neck, salt and pepper again, then a layer of onions, then thinly sliced fat bacon and potatoes and salt and pepper again. Cover with a lid, put in the oven and roast on low for about two or three hours. Uncover, make sure the meat is tender and pour over with full fat cream. Roast uncovered for antoher 30 – 60 mins.
Yes, you´re guessing right, I´m not very slim.
Enjoy!
that sounds very yummy. Can you substitute pork shoulder for pork neck?
Sure you can. Improvisation is the key to finding what works best for you, right?
LIBRARIES?
They’ve just shut down the libraries in Seattle too. & schools through April 24th. Surreal for sure.
That settles it. I’m loading up our 5 cases of wine and driving to your house just before we get quarantined!
Thanks for the recipe! I made Carnitas last week. So yummy! This week I used another pork roast and made shredded BBQ sandwichs. My Hubby is a happy man! 🙂
Now I need to buy a couple of beef roasts…
Our second freezer is filled with breast milk and tamales ????
Sounds good! We love carnitas.. I usually have some in the freezer to use for burrito bowls but I’m out at the moment, to my child’s great disappointment.
We’ve been obsessed with Mississippi Pot Roast lately and all my people are SO HAPPY about it. It takes about five minutes to put together. I am not usually keen on packets but.. it’s easy to make an exception for this one.
1 chuck roast
6 (or more) whole pepperoncinis
1 packet dry ranch mix (3 Tbsp)
1 packet au jus mix
1/2 stick unsalted butter (the original recipe calls for 1/2 cup. it doesn’t need it.)
Put the roast in the crockpot. Dump seasonings on top, add pepperoncini and sliced butter on top. Cook on low for eight hours, shred and eat with mashed potatoes or rice or noodles. We like mashed potatoes, although it’s a little more effort. SO good.
(You need to eat the gravy for the full effect, but it’s super fatty so needs separated.)
This sounds so yummy!
Oh this is brilliant. I love carnitas, can’t wait to try!
I’m a big fan of my slow cooker, and I really enjoy Chicken Chipotle Stew. (I cook for 2, so feel free to scale it up.)
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs – cubed (or you can shred later if you prefer)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 bay leaf
5-6 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (minced)
1 medium onion (diced)
15 oz can navy beans, rinsed
15 oz can black beans, rinsed
14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes, undrained
1.5 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup orange juice (optional, can be done with extra broth if you don’t have oj)
Throw it all in the crockpot and cook on low 7-8 hours (high 3.5-4). Serve over pasta or rice (I like rotini / rotelle, but it’s really versatile). Enjoy, and stay safe everyone!
Oh that sounds so yummy!!
My sick day easy meal is called pork ribs and cabbage my dad came up with this recipe a long time ago and it’s one of those comfort foods and gets much better the next day.
Pork ribs and cabbage:
Country style pork ribs
New potatoes (the red skin ones)
Yellow onion
Cabbage (you can freeze cabbage for 4-6 weeks before using)
Chicken stock
Minced garlic
Season salt
Pepper
Cumin
Olive oil/oil of choice
Cut the pork ribs into chunks, and dice the yellow onion, put about 2 TBSP of oil into a large pot and heat on medium high when hot throw the pork in and stir to get a good sear on the meat after about 2 minutes throw in the onion and season salt and pepper (both of these to your taste but about a 1/2 tablespoon is good). Once the onions start to turn translucent throw in a tablespoon of minced garlic (less if your not a big fan of garlic) and stir until onions are translucent then pour in about 2 cans of chicken broth just enough to cover the meat, simmer covered on medium heat until the pork is tender when I can put it up against the pot and it bends in from my spoon is when I do the next step or about 35-40 minutes (less of you cut smaller chunks).
Cut the new potatoes into quarters (the number of potatoes depends on how much you want I normally use about half the small bag) and put into the pot add more pepper and then just your normal salt to taste. Add either water or chicken broth your choice till it is all covered in liquid then cover and simmer until potatoes are fork tender. Then cut cabbage into small chunks (take out the hard white part from the middle) throw those into the pot and add cumin and salt and pepper to taste and turn on low and cover, simmer until cabbage is soft.
Enjoy and it’s even better the next day, I am not a huge leftover fan but I will eat this one!
My favorite eat-for-days recipe is similar to yours. It’s pulled pork. Specifically the Chef John recipe on Allrecipes.com. I do it in my Oster Roaster and it’s amazing. I eat it all the ways you described. If you keep the seasoning subtle, you can even use teriyaki sauce and rice for variety.
Hope everyone stays healthy at your house!
I teach at UT and the communication with faculty has been, uh, spotty? Because you know what is a good idea? Instead of making a bunch of technophobic faculty learn to use tech, make them rewrite their syllabi at the same time! Ugh. I am happy for your freezer.
Looks super easy. I rarely make pork for some reason.
I also very rarely use the slow cooker.
Need to up my game!
🙂
My son is in UT but is flying home today (back to the Bay Area) for their two week long spring break. I’ve asked him to take clorox wipes and wipes his seat buckles, armrests etc..
Tray table!!! Wipe the tray table and maybe run it along the top of the pocket on the back of the seat in front of him. Those are the MOST germy spots.
omg this looks so good!!
We also have a deep freezer and since we just had a kid we stocked it full of premade foods for days when neither of us felt like cooking because of lake of sleep! I highly recommend using an insta pot, makes things really easy!
(1) Chicken stock broth (from container) – I prefer free range and some sodium. Put into big pot heat over low heat. Chop older carrots and celery from fridge and add. Add less than 1/2 cu Risoni (Trader Joe’s has some that is made from legumes – so protein!), cover, and simmer some more. I like to add about 1/4-1/2 tsp smoked/toasted sesame seed oil, basil or spinach leaves, and a few squeezes of lemon (everyone’s giving them away in my area right about now). Let cook for about 20 minutes and serve. Tastes really good with toasted French bread and goat cheese.
(2) Macaroni and Cheese (again Trader Joe’s – less than $2/box where I am , and that includes powdered sauce): In a big pot, boil water, add pasta from box, and cook per directions. Drain and put pasta back in the pot. Add about 2 TBS milk, then cheese powder, stir. Extra yum: I add pre-cooked bacon (Trader Joe’s sells in a box) and either some frozen peas, asparagus (broken into bits), or chopped broccoli. Extra fancy: Reheat wrapped in foil, sprinkled with Panko crumbs, parsley and a tiny bit of salt. Enjoy!
I think this is the recipe I used to make BBQ sauce a while ago.
https://www.tastyeverafter.com/slow-cooker-bbq-sauce/
I made modifications by leaving out things I didn’t like, because I’m a picky eater like that. Then I plopped as big a chunk of pork in as I could while still having it covered by the sauce and set it to low for about 6 or 7 hours. It was amazing and I had leftovers for EVER.
That said I have stocked up on rice, frozen veggies, and chicken bullion for chicken rice soup, frozen fruit for smoothies, and honey for tea.
Hello i m Form Germany please exuse my tipping i can only good read eng not more , and i have not are translation APP .
I know is not relatet to the top post but i dying to know the latain word for the magic body armor the famaly medrano ?
For sharpshooting and true finder i have fond the namens in the books but not this .
I have are Idee for are story in my head and i know that she will never come out but i work in my head every night in this and i wish to now this litlle Detail.
Thangs i like the snippets whit the medrano daughter wery funny and this habe spark my Idee .
Thanks
This looks amazing. Thank you for sharing.
Arghhh! All my meats are vacationing three miles away so that we may store maple sap in the big freezer until boiling. I want to try this now, now, now.
Sorry, but there is no reported case of corona virus in Austin, certainly not at ACC. Please see the link. https://www.austincc.edu/coronavirus/
We do have a student who self quarantined due to flu symptoms in her family. Austin Public Health declined to test her, saying the risk is too low. Her family member most likely has the flu. I’ve several friends who tested positive for flu A in the past two weeks.
Nonetheless, I am sure contingency plans are being made at all the local colleges should a case be confirmed in the area. Stay tuned, as they say.
Sounds good, I envision it over cooked noodles. I just bought 2 pork tenderloins, love those BOGO deals. I eat a lot of chicken noodle or tomato soup and crackers when I don’t feel good so I better check my pantry before I forget and make sure I have some on hand.
Hopefully no one gets sick at your house.
My neighbor and I went out for lunch at IHOP a week ago Sunday and the next Saturday both of us were sick. It lasted until Monday evening then we were over “it”. And now my roommate is sneezing again, the joys of working with the public.
This is my taco soup recipe.
5-6 cans of beans of your choice.
1 can of corn or hominy of you want, if you don’t like, leave it out.
1 can diced tomatoes. I like petite.
1 lb hamburger
1 onion
1 package taco seasoning
1 package dry ranch dressing
1 can V8 or other tomato juice
Chop onions and saute with hamburger until meat is browned. Season with a little salt and pepper and put in crock pot. Open beans and dump into crock pot. Drain corn/hominy and dump into crock pot. Add tomatoes, seasoning, ranch, and tomato juice. Stir and put on low for 6+ hours. I like overnight. Add whatever toppings you like.
This recipe is very versatile. Don’t like it as spicy? Do 1/2 package of taco seasoning. Have fun with it.
I work from home since where I work for a healthcare system at the corporate, the buildings don’t have enough room for everyone. With COVID-19 panic trying to spread, I say use common sense and do the same precautions as the flu. I am doing that even at home.
I have many go to recipes. However, if I get a huge craving for something sweet, I make Magic Bars. You can change the ingredients if allergic or don’t care for it. Depending on how many people are going to eat it, it can be made in a 8 by 8 or a 13 by 9 inch pans. Use nonstick aluminum foil. Anything else the bars will stick like crazy.
Recipe: this shows for an 8 by 8. Double for a 13 by 9.
Crust:
1 sleeve honey graham crackers.
5 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
1 package Hershey Special dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup walnuts chopped
1/4 bag sweetened coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (you can use a counter to oven, the time is shortened by 5 minutes for the second bake)
Put nonstick aluminum foil in the pan (I use glass)
Melt the butter in the microwave
Place the graham crackers in a gallon plastic bag and smash them with a rolling pin until the crackers are crumbs. You can use a food processor.
In a bowl combine the cracker crumbs with the melted butter until the crumbs turn a darker color and can hold a shape when squeezed through the fingers.
Bake the crust for 5 minutes.
After the crust is out of the oven spread the chocolate chips over the crust. Then the nuts. Then the coconut. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over everything.
Second bake: bake for 15-20 minutes or until coconut is turning a light golden color.
Cool on counter for 10 minutes. Chill in refrigerator for a few hours until crust is solid.
Enjoy!
The corporate office. ????
My self-quarantine planning starts with Diablo Mix.
1 can sweet corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 or 2 cans diced green chiles
Eat hot or cold. Mix with rotisserie chicken, carnitas, taco meat, etc. Serve for breakfast in a frittata. Mix with brown rice. Versatile, tasty and healthy.
Here in Central IL – I work at the University of Illinois; no cases downstate…yet. Spring Break starts officially end of business tomorrow. Students will be allowed to return to dorms afterward, however, no face-to-face classes until further notice. All events that would be 50+ people are cancelled.
Oh boy – thanks for all the recipes!!
My daughter’s a freshman at UT. She warned me yesterday morning that they might extend Spring Break (they did that last night) but the UT Twitter account was still advertising an event at the Student Activity Center – “Come get free drinks and snacks”.
Most of these recipes can be found elsewhere, so will just include my variations. Add diced boiled ham (which I have in my freezer) to traditional string bean casserole for a 1 dish meal.
I make my chicken-ala-king with canned cream of chicken soup (mixed with 2/3 can of milk), shredded chicken (leftover roasted chicken or turkey has the best flavor) and veggies to taste (peas, diced carrot & or mushrooms). Served over rice with biscuits on the side.
Chicken or turkey “shepherd’s pie” – leftover meat, shredded & or diced, veggies to taste, mixed with gravy in casserole dish, top with leftover stuffing or stovetop.
Poor-man’s Alfredo – melt butter into cooked pasta, garlic powder & parmigiana cheese to taste.
I bought a freezer over 20 years ago so I could bulk buy during sales. Worth every cent.
Can I just cook a whole pork shoulder roast in the crockpot with this recipe?
I’m in Washington state and we don’t have any confirmed cases but the test is impossible to get and the health department says it’s already here. We’re hiding at home and this recipe looks like a good one for storing extra.
Minestrone in the slow cooker… Plenty of recipes online, has protein, fiber, vitamins, warmth, and can be made primarily using frozen veggies and pantry items, do good for quarantines.
I do soup-soup which is a fast faux minestrone:
1 can tomatoes (the big one and I like chopped or crushed)
1 box broth (when I have it i sub in home made frozen which is most often beef from marrow bones, boxed chicken, beef or veggie works)
1 can cannellini beans
Veggies: If there are any available onions, celery and carrots chopped fine and lightly sauteed but frozen mixed works and probably a few frozen ones added anyway
1 tsp herbs de provence or italian herb blend
Heat and eat
I’m on the other side of Washington state. Gah!
Hi Sherri, I am near Spokane.
Washington State has at least 25 fatalities due to Covid-19. Mostly from the Kirkland Life Care facility. The whole state. Schools are shut for six weeks. Tech Companies are asking employees to work from home.
“I have nothing in the cupboard “Chicken Noodle Soup-
Chicken broth- made with bouillon cubes, homemade stock, whatever you can find to flavor the water. Boil it.
Noodles- 2 eggs, 2 cups flour, half a cup of Parmesan cheese (can skip if you don’t have any, just remove an egg too). Mix the noodles, roll as thick as you want (thinner is better since they puff while cooking), cut and drop in boiling broth. Cooks in about 5 minutes.
My son loves this when sick.
I’m going to try this with Better than Bouillion; thank you!
My German grandmother used to make those noodles whenever she made chicken soup! The thinner they are rolled out, the better they are.
Thanks!
Today is the final day of my 14 day quarantine. We flew back to the US from Hong Kong, and with the heightened risk of being in an aircraft plus busy airports for 20+ hours, we decided to be cautious.
After being away from home for over 2 months, we had a pantry full of rice, pasta, and ramen, but no fresh anything. My friends brought over fruits and vegetables, plus 1 Costco rotisserie chicken and a 12lb pork shoulder. I also get eggs and milk delivered from a nearby farm.
We only just today finish the entire rotisserie chicken. I made Shandong style shredded chicken 3 times, plus chicken salad sandwiches 3 times. With the pork shoulder, I made Cantonese BBQ Pork twice which also became stirfry and fried rice. I also made lemongrass pork chop and various stews.
We really haven’t step foot outside our house, except my husband fed the birds every morning in our backyard. I know people say worst case scenario stop up in toilet paper, water and pasta… in the last 14 days, I have only changed the toilet paper roll once. Yes. Once. Granted, we have 3 bathrooms. But we mostly only use 2 of them. The taps work fine, the virus do NOT get transmitted via water source. If pasta is your jam, then buy that. I would suggest buying 1 week’s worth of grocery every time you do a run, and minimize going out too much. When you are out, use your hand sanitizer every 30 minutes. You touch a lot of stuff, but you can’t train yourself not to touch your face. The key is to keep your hands clean before touching your face.
Oh my goodness – it’s toilet paper madness down here in Australia!! For some reason that seems to be the only thing people are stockpiling. It’s insane. People have been stealing spare rolls from my mum’s business and from work.
I just don’t get it.
Yep, none on the shelf in brisbane. I sat my baby on the packet in the trolley so no one would pinch it. It’s a pretty sad state of affairs when you can get mugged for toilet paper.
I was rrying to fighre that out… cheaper than facial tissue maybe? To blow noses? Thankfully i got a 12 roll pack before all this started.
My Department did just cancel a statewide program because of this virus scare 🙁
I was down with a nasty sinus infection last week and my appetite has not fully recovered, so food is not an issue, though i do have to throw some lamb away because i bought it, then got too sick to cook it 🙁
It is a mental control issue. Not normally needed in bulk unless you have a large family.
It’s the same in England, no toilet Paper, tissues pasta or rice to be seen.
Where I work we have had 3 bottles of alcohol hand gel go missing-because their needs are greater than mine as a nurse.????
People have even been stealing it from the hospitals by ripping the wall dispenser off.????
I disagree, you can teach yourself to not touch your face. I did it a long time ago while I studied chemistry at university. You must learn not to stick your fingers in your face when you could have poisionous stuff on your hands.
I do not touch my face while outside. I wash my hands with soap very well everytime I come back from the outside immediately. I sneeze in the crook of my arm not my hands. I immediately dispose of used tissues. As a result I am now nearly never sick, I had 4 sick days in the last three years – in total.
My microbiology professor was also against routine sanatizing. She said that with that you only increase immunity against desinfectants in microorganisms and then we will have a real problem. I agree with her. It is the same with using antibiotics just to be on the safe side even if there is no medical reason. There are exceptions of course, for example if your medical personel or if you are dealing with immun compromised people.
Therefore I think it is a good thing to teach yourself to keep your hands out of your face in general – Coronavirus or no :-).
Regarding fresh mushrooms: they dehydrate and rehydrate really really well! I have a dehydrator now so I buy fresh and then dehydrate whatever is left after I make dinner that night. Then they last so much longer and once rehydrated the taste and texture is just like fresh ones!
I’m not particularly worried for my own health (don’t get me wrong, catching it would be a pain, but I’m a healthy young adult so my risk of any severe symptoms is really low) but I’m really stressed about older folks in my family and community, especially my 90-yr-old grandma. She’s a pretty healthy 90, but she’s still 90.
Stay healthy everyone. Wash your hands like you’ve been fighting the Impala Worm in the sewers.
Brilliant idea! I usually end up making cheaters stroganoff when I buy too many mushrooms.
Wait, is there such a thjng as too many mushrooms? I like just doing sauteed with maybe a little onlion and top with cheese
I made Greek Salad. It’s awesome on a tortilla, with hummus and romaine. I also like it with turkey sausage and spinach on a biscuit or bun.
Salad
chopped English cucumber
2 chopped bell peppers
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1 chopped red onion
1/2 lb fetta cheese
1/2 c black olives
Dressing
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 c olive oil
You can just make the dressing and add it to mayo, it’s amazing on a sandwich.
I have an electric smoker that sits on my back porch. I can smoke 2 full sized 20lb turkeys in it and toward the end I dump in a huge cake pan full of cornbread stuffing.
2 20lb turkeys thawed
2 bottles Tony Charere’s Cajun butter injection
Inject both turkeys the day before.
Stuffing:
1 package cornbread stuffing crumbs
1 medium onion diced
2 stalks celery
1 roll Jimmy Dean sage sausage
Throw the sausage into a pan and brown it. Right before it is finished throw the onion and celery into the pan and cook until softened. Throw stuffing mix and meat mix into a large tin foil cake pan and stir.
Smoke the turkeys the last hour I throw the stuffing on the top shelf so it gets the flavor.
I slice the turkey into serving sizes and freeze for meals later.
I will also smoke 20-30 chicken thighs at a time. I marinade all of them differently so I can make multiple meals.
The chicken thighs are fast so after that is done I throw in a large pork shoulder to slow smoke. I cut it up in sections for sliced pork sandwiches and I chop some for loose meat bbq sandwiches.
Makes about a month of meals!
I had dental work done Monday so I am on soft foods for a week. So I have been eating a lot of soups. They are a great way to use up those last little bits that no one wants to eat or stretch out food. Another comforting meal to make is homemade Mac and cheese, goes good with the carnitas too ????
Wish me luck as I am headed out to the grocery store
I make sheets pans filled with veggies and chicken and roast them. Chop up zucchini, yellow squash, red onions, mushrooms carrots and celery. Cut up 3 chicken breast. Toss all with olive oil/salt/pepper and roast at 375 for about 30 mins.
This sounds fairly easy and yummy and not too messy. THANKS!!!
That sounds amazing! I’m going to try that this weekend.
If you have a slow cooker (crockpot) this works well: 3 – 4 different types of sausages- I love using German bockwurst, Spanish chorizo, and cheese grillers, but you can use any you like. Leftover meats work as well. Cut it up in bite size chunks. The bigger your pot the more meat you use. I use about 250 gram of each, but I don’t weigh. 3 tins of different beans. 2 tins of different tomato mixes. Mix it all together and add salt and herbs and spices you like. Let it simmer on high for about 3 hours. This is really good the next day as the tastes get a chance to settle. I know the recipe sounds weird, but it really works well.
Thanks so much for these recipes. My sister shared a fast way to shred meat:
Put chunks of the cooked meat in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on low and it’s done in about 30 seconds.
This is the best internet tip I ever read, has saved me SOOOOOO much time. But I thought I’d mention that if you don’t have a stand mixer/don’t use it oftern, you can also use a hand mixer with regular beaters on a low speed. I just did 3.5lbs of chicken for tacos directly in my instant pot; minimal clean up, fast as can be.
Another tip is to batch cook #’s of non-flavored (no salsa/bbq/whatever) but seasoned (S&P, maybe a bay leaf) meat in broth, shred it up, and then freeze…. in serving sizes. I use those little silicone cupcake wrappers. When frozen, pop out of silicone and freeze altogether in a bag/bigger container.
Then you can grab however many servings of meat you’d like, thaw, and fix up however you like (plain, sauced, thrown in other recipes). This has been a huge help for me, as sometimes its just me and two toddlers, so I don’t need to thaw out an entire dinner for 4. Also being able to chuck the meat/veggies/broth etc into soup? Huge boon when you feel terrible.
Feel better all.
Genius idea. I’ve been trying to find a good use for my silicone wrappers: they’re a pain to clean after cupcakes.
Pork roast and a jar of pepperoncini, juice included, in the slow cooker. Couldn’t be easier and everyone loves it.
What size jar of pepperoni
I imagine depends on size of cooker and your taste preference.
For example, My Mexican heritage nephews and nieces are into spicy hot as is the dog raised in that house. My I do not eat vegetables ever sibling is bland. Yeah eating out is difficult with that family.
Good luck.
Rotisserie chicken shredded + jar of salsa. Mix thoroughly and put in fridge overnight. The next day, get your tortillas and shredded cheese out and make chicken quesadillas. Use what you need and freeze the rest in individual wrapping. They heat up in the microwave beautifully.
I have to do this every few months because my fit, strong, and sharp 75-year-old Mom who still works part time loves them, but will not make them for herself. She loves taking them to school (she’s a para-educator) and having one for lunch. I also do a variant with plain chicken, bacon bits, ranch, and cheese, they are also delicious.
This is so my jam — I am definitely trying this! Thank you!
I know you said you were going for pantry staples but in a case where you have an orange or lime lying around squeese the juice onto the meat before cooking. It ads a brightness and depth of flavor to carnitas. I usually use 1 large orange and a lime but whatever citrus you have will do (lemons are also good).
I’m not a “prepper,” but I keep a month’s worth of food on hand, at least. So before getting to the you’re-worried-about-the-zombie foods (MREs, dehydrated foods), I keep 20 lbs of rice and 50lbs of flour on hand. That, plus canned fish and frozen veggies and I’m pretty much set.
And I’m a costco guy, so… TP’s covered. 😛
Tuna noodle casserole! You need: a bag of egg noodles, a can of shredded tuna, a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, milk, and frozen peas.
Cook the noodles. Mix the soup with a can of milk, however many frozen peas you want, and the tuna, then mix that with the cooked noodles in an oven-safe dish and bake it at 350 til heated through. It usually takes 45 minutes to an hour, but if you heat the soup, milk, and peas over the stove before adding the tuna and mixing with the noodles, it only needs about 20 minutes. (But who wants to do that if they’re sick? Much better to sit on the couch waiting for an extra half hour and not have another dirty pot.)
You can change the amount of peas or tuna, depending on your preferences. You could also make it with a different soup if you really can’t stand cream of mushroom; my sister now makes hers with cream of celery and no tuna. I’ve made it with two cans of tuna, though you might want extra soup/milk so it doesn’t get too dry if you do that.
I… did not mean to post my comment as a reply, oops.
My mom used Golden Mushroom Soup instead of Cream of Mushroom and [the cheapest you can find] crushed potato chips instead of noodles. It’s still a family favorite.
That sounds good for chicken as well. Also, i love mushrooms, but am not a huge fammkf Cream of mushroom soup. I use creammof onion in most of my casserole recipes
The potato chip vs. Saltine cracker topping debate still happens here????????????! Family. Gotta love ‘em.
Loving all these recipes.
If you top the casserole with lightly crushed potato chips and shredded cheese, I like Tex-Mex and broil for the last few minutes it’s really good.
My roommate taught me this one but use boxed Mac N Cheese. The cheese sauce adds yummy flavor. ????
Thank you! They just closed schools in my county (Snohomish/WA) until April 24th. This will be fun to try out with my kids (while I try to figure out how to work from home!)
My go to no fuss recipe?
1 tri-tip
Seasoning (your choice, I generally use Montreal steak seasoning, but have also used taco seasoning, salt & pepper, or Chinese 5spice)
1 packet onion soup mix
Rub seasoning on meat. Put in slow cooker. Pour in soup mix. Turn on slow cooker (low overnight, medium same day). Ignore. If you use 5 spice, a little goes a long way just like cinnamon. Is good with potatoes, rice, as a shredded beef sandwich, soft tacos, the list goes on. If you have issues with msg omit soup mix and use one chopped onion.
Here’s one of my favorite no effort recipes…. found it online a while back and now its a favorite recurring thing…
https://belleofthekitchen.com/mississippi-pot-roast/
My partner makes this in both Pork and Chicken varieties and it is one of the best slow cooks we have. The other being my Gumbo which takes a bit more work but ends up with roughly 10 servings and tastes as good if not better on reheat.
The other thing I’d suggest it cooking tonkatsu pork (Belly is typical but loin is less fatty if you prefer). Slice it up and freeze it, then make some good quality instant ramen, fry up some of the pork, add some scallion greens and nori, boiled egg if you like. You can fancy it up as much as you want and if you don’t have all the extras it’s still good as you’ve added a bit of meat to the ramen to make it a bit more substantial.
My mom grew up in the depression so we tend to overstock. My current quick fixes are teriyaki chicken with riced cauliflower, stir fry using frozen vegetables, and barbecue beef sandwiches, usually made with canned or frozen roast beef. Stay safe, everyone.
This is a comfort food recipe based we do whenever feeling under the weather.. it is a really rough recipe 🙂 but prefect to use a a soup, poaching liquid for chicken, or to make rice.
Asian inspired chicken broth
-one Tetra Pak of good quality Chicken stock or the equivalent homemade
-a knob of fresh ginger grated, I usually use roughly about the size of my thumb to the first joint
-a tbsp of rice wine vinegar (or more to taste)
-2-3 cloves of garlic finely minced
– 1/8 to 1 tsp of garlic chilli paste (the jar with the green top)
-a tbsp of granulated sugar (or more if you overdue the chilli paste)
-juice of 1/2 a lemon ~1/4-1/3 of a cup
-a few springs of cilantro (both leaves and stem left whole)
-1/2 a lemon grated lemon rind (optional)
-2 cups of water
Everything in a pot. Bring to a simmer for about 30 minutes and taste, adjust seasoning if needed. Then you can drink this as a soup, poach chicken breasts in in for about 25-30 minutes on a low simmer or take some off to make rice.
My daughter attends UT San Antonio. They sent out a notice, March 11th, that spring break is extended through the week of March 15, and beginning March 23rd, classes will be conducted online.
I love the recipes, but have one small problem.
Last week, I broke my right wrist in 3 places. The “surgical reduction” was last Thursday. I can support a few ounces with my right hand, but not close it on anything. (Please excuse left hand typos. I may miss some.)
Needless to say, I am not cooking. Heck, I’m barely eating. (Pain killers do that – I have to remember to eat at home.)
Sandwiches are out – the filling doesn’t stay put. I also can’t make them. Spread out anything? Ooops – there went the bread.
I can’t cut anything up unless it’s fork tender. I have gotten good at nibbling things off my fork.
You get the idea.
I eat one decent meal (lunch) out each day, as healthy as I can manage.
I truly appreciate the lovely folks in the food service industry. They have volunteered to cut my shrimp into smaller, tailless pieces, my pizza into extra slices for easier handling and replaced the large potato pieces with small ones.
I feel bad that they have to work in these uncertain times. But if they do have to be there, I can at least support the places they work.
I’m doing my best. No big groups. Get what I need and leave..I am getting good at washing one hand with the fingers of the other. (Incisions to be cleaned daily. No alcohol, sanitizer, or anything but soap and water.)
Take care. Do what you need to for safety’s sake. Stay well.
Having had a broken wrist before (although not that bad, sorry and hope you heal quickly) I actually had fairly decent luck doing wraps. Dump whatever you want in one handed (lettuce, meat, etc) and then roll it. Trick is to not fill it too full and stab it with toothpicks to get it to stay (putting some sauce on also helps sometimes with having the wrap cling to itself to make adding the toothpicks easier) .
Also, if you put the wrap or sandwich base in a shallow Tupperware container instead of a plate it gives it an edge that you can use to kind of keep it in place (just have where you anchor the Tupperware either against your belly, against a heavy book/ item on the kitchen table or counter, or against a wall)
Does the new freezer have a magic ice spider to keep it cool when the magic wave is up? : )
LOL
Butternut squash soup, really any kind of soup that freezes. Roast meats, Chili, all that good stuff.
I make big vats of chili, freeze it in small batches and take out as needed. Sometimes I dump it over pasta
Roast the pumpkin before making the soup – add bacon to the roast pan. Mmmmmmmbacon
Just got back from a Costco run and saw no TP in the carts. Everyone was polite and seemed unstressed except by the number of people. I am one of the elderly and I will see what happens. I agree comfort food is macaroni and cheese or chicken noodle soup. I am sure everyone has their own recipe. I have to be honest when really sick I hit the leftovers that I have frozen. I know that sounds pretty sad
This is my favorite low-fuss crockpot chicken recipe. Makes a lot and freezes well for about 2 months.
https://picky-palate.com/creamy-crockpot-chicken-and-broccoli/
My husband and I realized that we really didn’t have our drygoods stocked, so we braved the crowds and got all the canned veggies and pastas we thought we would need in an emergency.
Here’s my go to recipe out of a local hill country cookbook from Harper, TX.
Broken Leg Healin’ Soup
2 lbs ground meat
1 chopped onion
2 cans Campbell’s Minestrone soup
2 cans water
2 cans Ranch Style beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes and chili
1 can Mexican stewed tomatoes
1 lb Velveeta cheese
Brown the meat and onions (it’s better but you can be lazy and put it in there not pre-cooked)
Add all the rest EXCEPT the cheese in a large pot, heat to boiling. Then reduce heat and simmer.
When you’re ready to eat it, chunk up the Velveeta cheese and add it to the pot to melt it all. Keep stirring until all melted then serve.
This is great leftover as well. And freezes well.
Congratulations on the new freezer! I’m a Master Food Preserver so I have all the toys. I mean tools. I love my big freezer. It’s a bit of an issue now because I live in Northern California where they have started turning off the power whenever the wind blows. But so far it’s been okay. I have plenty of things I’ve dehydrated and canned, plus rice, beans, lentils, pasta and baking supplies like flour and sugar. And plenty of wine. ????. I don’t cook if I’m sick, but go-to comfort cooking is a pot of soup. No recipe, just sauté aromatics, add broth, and throw whatever is on hand.
I can’t wait to try your pork carnitas recipe!
I make pulled pork in a similar manner, but I add an onion or two, and instead of water/broth I use tomato juice. Sometimes I will sub the seasonings for fresh ginger and jamaican jerk seasoning. I pull all the meat and then freeze it in meal sized portions in the deep freeze.
Pulled pork also makes killer fried rice if you have leftover rice in the fridge.
I make beef pot roast too, but I add onions, baby carrots, and partway through a (small) bag of baby potatoes and for seasoning I use Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, garlic, beef broth, and red wine. (Tomato juice is good here too, if I have leftover in the fridge from making tomato soup.)
Faux Mexican/Cajun rice:
Slice up kielbasa, throw it in a large pot. (or other similar sausage.) If it’s frozen, it’ll be fine, just slice it up and throw it in. Add onion and bell pepper in a large dice (or open a freezer bag of mixed onion and bell pepper). Saute until the veggies are no longer frozen and vaguely translucent. If you are feeling the cajun add celery & okra. (I buy packs of tomato & okra and keep them in the deep freeze.) Throw in rice. Be aware, if you add a full cup of rice you will be eating this until the end of time unless you have a big family. Stir for a couple of min until the rice is getting translucent or until you are bored with stirring. Add 1-2 cans of diced tomatoes. You can add the precisely measured amount of water that you would use for cooking that amount of rice, or you can add 1 tomato can of water per 1/2 cup of rice. If you use chicken base, add a big spoonful, or a couple of cubes of chicken bouillon, or shrug and don’t care. Add a teaspoon or so of powdered garlic. Add a big honking spoonful of oregano. If you are aiming “Cajun” add a little bit of cajun seasoning (I use Tony Chachere’s Creole, but whatever). Add more later at the end to taste. It’s hot, so some people (like my mom) can’t handle much. “Mexican” rice add a teaspoon-ish of turmeric and more oregano and a small can of tomato sauce (or tomato juice, or paste, or whatever you have, even ketchup). Bring to a boil, then stick the top on and lower the heat and let if simmer for 10-15. Stir it once or twice if you happen to remember. When the rice is tender, turn off the heat, stir in frozen corn, and put the top back on. By the time you have set the table and herded the lollygaggers, the corn will be cooked and dinner will be ready. If you are feeling fancy, serve with Jiffy cornbread.
I tend to go long on stuff and short on rice, but if your wallet is pinched, you can add quite a lot of rice and this is still very tasty.
When we lived on Okinawa, Japan our refrigerator was tiny, even on base. So we bought our very first deep freeze. It moved 5 times with us and last about 11 yrs. The last move back to thw U.S. they didnt wrap my baby right and they was damage and she quit working. ☹ . We have a new one, she is doing well a little bigger than her predecessor. I love stocking up on meats and frozen veges, and in the summer popsicles are stocked and rationed out from there.
My favorite easy crock pot dish is a pot roast. I use the a packet of ranch dressing, a packet of slow cooker pot roast seasoning, garlic, ginger, rosemary and 2 or 3 bay leaves. Cook on low for about 8 hrs. The husband will flip it half way if he is at home.
I also love curry in my crockpot but its a little more involved.
I had to share mine when I saw yours as it reminded me. Another pot roast recipe on the crock pot and only 4 ingredients so simple! Pot roast, a can of cream of mushroom soup, a pouch of Lipton onion soup mix, and a can of coke.(dr pepper or Pepsi, must be dark and not diet, full fat!) stir up the ingredients and cook on low all day. Best dang gravy ever!
Urgh! Closing college campuses is always a logistical nightmare, but Since they’re ALSO often ground zero in disease transmission, schools in my area have chosen to preemptively change over to distance learning options despite no reported local cases, in an effort to prevent the return from Spring Break from turning into Bring Your Virus to School Week. It’s going to triple my workload (completely redesigning a course mid-semester, and providing technical support for a hundred students without any training, yay!) but even so, I’m glad.
Fingers crossed for everyone in the next few weeks: stay well if you are, get well if not, and take care of yourselves.
On a lighter note for those folks in cold parts of the world: you can do basically the same recipe above but slow roasted in the oven. Just start with a whole pork shoulder ( 3-6lbs), put it fat side up in a roasting pan, stab it repeatedly with a steak knife (this is the fun part), rub the seasonings into the meat, and huck the whole thing into the oven at or slightly below 300 degrees F, uncovered, for six to nine hours depending on size of your shoulder, until fork tender.
It’s just as easy as the slow cooker and has the added bonus of creating crispy cracklings and the tantalizing scent of roasting meat, along with the richer, more caramelized/slightly smoky flavor. Having the oven on that long will heat up the house, though, so I only make it when the weather’s cool (most of the year for me, one of the perks of living in the snow belt) and you might not want to do it this way if you’re living in a scorching hellscape…I mean…balmy sub-tropical paradise…but if anyone else is hunkering down in the frozen northland, oven roasting is an option to consider. 🙂
I’ve always been one of those people who keeps a pantry/freezer stocked as if to endure a 30-day siege: as an American I was always facing economic uncertainty (once my husband and I both got laid off from two different companies at the same time! yay for the 80s) and weird Southern weather, so stock up when you can. My go-to “last several days” was always a big pot of beef and barley vegetable soup — you can throw whatever in there and it’s still tasty a couple of days later and easy to reheat, too.
Plus, you know: the CDC has been telling us for YEARS that we should keep at least a couple weeks’ supply of food and water on hand as part of “emergency preparedness”
My go-to “I don’t want to cook and we have nothing in the fridge” recipe. Plus it makes a ton of leftovers. Even my picky sister-in-law loves it and she pretty much survives on bagels and peanut butter.
Chicken and Noodles (kind of a chicken noodle soup meets pot pie):
3 frozen chicken breasts
3 cans or one box of chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 bag frozen peas and carrots
1 bag frozen corn
1-2 bags of frozen egg noodles (1 = souplike, 2 = casserole)
whatever seasonings you want (I do salt, pepper, garlic, and Old Bay)
Throw everything but the egg noodles in a crockpot. Low for 6, high for 4.
Remove chicken and shred. Put it back in. This is where I taste to see if it needs more seasoning.
Add in frozen noodles. Cook for one more hour.
Most of your liquid will have been absorbed by the noodles (unless you did one bag because you wanted it more soupy) but if you’d rather the remainder be more gravy-like, just mix in a little cornstarch.
Enjoy 🙂
A really good soup or stew. Make extra and freeze until you need it.
Pick your protein, cook in a separate pan. Start your veggies in your pot with some garlic, salt and pepper, cook for 5 minutes, add your protein, add enough water to cover 1-2 inches higher than the veggies, season, cover and cook over low heat for a couple of hours and you’re good to go.
Honestly, If I’m sick I usually stick to Gatorade and saltines or dry toast.
I did add a little more to my food storage since my folks visit more lately. I also made sure to stock up on books, since there’s been a run on them and I can’t have a shortage! XD
https://twitter.com/mredwards/status/1236224983736766466?s=20
Barbeque shredded chicken
Chicken pieces (dark meat is best, but breast works) – I like boneless/skinless for lower fat and less fuss to serve/eat.
Bottled barbeque sauce, Ketchup, and/or tomato sauce – depends on what’s in the cupboard and your taste. Note that I find using only the barbeque sauce to be overpowering and usually cut it with tomato sauce.
herbs/spices/seasonings to your taste, and depending on the flavoring in your sauce
Throw all into the crockpot overnight on low, or most of the day on high. Shred meat if you want. Serve on baked (or microwaved) potatoes, noodles, rice, buns, pita, whatever. Or toss in a casserole and top with mashed potatoes or crushed tortilla chips and bake/broil briefly.
Note if you have an instant pot, you can probably cook it in there in about 30 min for the same effect.
Perth, Western Australia, we have four cases here, two transferred from the cruise ship off Japan and unfortunately one death. People are emptying the supermarket shelves of toilet paper!!! It’s made in Australia. Manufacturers are running 24/7 to keep up supply. Woolworths supermarkets have informed customers that all goods are not returnable. If you bought a years worth of pasta and sauce, too bad, you get to keep it.
This returning unused purchases is new to me (and I ain’t new. ) I’m in Florida and we regularly stock up for hurricanes. If we don’t use it all I keep it or donate it to a good pantry. Last hurricane I was in the grocery store and there was a line of people returning canned goods. It just seemed kind of wrong.
FOOD dammit food not GOOD. Oh this stinky phone!!!
Comment for broken wrist – I broken my wrists 3 times – get a small no slide mixing bowl. Put whatever you eat in it and it makes eating so much easier. Cabbages are good for 1 to 2 months in fridge. Polish farmers dinner. 1 package polish sausage, 1 onion, 2 to 3 apples, 1 cabbage, 1 lb baby potatoes or 2 to 3 potatoes, 16 oz. apple juice. Slice sausage and onions into similar size chunks. Saute together until browned in LARGE pot. Slice 1 small cabbage thinly. If big, chop potatoes in half. If using whole potatoes, quarter them, then cut quarters into thirds. Add cabbage and potatoes to pot with juice. Turn to low until potatoes are tender and cabbage is very soft. Slice apples thinly, add to pot stir to submerge them. Increase heat to medium and cook until apples are soft but still retain shape. I’m from Minnesota. If it’s still cold, potatoes, cabbage and apples will store for weeks in unheated garage.
Also, my 88 year old mom is in nursing home. They called yesterday. With cases in Ft. Worth, home is now closed to visitors, i.e., family. She has senile dementia and twice lately hasn’t recognized my brother. Wondering if she will know us when we’re ok to see her. Severe memory issues with short term. She is not going to be able to understand why we aren’t there.
I had the same call yesterday. Same situation. Hugs. We can only do what we can do.
Kinda Avgolemono Soup
2 boxes Chicken broth
2 cups rice
1 or 2 carrots, shredded
lemon juice to taste (I like a lot so I don’t measure, sorry!)
put everything in the slow cooker on medium, cook until rice is done to your liking. We like it mushy as it makes the soup creamier and easy to swallow if you have a sore throat.
Officially called – Chicken Crockpot Thing
Turn crockpot on low.
Add favorite marinara sauce (enough to cover bottom)
Add chicken (enough to have one full layer)
Add more marinara until chicken is well covered
Leave alone for 6 hours
Shred chicken (it falls apart) let sit for 20 to 30 more minutes
Out of crock pot – Prepare pasta (I use penne)
In crockpot – Mix in lots of cheese (mozzarella and some parmesan) and add cooked pasta
Optional : add a layer of cheese on top for crust if you want
Done
Not entirely pantry for all, but since I make a point to always keep the fresh stuff on hand….Lentil soup: a bag (usually 16 oz) of lentils (NOT the fancy red ones), a quart or two of broth, 1 keilbasa or ring sausage, four-five ribs of celery, and 1-2 onions, a large can diced tomatoes, plus aromatic dry herbs. Chuck the veggies in a food processor and then in a large pot to brown up with a bit of oil. Rinse the lentils and dump them in. Add broth to cover, dump in herbs to taste. Simmer an hour or two. Dump in more broth or water as the lentils swell. Chop up the sausage and add it and the tomatoes to the pot. Simmer a little more. Despair at how long it will take to eat all of it.
Chili
Ground frozen bison or beef that u thaw
Onions and garlic
1 can each of black beans and kidney beans and pinto beans and can of lentils and corn
Frozen or fresh veggies
Bay leaf
Chili and cayenne pepper and cumen and dried oregano
Canned tomatoes 28 oz and 6 oz tomato paste
Cook 2 diced onions and 4 cut garlic cloves- do six if ur a fellow garlic addict- in olive oil for 10 mins
Add T of chili and cumen and 1/2 t dried oregano and a sprinkle of cayenne and cook 2 more mins
Add in all tomato stuff and 6 cups water and 1T soy or tamari sauce and the lentils and if u have raw carrots or green peppers and cook for 30 min
Add all beans and frozen veggies and canned corn and cook for another 10 min or longer if too thin
My go to since college 20 yr ago!!
Hugs bout the baby- and as a medical professional this is mostly hype which is frustrating for all us docs and nurses
Ooops u put the meat in with the onions and spices lol
I am single and that makes putting up ahead easier. I make huge batches of chili using 2 Alarm packets and extra chopped tomatoes and lots of extra beans. then I freeze it in bowl sized portions in zip lock freezer bags. The good life.
generic lasix
I don’t have a recipe to add, but here’s a tip for deep freeze users:
If you keep it less than full, the cold air flows out every time you open the door, increasing your power bill. So save your empty (clean) 2-liter soda or gallon milk jugs, fill with water, and stuff in the gaps. You can always stack them next to the freezer after a grocery trip. Bonuses: if the power goes out, your food will stay cold longer, and, if you lose water pressure, you’ve got a supply on hand.
That is awesome
I am wondering what are you guys feeling about it.
The western world seems awfully under-prepared for it all. I means, you guys are the latest to get the virus but it spread so very fast for you. People here says it’s because Europeans bully anyone with a mask so even the sicks won’t wear masks and thus spread Covid-19 everywhere. And some people still think it’s just flu there….
We in Thailand was very paranoid about it from the get-go. I think that ‘s the reason we can control it so good. Unfortunately, the spread is due to happen sooner or later, since we have a fair share of irresponsible people who won’t quarantine themselves….
Keep safe, everyone!
Best pork chops ever and only 3 ingredients. Put thick pork chops in a crockpot. Empty a bottle of Stubbs Pork marinade over the chops. Squeeze the juice from one lime over the chops. I cook mine on low.
Hi! I’m from the east coast of Australia (south of Sydney). They’ve just started to cancel large events, including the Sydney Royal Easter Show. Reasonably quiet here at the moment, except for the Curious Case of the Disappearing Loo Paper. We haven’t been locked in yet, but we’ve been avoiding town as much as possible. Anyone who coughs has an instant space appear around them, everyone else treated with caution, in case they’re a Mary (and yes, I did rip that off ‘Magic Bleeds’, which, btw, is on my re-reading list if I get house bound!).
My local yarn shop is doing a special COVID19 service, promising access to soap and hand sanitizer for all customers who come into the shop, a car window delivery for people who don’t want to enter the shop, and disinfecting spray for all items which are mail ordered. Personally, I’m going to raid my mum’s Doomsday Yarn Stash!
We always have a pretty good stock of non-perishables- dried beans, pulses, tinned tomatoes, rice, flour etc, as we occasionally have the road flood, and electricity is too sporadic during the August winds to rely on a freezer (freezer is really memorable after a 5 day blackout). I’m always on the search for the ultimate baked beans recipe, if anyone has one?…
My ultimate re-purpose go to would have to be slow cooked pork belly. Pretty much pop a slab of pork belly (rind up) in a roasting dish slightly larger than the meat, carefully pour enough white wine in to come halfway up the side of the meat. Cook in a slow oven (150C) until juices run clear (maybe 1.5-2 hours).
The first night it is usually served as a roast with veggies. REALLY good with butter fried apples, sage and a splash of balsamic vinegar.
After that, well…
-Vietnamese rice paper rolls, with carrots and home grown herbs (mint, corriander/cilantro, Vietnamese mint, perilla) and sweet chili dipping sauce.
-Sliced up in to 1/2 inch cubes, tossed in soy sauce and then in corn flour, either shallow fried or oven baked until the outside is crispy and then served as part of a stir fry, fried rice or in a poké bowl.
-Sliced up and thrown into a (sort of) paella.
-Pork toasties. I like mine with BBQ sauce and coleslaw.
Good luck to all the folks who are house bound, and fingers crossed to this all finishing up quickly.
Hope you can get back on the wagon after all of this is over 🙂 but the extra freezer will certainly keep your family fed even in quarantine
New Mexico has 5? 6? cases and everyone is losing their ….. collective minds, I work in state government and commute so….. *fingers crossed*
I live alone and this recipe has been adjusted so the sickie can cook it.
My Sick Soup, that’s add, toss and cook
1/2 lb Meat in cubes I prefer boneless chicken
half onion or 1T minced
2 cloves garlic or 1t power
2 bay leaves
1 t oregano
1 t thyme
and whatever else spices you want I like adding NM Green Chile
4 c water, stock, or bouillon cubes or what ever you have
if you want rice add now and increase fluid to 5 c
instatapot 7 min, crockpot on med-high(then pass out for a hour or low simmer and hope you don’t burn house down)
once meat is cooked and tender remove bay leaves add in noodles (if using)
toss in a bag or 2 of frozen veggies at end
I like it with saltine crackers.
Crockpots are one of the best inventions ever! As a vegan I make all kinds of stews, chili, soups. Also I plug it into a timer to make overnight oatmeal. I made seitan stew (all hail seitan) the other day and tomorrow I will make a lentil chickpea and apple stew. Leave it to cook while you rest or do other things – what could be better!
NYC is supposed the be the city that never sleeps but it is definitely snoozing. Broadway shows, museums, sports, lots of concerts closed or cancelled. My gym is quiet too with so many working from home.
Thanks for the recipe! I know you meant chili powder and I will definitely add that, but when I loaded the recipe online I chuckled at the Freudian chill powder in the recipe ( :
With everything going on if you have a source for chill powder I could definitely use some of that too! ????
Slow cooker works great for every occasion! We like to throw chicken breasts or beef roasts in one and dump in canned enchilada sauce (we’ve used both green and red on separate occasions)- simple method for enchilada, soft taco or salad meat.
Thank you, Ilona Andrews for the post. I appreciate the recipe as I am learning to use slow cooker.
I have been chauffeuring Mother recently so I have not commented but I really enjoyed your I R Adult post. I have military siblings who have been posted and lived all over the world. So when they make it to family get togethers it’s something entertaining.
Looking forward to book. Sorry to hear about Delilah. Good luck with kids doing long distance classes. I had to upgrade LAN and security protocols for my desktops.