COVID-19 Series: Recipes

COVID-19 Recipes while you’re stuck at home

I am so not a cook. I have never claimed to be and quite frankly I don’t enjoy it very much. Couple that feeling with not having a 100% functioning kitchen since we moved in in early February and we were eating out a lot. I don’t particularly enjoy eating out either, I just like easy dinners that can be made quickly and preferably by Dustin (now he’s the chef in our relationship). But this whole quarantine thing has made me get creative and I’ve found some recipes that have been working really well for us. The main similarities between all of these recipes are ease, quickness, large amount of leftovers that don’t spoil quickly, not a lot of ingredients, ingredients that don’t go bad quickly, and the least amount of dirty dishes possible. If you are looking for something SUPER DUPER healthy though… you should probably keep looking. It’s not going to be “unhealthy” but it’s also not weight loss meals. I’m just going to do my top three because… like I said… I’m not a chef and there is a lot of frozen pizza happening in our house right now (do not judge me). Also, these are really relaxed recipes without exact measurements because they are just family pass down recipes that we don’t use measuring cups for. Some people will love that and some people will hate it, but it is what it is :-).

1. Beef/Veggie Stew. This is one is made in the crockpot and we actually are using those little plastic things that line your crockpot so we literally have one ladle that gets dirty from this. You should know that we do not have a sink or dishwasher currently so this is a major perk for us. Get some stew meat from Kroger, 1 can sweet peas, 1 can sweet carrots, 1 can potatoes, 1 can corn, 1 can veg all, 1 can tomato paste, 1 can great northern beans, Creole seasoning, salt & pepper, and elbow macaroni. Brown the meat, then dump all the cans and the meat into the crockpot, add the seasoning to taste, and let it cook for 4-8 hours. I’ve noticed that on the 8 hour setting the meat seems to be a little bit more tender but that’s the only difference. About 20 minutes before you’re ready to eat, cook the elbow macaroni and mix it into the stew before serving. We also usually make a corn bread to go with it as well. It makes a TON and only gets more delicious as the days go and all the flavors become richer.
2. Potato Au Gratin. This is super easy but peeling the potatoes can take some time. However, it’s really filling, has tons of leftovers, and just 5 main ingredients. You’ll need a bag of potatoes, flour, a bunch of shredded cheese, milk, salt & pepper, and cubed/diced ham. Peal your potatoes and slice them into really thin circles. Make a layer of these laying flat on the bottom of a 9×12 baking dish. Then take your ham and spread it out on top of the potatoes. Next, you’ll sprinkle just a little flour over top of the ham, load it up with a layer of cheese and dash a little bit of salt & pepper on there. Continue this layering with another row of potatoes next until the dish is completely full. Then take your milk and pour it into the dish… not much… I’d say probably just 1/2 cup. If you want this dish to be even tastier… add bacon bits in between each layer with the ham as well. Then bake it at 400 until the potatoes are soft. It usually takes 45-60 minutes.
3. Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Sliders. What you’ll need here is Hawaiian buns, chicken breasts, BBQ sauce, honey, salt & pepper, onions, and whatever toppings you want on the sandwich (pickles, mayo, cheese, cole slaw, etc…). The main thing here is the chicken you’re fixing. It’s in the crockpot and you can make as much as you want (We are throwing in 4 chicken breasts to have pretty substantial leftovers). Add your chicken in there, smother it in BBQ sauce, throw in some honey, salt & pepper, and your onion (diced). Cook it in high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. Then take the chicken out, drain any excess liquid, pull the chicken apart and remix it into the crockpot and you’ll have the meat to go on your Hawaiian buns. But that’s not the only thing you can make with this chicken. I also throw it on some lettuce and have a salad. Dustin likes to eat it on a hamburger bun just like a BBQ sandwich with pickles and slaw. You can eat it by itself or put it on club crackers with a little circle pickle on top of it. The possibilities are endless really. ha.

There you have it. Three really great recipes that we are using in our household during these quarantine days that I’m praying will end as quickly as they started. And to leave you in a really great place of Hope…

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer & supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” Philippians 4:6

I’m a Knoxville Wedding Photographer that loves to travel…I shoot anywhere! Click here to contact me with any questions you have about pricing or booking! If you liked what you saw above, go ahead and follow me on Facebook or Instagram to see my daily updates of the latest sessions!

See more from Amanda May Photos:

COVID-19 Print Sale