Hey, Momma! What’s For Dinner? #52 Piggyback Cooking
Hi, friends! Welcome to a new week. I love Sundays! I get up early and sip my coffee while making my plans for the week. Tun on my Leslie Sansone Walk App and get two miles in, get showered and dressed, and then wake up the guys to get ready for church and family fun. I love typing away at my computer as the sun just starts whispering through the curtains, it is a special time of day for me, a busy mom. It makes me happy.
Part of my Sunday morning routine is my weekly meal plan. I adjust it each week to fit our schedules. During the school days, our family schedule is super tight and meal planning take on a new challenge.
I love a challenge and have learned tons of tricks along the way to get meals on the table without pulling my hair out or spending big bucks on dining out.
Piggyback Cooking is a huge Timesaver!
One of these little tricks is piggyback cooking. Creating a protein or dish that other meals can be created. I cook one protein ( now two with one Vegan in the house) and allow it to be Captain of the Meal for at least three meals. Then I come up with ways to serve the protein so it does not “feel like” leftovers. I triple batch cook and freeze one portion ( or more if I have enough), eat one portion for dinner, and then save one to create a new meal in the next day or two.
This method works particularly well with ground beef or turkey, whole roast chicken, poached chicken breast, beef and pork roast and tenderloins. That truly leaves lots of options for creating a “fabulous” new meal out of what we once called “leftovers”. But to be honest, I love leftovers. My usual lunch is leftover proteins with a big salad.
Our menu this week is taking huge advantage of the piggyback method of cooking for busy families!
Here is our Menu for the Week
Monday – Chicken in the Microwave ( yes, it works with the right tools, find your here), steamed new potatoes, green beans for a crowd, sliced carrot sticks for the picky eater.
Leftover pinto beans for the Vegan in the house! (Thank goodness for my freezer stash of Jalapeno Beans!)
Tuesday – Ground Turkey Tacos with all the fixings, smash leftover Jalapeno Beans ( piggyback cooking) and watermelon for a treat.
Wednesday – Chicken and Vegetable stew with cornbread. Stew is a huge timesaver and I have two pots going one vegan and one with chicken. Our resident picky eater can eat “around” the vegetables in chicken soup and have a good portion of cornbread. ( Eventually, those picky eaters will come around, never give up hope)
Chicken Stock From Leftover Chicken Bones
My chicken stock comes from the bones of the chicken from dinner on Monday and the meat is picked clean from dinner on Monday to add to the soup when I add the vegetables. I use frozen vegetables for soup, it gives you tons of options and for chicken soup, I love cauliflower and carrots!
Thursday – Baked potato bar with steamed broccoli ( High in protein for our vegan) and leftover turkey taco meat. ( One of our favorite meals!)
Friday – Against the Grain Pizza with Leftover taco meat or nitrate-free pepperoni
and Amy’s Dairy Free Roasted Vegetable Pizza
for the vegan. Both thankfully found in the freezer section at our local market. I am gluten free, my husband is vegan, and of course, we have picky eater…. so pizza is a gift for this busy momma!
Saturday – Dine Out
Sunday – Grilled Chicken breast and mushrooms, slowcooker baked sweet potatoes, and vegan chocolate chip cookies 
as a treat. ( picky eater has no clue they are vegan and we are going to keep it that way folks!)
I would love to hear What’s For Dinner at your house in the comments! If you need more dinner ideas find them here on the menu-planning board or
here at the orgjunkie.com
Don’t miss this new Facebook group just for the busy woman of today. Find out what all the fuss is about, get ideas for easy recipes, simple decor, self-care, and home organizing tips. BONUS- Free Daily Planner Printable exclusive to group members! You are going to love this! 
???????? Click the link and join! –>> https://www.facebook.com/groups/happyhome101/
Our Facebook Page has really been booming but readers have suggested we have a place to take off our shoes, relax with a cup of tea, and chat about all the things that make a house a happy home! So we are creating a community to do just that.
I am so excited!
Pam
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