What Came Into the Kitchen
No new groceries today — but my mom came through with a Costco pizza at snack time, which is always a win.
She texted to ask if she could bring one and I was like…you never need to ask
What I Cooked Today
Lunch Prep + Leftover Use
- Used the rest of the pork chops
- Cut them up and reheated in a stainless steel pan
- Added BBQ sauce → turned into barbecue pork
- My husband took:
- Pork chops + rice + gravy + veggies for lunch
That fully used up the pork chops.
Lunches for Tomorrow (Co-op)
- Pulled out one of my summer sausage logs from the freezer
- Used half to make charcuterie-style lunches in PlanetBoxes
Dinner (Loaf Pan Chicken — Two Versions)
I used a 3-pack of boneless skinless chicken thighs from Costco and made two loaf pan variations:
1. Classic Version
- Salt, pepper, garlic powder
- Italian seasoning
- Olive oil
2. Greek Version
- Same base as above +
- Lemon
- Oregano
- Red wine vinegar
- Dijon mustard
Layered the chicken about 4–5 deep in loaf pans and baked at 425°F for ~40–45 minutes (to 165 internal).
Then:
- Sliced it (it comes out like a loaf)
- Put it back into the juices
Extras for Dinner
- Made a quick Greek-style slaw:
- Coleslaw mix
- Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Red onion
- Homemade Greek dressing
- Made a hummus-based sauce:
- 2 single-serve hummus cups
- Olive oil, salt, pepper
- Honey, smoked paprika, oregano, cumin
- Lemon juice
It turns into a pourable sauce — kind of like a Mediterranean bowl sauce (very Cava-inspired).
What We Ate
Breakfast
- I actually ate some leftover chili and avocado for breakfast…I don’t always eat ‘typical’ breakfast foods….just because I’m gluten, dairy, and egg free…so sometimes I eat things like chili for breakfast! I normally eat something while we do homeschool in the morning…here’s my 3 year old trying to distract us while we work!
Snack (Afternoon)
- Costco pizza (kids ate half immediately)
Dinner
Two directions again (which I love):
Simple plates (for some kids):
- Plain chicken
- Leftover pasta
- Fruit + veggies
Bowl version (for the rest of us):
- Sliced Greek chicken
- Slaw
- Hummus sauce
- Crushed pita chips on top
It was so good.
Current Kitchen Inventory
Cooked Proteins
- Loaf pan chicken (mostly plain version left)
- Steak (still a little remaining)
- Chili
- Half a log of summer sausage
Prepped / In Progress
- —
Cooked Staples
- Pasta (very small amount left)
Produce & Fresh Ingredients
- Slaw mix
- Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Red onion
- a little fresh fruit (apple, banana, strawberries….watermelon is gone)
Easy Meal Builders
- Leftover pizza
- Chicken (multiple uses)
- Summer sausage (half remaining)
- Chili
- a few un-cooked hot dogs leftover from our cook out this past weekend
Kitchen Flow (How Things Are Getting Used)
- Pork chops → fully used up today
- Chicken → used two ways tonight, more planned later this week
- Pizza → snack + leftovers for tomorrow
- Summer sausage → pulled for packed lunches tomorrow
- Steak → 2 still available for leftovers
- Chicken (plain) → planned for a different flavor later this week (thinking peanut sauce)
What’s Next
Tomorrow is going to be a leftover night. I call it ‘Pick Your Plate’ night…it’s all in the branding! I tell the family all the their protein options and they can ‘pick’ which one they want. I normally make some type of veggie or side salad to go with the protein…and I’ll sometimes make a batch of Mac ‘n cheese to round out the dinner.
Right now I’ve got:
- Steak
- Chicken
- Pizza
- A few extras
More than enough to build a full meal without cooking anything new.
And later this week I’m planning to take that plain chicken and turn it into something totally different — probably with a peanut sauce for an Asian-style meal.