Current Fridge Protein & Leftover Inventory (Start of Day)
Remaining taco meat
Homemade chicken broth
Cooked bacon
One thawed homemade beef summer sausage log
Carver ham (unopened)
Roasted chicken (final portion remaining)
Fresh vegetables and fruit
Morning
Once again:
double batch bacon morning.
You’re probably going to hear about this repeatedly over the next week because I REFUSE to be scrambling for breakfast while we’re on vacation.
We’re heading to Charleston soon, and I fully intend to have a freezer full of ready-to-go breakfast proteins so mornings are easy.
I cooked two full packages of bacon, let them cool, and froze at least one full batch in a labeled freezer bag with the date.
Future vacation Natalie is going to be thrilled.
Breakfast today:
- bacon
- toast
- baked potato with bacon for my seven-year-old (still her current obsession)
My teen is also fully in her smoothie era right now and made herself a cherry smoothie with:
- frozen cherries
- Greek yogurt
- banana
- splash of almond extract
Honestly, the almond extract sounded genius and she said it was delicious.
Morning Outing — Playground Snacks
We headed to a playground this morning, so I packed heavier snack options instead of just random pantry snacks that disappear instantly.
I brought:
- homemade beef summer sausage
- cut vegetables
- pretzels
- mozzarella snack balls from Costco
My kids absolutely love those little mozzarella balls and honestly prefer them over cheese sticks.
And truly, I don’t really care what form the cheese comes in as long as they’re eating protein while we’re out.
The homemade beef summer sausage was PERFECT for this kind of outing snack:
easy, filling, portable.
Lunch — Work
My husband suggested I should add a line once in a while about the food I pack for him at work! He mostly takes leftovers and some snacks.
Lunch — Using the Last of the Roast Chicken
When we got home, I used up the very last of Monday’s roasted chicken.
I made a pan version of my one-pan Alfredo:
- butter
- heavy cream
- parmesan
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
Then I added raw broccoli directly into the sauce mixture so it softened while everything cooked.
Added:
- cooked chicken
- pasta
And that became lunch.
I also threw a frozen Costco cheese pizza into the oven because sometimes adding one convenience item makes the whole meal easier and calmer.
Served everything with vegetables on the side.
Honestly, a very solid “everyone eat and move on with the day” kind of lunch.
Dinner — Unicorn Dinner Night
Tonight was what I call a “unicorn dinner.”
And in our house, that means:
a dinner where basically EVERYONE likes EVERY component.
If you’ve followed my kitchen philosophy for a while, you know I lean heavily into adaptable cooking because feeding a large family with different preferences just works better that way.
But every once in a while, there are meals where everyone is genuinely excited about the same dinner:
- burgers
- taco night
- and this ham dinner
That’s a unicorn dinner.
The Ham Method
I filmed a reel about this tonight because honestly I think this is one of the BEST ways to heat a Costco Carver ham.
Most people heat the whole ham in the oven.
And yes, that works.
BUT:
I slice the entire ham first into about quarter-inch slices and heat it in a large skillet with:
- olive oil
- butter
- lid on top
- medium-low heat
And honestly?
It’s faster, easier, and better.
The ham heats beautifully in about 15 minutes, and because it’s already sliced and sitting warm in the pan, it actually stays warm while serving.
When you bake a whole ham and THEN slice it, it feels cold five seconds later.
This method just works better for us.
Sides
We had:
- Trader Joe’s frozen shredded potatoes roasted on a sheet pan
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
- 425 convection until crispy
I used two bags and spread them onto my extra-deep half sheet pan.
Also served:
- corn on the cob
- frozen peas
Simple.
Fast.
Everyone happy.
Exactly why it qualifies as a unicorn dinner.
Post-Dinner / Looking Ahead
What’s in the fridge now:
Leftover ham
Homemade chicken broth
Remaining taco meat
Fresh vegetables and fruit
The ham leftovers will be PERFECT going into the weekend:
- ham and cheese sandwiches
- wraps
- snack plates
- easy lunches
And my husband already has lunch packed for tomorrow, which always feels like a small victory.