Spoonie Recipes for a Low Spoon Day!

I have three chronic conditions that are constantly draining the life out of me like an alien parasite is sucking on my life-force. But, I have people that I have to cook for (my dad is a disaster in the kitchen), so, when I’m having a really rough, low spoons day, I need something quick and easy to whip up for supper that isn’t going to wipe me out! I’m going to share some of my go-to recipes with you!

Chicken Rotel

This is a super easy recipe! All you need is some egg noodles, cheese sauce (I get the canned stuff, you can usually find it in the same area you find spaghetti sauce), grilled chicken (If you are really, really low spoons, you can get the frozen grilled chicken slices and heat them in the microwave. I have a George Foreman grill that makes life so easy for me), and a can of rotel (whatever level of spice you desire).

1 pack of egg noodles, make them like the pack says to

Drain noodles, once cooked

2 jars of cheese sauce, add to noodles

Add grilled chicken, cut into tiny pieces

Add can of rotel

Mix

And that’s it!! You did it! Dinner is served and you’ve made enough for leftovers!

Biscuit pizzas

This is something your kids will love and they can help you make them! All you're going to need is a can of biscuits you’d get for breakfast, a jar of pizza sauce, a bag of shredded mozzarella cheese, and pepperonis (optional, if your kids prefer just cheese).

Preheat you oven to 375

Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray

One can of Pillsbury grands flakey layers (I usually get the buttermilk or the original ones). Take the biscuits and flatten them with the palm of your hand

Add pizza sauce to flattened biscuits

Add shredded mozzarella cheese

Add pepperonis (optional)

Cook for 10-12 minutes

Let cool and serve! If you have big eaters, I recommend grabbing two cans of biscuits and making double. They go fast in our house!

Chicken Tacos

This recipe is courtesy of my lovely friend, Jenpo (twitch.tv/JenpoJenpoJenpo)! The crock pot is your friend for this one! Get yourself some chicken breast from your local store, a pack of taco seasoning, and a jar of salsa. Cook those on low for about 4 hours. Shred the chicken then cook for another hour. Add them to tortillas, with optional toppings (lettuce, tomato, avocado, cheese, etc). Voila! Chicken tacos! An easy meal, thrown into a crock pot, and ready by dinner time!

Cheesy Potato Soup

This is another crock pot recipe you can start in the morning and have it done by the time the spoons are running low! You’ll need: 1- 32oz bag of diced hash brown potatoes (thawed). ½ cup of frozen chopped onions (thawed). 1 medium stalk of celery (diced). 1-32oz carton of chicken broth. 1 cup of water. 3 tbsp of all purpose flour. 1 cup milk. 1-8oz bag of shredded cheddar cheese. ¼ cup real bacon bits or sliced bacon. 4 medium green onions (chopped).

Mix potatoes, frozen onion, celery, broth, and water in crock pot

Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours

In a small bowl, mix flour and milk

Add this to potato mixture

Increase heat to high and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until mixture thickens

Still in cheese until melted

Serve and garnish with bacon and green onions

7 layer salad

This salad is delicious and very easy to make! This is also a go-to dish for a large family or group of people! Here is what you’ll need: 1 bag of romaine lettuce. 3 stalks of celery (chopped). A few green onions (as many as you like, chopped). 1 bag of frozen English peas. ¾ cup of light mayo or miracle whip. ¼ cup of ranch dressing. 1 bag of shredded Colby jack cheese (size of bag depends on how much cheese your family likes). 1 bag of real bacon bits (or more, it’s whatever!)

Layer ingredients in large bowl (lettuce, celery, onions, peas)

Mix mayo and ranch together and add over peas

Then layer cheese and bacon bits

Toss before serving

Chocolate gravy

A southern classic for breakfast (basically just dessert for breakfast)! You’ll need: 2 cups of sugar. 1 and ⅓ cup of self rising flour. ⅔ cup of cocoa. 3-4 cups of water (may require more). Biscuits. Butter.

Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly

Stir in about 3 or 4 cups of water slowly until mixed well

Cook over medium heat until thickened

Serve with biscuits and butter

CaseyScreamsBack

Casey is a youtuber (youtube.com/CaseyScreamsBack) and a twitch streamer (twitch.tv/CaseyScreamsBack and twitch.tv/Heartsupport) who teaches people about self-care! He has some very easy recipes on his channel because he believes food is a form of self-care, but it doesn’t have to be complicated! Some of his videos include:

How to make spaghetti

How to use a slow-cooker

The world’s easiest breakfast

How to make a sandwich

The frozen food aisle (though it may not be the healthiest) will quickly become your friend on low spoon days! A frozen lasagna that you can slip in the oven and not have to worry about prep goes great with a salad and tastes just as good as homemade if you’re tired! Also, things that come from a bag will be your friend too! The things that say “just add water” or “just add milk”. These things are huge timesavers! It is perfectly fine to say “I know I’m not going to have enough energy to make something that requires a lot of prep”.

Most importantly, be kind to yourself and your spoons!

Love you guys!

Meg :)