Some days or weeks are longer, more exhausting, and far more challenging than others. Whether it's work stress, health issues, sleep interruptions, or anything else that can trigger it—what do you do when you're too tired to cook?
Very few want to stand in front of a fridge or stove, spending precious time preparing something elaborate when all they can think about is sleep or rest. It can be so tempting to reach for a take-out menu or app to deliver food, or even some junk food, yet take-out isn't always an affordable option for all of us.
So, what do you do? What to make when you're too tired to cook?
One Pan Smoked Andouille Sausage and Peppers Skillet
An easy, super tasty, relatively healthy recipe that's also keto-friendly and low-carb, all while using just one skillet. Smokey, with a rich medley of herbs and spices, this dish will hit the spot on a day when you just want to nap.
Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
• 12 – 14 oz of Wholey's Johnsonville Andouille sausages, cut into thin rounds, about 1/8 to 1/4th of an inch thick
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1 yellow pepper cut into strips
• 1 small yellow onion, cut into strips
• 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
• 4 garlic cloves, minced, pressed or smashed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 green onion, sliced, for garnish
• Chopped or dried parsley or basil for garnish
How to Cook:
1. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium heat.
2. Add sliced sausages once the oil is heated and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Remove sausages from the skillet and set them aside.
4. Increase the heat to medium-high, return the skillet to heat, and add one tablespoon of olive oil.
5. Add the peppers and onions to the skillet and season with Italian seasoning to taste and cook for another 4-5 minutes, or until tender with a touch of crispness.
6. Stir in the garlic, season with salt and pepper to taste, and continue to cook for another minute.
7. Add the sausages back to your pan until just heated. Taste, and add more salt and pepper if needed.
8. Garnish with red pepper flakes, green onions, and parsley or basil.
9. Serve as is, or use a convenient microwaveable grain, like rice or quinoa, to serve over and enjoy!
Breakfast for Any Meal – Sheet Pan Bacon and Eggs
You can eat your favorite breakfast as any meal. In this simple meal, bacon and eggs are all cooked on a single pan in the oven, making a meal easy, quick, delicious, and comforting.
Ingredients:
• 4 Large eggs
• 8 slices of preferred bacon such as Godshall's Beef, Uncle Charley's Thick, Daisyfield Loose Sliced Slab, or Godshall's Turkey
• Toast for serving (optional)
How to Cook:
1. Remove eggs from the refrigerator, and set them aside.
2. Place the oven rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450 degrees.
3. Arrange bacon on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer, evenly spaced, then roast in the center of the oven for roughly 8 minutes. Thinner sliced bacon will cook faster, and thicker may take longer. Cook until bacon curls.
4. Take the pan out of the oven, flip the bacon, and move to one side. Crack eggs onto the side with no bacon and return the pan to the oven to roast until the whites are just set, and the yolks are still runny, but the bacon is crisp—roughly 2 to 5 minutes. For a medium to hard-cooked egg or extra-crispy bacon, cook a few minutes more, watching closely to remove the pan before the bacon burns.
5. Remove from the oven and use a spatula to cut the eggs apart; slide them off the pan onto plates. Season eggs with salt and pepper to taste, drain the bacon on paper towels, then serve with toast and enjoy.
Crockpot Knockwurst in Beer
The best thing about this recipe is that it can be made when you have the energy, such as in the morning before work, five to six hours before you become too tired to cook. Slow cookers are fantastic for low, slow, deliciously succulent, and flavorful meals.
Ingredients:
• 3 cups of preferred sauerkraut, rinsed and drained.
• 1 apple, peeled and roughly chopped
• 6 Wholey's Albert's Knockwurst
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 can (12-ounce size) of your favorite good, dark beer (don't use light beer.)
How to Cook:
1. Place rinsed and drained sauerkraut along the bottom of the crock pot. Top with knockwurst and apple.
2. Sprinkle caraway seeds and sugar, then slowly pour the dark beer overall.
3. Cover the crockpot and cook on low heat for 5-6 hours, until the knockwurst is heated through and almost fall-apart tender.
Other Quick Meal Ideas:
• Sandwiches. Sandwiches are easy, quick, and delicious. You can make a grilled cheese, use canned salmon or tuna, chop up leftover chicken or egg salad, toss deli meats with whatever toppings you have in the fridge, and go. Too tired to make a sandwich? Then eat everything you'd put in one on a plate without the bread or replace the bread to keep it fresh with wraps or lettuce leaves.
• Chili Verde pork tacos. All you need is a slow cooker, a pork roast, and a jar of your favorite chili verse salsa. Place the roast in your slow cooker, pour the salsa over and cook low and slow until ready, then serve in tortillas.
• Oven foil packets. Toss chicken cutlets, salmon, or seafood into a foil packet with oil, spices, and your favorite veggies and roast them in the oven for an easy meal.
• Chili. Chili doesn't need elaborate ingredients, just the time to stew. With a crockpot, you can do that without worrying about constant stove-top stewing too. Try ground beef or stew beef with two cans of tomatoes with chilis, and a packet of pre-mixed chili seasoning, and throw in a can of your favorite beans. Let cook low and slow for hours and enjoy!
When it comes to all things food, whether it is making it easier for everyone to learn how to cook it, enjoy it, or make it more convenient than ever—at Wholey's, we've got your back next time you're too tired to cook! Check out some of our fantastic meat, seafood, and other delicious items to have delivered right to your door.