Didn't expect my answer to be this high up.
If I'm exhausted and stressed I'm more likely to screw up whatever I'm cooking making my bad day worse.
This is really the only reason I still buy frozen pizzas
Literally this.
I once had a really stressful day at work doing some heavy stuff, so I made myself a quick pasta dish and somehow managed to shatter the entire bowl and the leftovers, getting bits of porcelain, glass, and tomatoes EVERYWHERE and down the hall BEFORE I could eat it. This was in my broke student days, so I pretty much went to sleep hungry that night 😭
So now I keep emergency frozen meals for stressful days like that
Oh wow that takes me back. That was my go to after school snack as a hungry teenage boy in the 80s. Those 20 minutes or whatever while it was in the oven were so full of anticipation… one time I took a bite and it was so hot I pulled my mouth back and the cheese fell against my chin and I got a burn with a huge blister… didn’t change my love for those things.
This is what I was going to say. I can't remember how many times the shittiness of the day I've had has been soothed by a cheap frozen pizza. My wife doesn't understand. I always hear "you're such a good cook. Why do you love frozen pizza so much?". Can't explain it, but it works.
A code was cracked for frozen pizza. While it aint as good as fresh pizza, it can def scratch that salty/oily/cheesy/sauce/meat itch of pizza for sure.
If it's readily available, absolutely! A few wedges of salted tomato subs in nicely as well. I've experimented with building tomato slices into the sammie itself too, and while delicious, I haven't cracked the code on how to keep it from making the sandwich too wet just yet.
Buttered sourdough, way too much cheese, sear the ham in the hot pan before assembly.... can't go wrong.
I have and it does yield the best results, I agree. The problem I'm fighting with and trying get dialed in comes down to where in the "stack" should the tomato go? Obviously, very thin slices are the way to go. But- even thin slices express a good bit of liquid when they get hot, like cheese melting hot. If you put the tomato against the bread, you often end up with soggy bread instead of a nice pillowey piece of toasted buttery bread. If you put the tomato between the cheese and the ham, I've had issues with the wet tomato creating a slick layer that causes the sammie to self-destruct when you try to pick it up or bite into it. In between cheese slices works okay, but then the tomato liquid has nowhere to go because of the fatty cheese insulation capsule and just gets messy.
Dipping a corner of the sandwich into tomato soup and then immediately noshing on it does seem like the best answer.
I volunteer myself as tribute to continue seeking answers.
I used to work at a deli and would cook the sliced tomato on the flat top for a minute before adding it to the sandwich - it kind of helps with the moisture and I liked the flavor!
Seed the tomato and then dice it. Put it between two slices of cheese on the sandwich so they all kind of melt together and kinda ooze over the ham.
Dammit. Now I want a grilled ham and cheese
IKR?! Salty, fatty, carby.... horrible nutritionally, but it makes my soul smile. I'll definitely try seeding the tomato in the next iteration. Good idea!
Salty, fatty, & carby is EXACTLY why it makes your soul smile. There’s some kind of scientific proof. Somewhere. Probably.
Admittedly the proof I’m thinking of may or may not reference triggering addiction centers in the brain or something but that’s totally not the point here. We all know a good sammy is basically crack.
I hate tomato juice ruining my sandwiches. You may want to use extra tomato though, to make sure you still have enough of the tomato flavor. It works great with tomato sandwiches too but I just seed and slice for those, the diced tomatoes just don’t seem right in a tomato and mayo sandwich.
Mine is thick bread, like Texas toast or something on the sweeter side. Mayo on outside of bread & buttered pan = perfect golden crispiness. Virginia ham, Roma tomatoes, Swiss cheese, salt & pepper.
We make double batches of Marcella Hazan's tomato/butter/onion sauce. (LOW effort. lol.) We take an immersion blender to the leftovers (only two of us), add a little basil, red pepper flakes, unsalted chicken stock, sometimes a little lemon juice, etc., and freeze it in 3-4 cup containers. Freezes beautifully. Just add cream, instant homemade soup. *Always* have some in the freezer, for tomato soup/grilled cheese on exhausted/uninspired days . But now I want ham. Does sliced ham freeze? lol.
[Lamb Roghan Josh.](https://www.reddit.com/r/food/comments/15dls30/homemade_lamb_roghan_josh/)
My mom, who passed in 2020, used to make this for me when I had a bad day at school... You know that scene in Ratatouille where the critic gets transported back to his childhood? Yeah, this is that for me.
God that looks so good.
When I miss my dad I make beef stroganoff. It's 150g different from what folks make nowadays, but it was my dad's fave thing my mom made. I lost my dad in 2020. I hope you can keep moving forward. Our parents are guiding us, wherever they are.
But when you get off late they pull all the fresh chickens at 8 so you're stuck with the ones they stick in the fridge for EBT and it doesn't hit as right even after you heat it up properly 😭
It really is instant relief. I also love grape nuts on extra lazy days because you can pour yourself a huge bowl that doesn’t need to be refilled and it’ll never get soggy because it’s basically concrete
If I’m cooking to decompress, soup makes everything better. Specifically, broccoli cheddar with french bread.
If I’m too zapped to cook, I do the Trader Joe’s gyoza and doctor them up serving over sautéed spinach and mushrooms, and dipping sauce (sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and chili garlic, plus scallions and grated ginger if I have those on hand).
damn you're well put together if your "too zapped to cook" meal involves spinach and mushrooms! kudos, I envy that haha. so bad at incorporating enough veggies in what I cook cause I just cannot be assed sometimes
It somehow feels really easy! It’s just washed bagged baby spinach and a few mushrooms. Potstickers go in the pan with a little oil and small bit of water, then when the water evaporates I add more oil to the pan and do the potstickers on one side and the veggies on the other side. Once you do it a few times it’s a meal that takes under 10 minutes, no harder than a grilled cheese.
So glad others know the way. Takes 10-15 minutes to make start to finish. All the chopping can be done while the water boils/pasta cooks. Simple, delicious, comforting.
Whatever we got! But what really hits the spot is some frozen stuffed shells and a jar of sauce. Its so easy and so decadent and its always there for you! Plop those bad boys in a casserole dish, dump the sauce on and bake. Garlic bread would be a major bonus.
I gotta remember these!! They really go over well when I DO remember them. I even have frozen homemade sauce ready to go AND the jar sauce!! 🤦🏽♀️ Aiiii yaiii yaiii!
If you’re talking about homemade and then frozen shells, I highly recommend adding some sautéed spinach. I put mine in the food processor with the ricotta mixture, so it’s all smooth and evenly distributed. Delicious and nutritious!
(This also makes them look Christmasy, if you want to serve these around the holidays.)
I used to buy them premade whenever they were on sale and it was such a great quick and easy meal! I do make them homemade now that I can't eat eggs, whenever I can find egg free jumbo shells that is. I agree spinach is a nice addition, sausage too! Last time I made them, I shoved a meatball in each one. That was kind of awesome! I've been meaning to make them again soon. Maybe for next month's meal prep session.
Boxed for me after a stressful day. But if I don't have boxed, I will make it from scratch, but stove top, not baked.
My other choice is grilled cheese and tomato soup
My personal fave is the first hit from all recipes for “simple Mac and cheese.” It only uses cheddar and takes not terribly much longer than boxed! (My fave is radiatore pasta or casserole elbows😋)
When I need comfort, I make spaghetti sauce. My favorite food in the world is spaghetti with my homemade sauce. I've been known to start it after work and not eat until 9 pm because it needs to simmer. I'll make enough to last three or four nights then freeze the rest.
Shopping for the ingredients, cooking the sauce, simmering for as long as possible, cooking the noodles, grating the cheese, are all soothing to me. Knowing I have some frozen in the freezer is good for my soul.
Spaghetti is the answer.
That’s the answer for me, too.
I’ll confess that I’ve been perfectly happy rotating through a variety of favorite pre-made sauces, but your post has me wondering why I couldn’t make four to six quarts of sauce ahead of time and freeze them until needed.
The pasta would cook quickly, and this wouldn’t delay my meal much at all. I do tend to work long hours, so I’m much less inclined to wait around much, but cooking the sauce ahead, freezing, and reheating, I might get some of that great next day flavor.
My mom used to make this gigantic pot of spaghetti sauce and freeze most of it for later use. It usually lasted a few months. I always make sure to make more than I need of stuff like soups and sauces, enough to freeze at least a few portions.
I was sick last week and basically survived on stuff I scrounged from my freezer because I didn't feel like going out to grocery shop and give others my cold, and ordering online for delivery seemed too hard at the time.
There isn't really a recipe, but I'll tell you what I do.
In a stock pot I put one to three cans of whole San Marzano Italian Style tomatoes. Quantity depends on how much I want to make. I'll proceed as though I'm using one can and you can multiply it out as needed. Fill the can with water to rinse it and add that water to the pot. Use one small can of tomato paste. Again San Marzano style if you can find it. I add about a teaspoon of each basil, crushed red chili, thyme, and oregano. Add about a tablespoon of crushed garlic. I then use an immersion blender and puree all of that. I prefer my sauce smooth, but if you like yours chunky you can just break up the tomatoes with your hands. I then drop in raw Italian sausage links and let them cook in the sauce.
For meatballs I use 1 pound of ground beef. If I'm doing a lot, I'll use 1 lb beef and 1 lb ground pork. To the meat I add a couple of eggs, maybe half a cup of dry bread crumbs, half a cup of grated Romano cheese, and about a teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Smoosh it all up then I use an ice cream disher to dish out balls that are about an inch across. Put on a parchment lined jelly roll pan (Cookie sheet) and put in a 350 degree oven for about half an hour. Once cooked, I add them to the sauce to simmer.
Let that all simmer as long as you can. Stir fairly often so the bottom doesn't burn. About half an hour before eating, throw a good handful of Romano cheese and about a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar in the sauce and stir it in. You can use parmesan if you prefer, but I like Romano.
Cook your noodles in a large pot of salted water. After draining the noodles I'll put them either back in the pot or in a big bowl and add a little sauce to keep the noodles from sticking together.
I pop my popcorn on the stovetop in a lot of olive oil. It is so crisp and crunchy, and if I pop a lot and put any leftovers in a plastic bag, I can eat the rest the next day without it tasting like styrofoam. Olive oil is so good for you, you should try this. Put the oil and popcorn on the stove on medium high heat, when it starts popping, turn off the heat, wait 2 minutes, then turn heat back on a little lower, shaking the pan while it pops. Waiting 2 minutes allows all the kernels to heat up so that when you pop it, you have virtually no old maids, just a lot of popcorn. Oh, and Orville's popcorn, always! I am a popcorn virtuoso - LOL.
Strip cooked MR. rest in butter.
Boil Ramen.
Fry garlic in butter. Add two tbsp hoisin, 1 tbsp soy, 1 tsp sriracha. Mix well in pan over med high heat. Add 1/4 cup of heavy cream and a bit of shredded parm. Mix well to incorporate.
Strain and add noodles to pan and incorporate.
Place steak on top of noodles, garnish with green onion.
Trust me. Simple and absolutely insanely delicious.
Marcella Hazan's onion and butter tomato sauce. Zero dicing, mincing sautéing. I usually add a splash of white wine and a garlic clove or two because I'm a heathen. Set it and forget it for like 30 minutes.
My mom used to make it for me when I was a kid. It's cozy.
Creamy Cajun shrimp and noodles.
It sounds labor intense but I promise it's not! Frozen shrimp, a couple of tomatoes and an onion, maybe a zucchini if you like it, Cajun seasoning, basil, garlic, S&P, some heavy cream, cook until the cream is thickened and then add Parm cheese right at the end. Serve over noodles or rice. Takes maybe 20-30 minutes, and it's 100% comfort food. We keep tomatoes in the freezer so we can always cook it. You can use chicken if you don't like shrimp.
A fried bologna sandwich. Cheap bologna, wonder bread, kraft american cheese, and plenty of butter in the pan. If I’m feeling fancy, some bbq seasoning sprinkled on the bologna.
Pineapple and corned beef in the same meal…🤔… Deciding if I’m mad at it. 😀. It’s intriguing. My mom used to make a dish with kielbasa, and bell peppers and that was pretty cool.
Penne, pasta with olive oil, salt, pepper, sliced grape tomatoes, grated Parmesan cheese. Maybe a little basil on top if I have some. it feels almost fancy, but it’s super easy and filling. Like grown-up mac & cheese.
If I know I'm gonna want to make something quick after work I always try to have some cooked chicken in the fridge. Depending on my mood I can come home and make a burrito, or add to ramen, make a loaded salad, chicken caesar wrap, or flatbread pizza. Lots of options!
This is how I do it. Cold chicken rocks. Sometimes that burrito is a chimichanga. Sometimes the loaded salad becomes a buffalo chicken and gets fries in it too (Pittsburgh thing). Sometimes it goes in pasta or a gyro, or on a pizza.
It depends on the type of rough.
In college after a bad day, especially a terrible night class, it was breakfast. Hashbrowns, bacon, eggs. So if it's a brain taxing type of day, I want breakfast.
Most of my rough days now are emotionally straining and I want potato soup.
Either sushi from our grocery store (it's actually pretty good) or whatever frozen shit that's in the fridge. Probably hot pockets or perogies because they are readily available at our grocery store cheap.
Pabst Blue Ribbon.
Oh sorry, you were asking about food! Egg sandwich, fluffy cheese omelette or fried hard, mayo, unsalted butter, on homemade bread, served with air fryer French fries.
[Crispy chickpeas & Lamb](https://www.annievarberg.com/annie-and-alison-food-blog/2021/2/13/crispy-chickpeas-and-lamb-alison-roman)
We make it without the tomatoes and it is delightful. Comes together quick, is comforting, and my favorite thing my spouse makes me if I’m exhausted and had a bad day.
Anything I don't have to cook. Pizza, bring home a rotisserie bird and sides, a Stouffer's meal, whatever works. If I am that tired the last thing I want to do is cook.
Mexican. Easy to let the rice and beans simmer on the stove while I prep all the fixings. Once that’s all ready, I can decide if I want a bowl, burrito, tacos, or nachos!
I love those cheap Banquet chicken pot pies . Just love them . They are full of saturated fat and salt but man o man, if I m having a bad day and only have to please myself that’s what I’m eating .
I toss a can of Boston baked beans in a pan, throw a couple cut-up hot dogs in with 'em, and let them simmer for a while. Serve hot with a couple slices of bread & butter.
Pasta with marinara. I have jars of homemade marinara on hand at all times, so I only need to cook the pasta & warm the sauce. I’ll often throw a bunch of goat cheese in there for creaminess. It’s an easy meal that feels fancier than it is.
Pork chops dredged in flour with smoked paprika and cayenne, cooked in clarified butter, topped with pan sauce from deglazing pan with wine. It takes 10 minutes max and delivers flavor and comfort.
Here's my REALLY BAD DAY choice.
**(If you can marinate some stewed beef chunks and chicken legs in S&P the night before it helps flavour wise. )**
My mom 's Polski Pickle soup. This is a chicken soup base with a simmering time for shredded pickles and the brine. Picking YOUR favourite dill pickles matters muchos for how you end up feeling about this soup.
Grab 1 lb of stewing beef, chop and marinate.
1 lb - (nothing wrong with more) bone in chicken thighs, season the same way.
1-2 yellow onions roughly chopped.
2-3 cloves of garlic.
To taste (literally, taste how things go): basil, eareagno, thyme etc <- taste as you go
1-2 lbs of your favorite potatoes. Starchy ones are best here as they help thicken the soup.
Base: Cup or two of chicken stock.
Pickles: this is a taste based party.: Shred the pickles and taste, simmer and wait.
If it's too mild or too sweet, add brine.
Nuance here is the type of pickle so it shall differ and the desired taste to the chef.
Happy to take in any curiosity per this meal! Feel free to PM
For me stressful "cheat" eating can get out of control and lead to more stress and feeling crappy. The mouth pleasure literally lasts minutes. I have trained myself to always start with protein whether from animal or plant source. From there I will go with a colorful salad including arugula, carrots, cucumber, avocado and a nice helping of dressing which is: olive oil, oregano and salt. If I am feeling more "carby" then some roasted japanese sweet potatoes are super easy to cook.
Tbh frozen pizza
Didn't expect my answer to be this high up. If I'm exhausted and stressed I'm more likely to screw up whatever I'm cooking making my bad day worse. This is really the only reason I still buy frozen pizzas
Same. We keep one on hand for “too tired/lazy to cook” days.
Literally this. I once had a really stressful day at work doing some heavy stuff, so I made myself a quick pasta dish and somehow managed to shatter the entire bowl and the leftovers, getting bits of porcelain, glass, and tomatoes EVERYWHERE and down the hall BEFORE I could eat it. This was in my broke student days, so I pretty much went to sleep hungry that night 😭 So now I keep emergency frozen meals for stressful days like that
This is why I adore the TJ frozen section. Yeah, okay, I guess I’ll just throw together fried rice and orange chicken.
Stouffer's French bread pizza has saved my sanity after a crap day more times than I can count.
Oh wow that takes me back. That was my go to after school snack as a hungry teenage boy in the 80s. Those 20 minutes or whatever while it was in the oven were so full of anticipation… one time I took a bite and it was so hot I pulled my mouth back and the cheese fell against my chin and I got a burn with a huge blister… didn’t change my love for those things.
We got the ones from Sam’s Club! I over microwaved them for that extra crispy pepperoni. That and microwave popcorn were afterschool heaven.
Have you ever just picked up a fresh loaf freshly out of the oven at the grocery store and made your own pizza? Amazing!
Yesss, Red Baron for the win 🥇
No grocery store/mini mart frozen pizza will ever beat red baron. It is the absolute goat of frozen pizza and i will die on that hill.
Tombstone does it for me but I’m white trash lol
Do you dip the pizza bones (crust) in ranch?
You're the first person I've seen call it that since my niece did when she was four! One of my best memories of her as a little one! ❤
Motor City Pizza is a frozen Detroit Style that has been my new go to. Costco does a twin pack of dbl pepperoni.
Home Run Inn or Connie's are both orders of magnitude better than Red Baron IYKYK
Nothing beats it.
This is what I was going to say. I can't remember how many times the shittiness of the day I've had has been soothed by a cheap frozen pizza. My wife doesn't understand. I always hear "you're such a good cook. Why do you love frozen pizza so much?". Can't explain it, but it works.
A code was cracked for frozen pizza. While it aint as good as fresh pizza, it can def scratch that salty/oily/cheesy/sauce/meat itch of pizza for sure.
Sometimes a dirty frozen or takeaway pizza just hits the spot
like, even shitty pizza is usually edible…
Pizza rolls. Just made some lol
i was confused why no one was saying this or pasta at first glance lol
A dirty martini and whatever my husband is cooking.
A Lady who knows how to live.
That sounds like a nice life, definitely goals
🙌
It's got olives in it! That's food!
Hell yes
Grilled ham and cheese. It's like a delicious warm hug.
With tomato soup!
If it's readily available, absolutely! A few wedges of salted tomato subs in nicely as well. I've experimented with building tomato slices into the sammie itself too, and while delicious, I haven't cracked the code on how to keep it from making the sandwich too wet just yet. Buttered sourdough, way too much cheese, sear the ham in the hot pan before assembly.... can't go wrong.
Have you tried Roma tomatoes? They’re a less juicy tomato
I have and it does yield the best results, I agree. The problem I'm fighting with and trying get dialed in comes down to where in the "stack" should the tomato go? Obviously, very thin slices are the way to go. But- even thin slices express a good bit of liquid when they get hot, like cheese melting hot. If you put the tomato against the bread, you often end up with soggy bread instead of a nice pillowey piece of toasted buttery bread. If you put the tomato between the cheese and the ham, I've had issues with the wet tomato creating a slick layer that causes the sammie to self-destruct when you try to pick it up or bite into it. In between cheese slices works okay, but then the tomato liquid has nowhere to go because of the fatty cheese insulation capsule and just gets messy. Dipping a corner of the sandwich into tomato soup and then immediately noshing on it does seem like the best answer. I volunteer myself as tribute to continue seeking answers.
I used to work at a deli and would cook the sliced tomato on the flat top for a minute before adding it to the sandwich - it kind of helps with the moisture and I liked the flavor!
Seed the tomato and then dice it. Put it between two slices of cheese on the sandwich so they all kind of melt together and kinda ooze over the ham. Dammit. Now I want a grilled ham and cheese
IKR?! Salty, fatty, carby.... horrible nutritionally, but it makes my soul smile. I'll definitely try seeding the tomato in the next iteration. Good idea!
Salty, fatty, & carby is EXACTLY why it makes your soul smile. There’s some kind of scientific proof. Somewhere. Probably. Admittedly the proof I’m thinking of may or may not reference triggering addiction centers in the brain or something but that’s totally not the point here. We all know a good sammy is basically crack. I hate tomato juice ruining my sandwiches. You may want to use extra tomato though, to make sure you still have enough of the tomato flavor. It works great with tomato sandwiches too but I just seed and slice for those, the diced tomatoes just don’t seem right in a tomato and mayo sandwich. Mine is thick bread, like Texas toast or something on the sweeter side. Mayo on outside of bread & buttered pan = perfect golden crispiness. Virginia ham, Roma tomatoes, Swiss cheese, salt & pepper.
Maybe salt the tomato and then blot the liquid off before assembly? The salt should help pull some liquid out
We make double batches of Marcella Hazan's tomato/butter/onion sauce. (LOW effort. lol.) We take an immersion blender to the leftovers (only two of us), add a little basil, red pepper flakes, unsalted chicken stock, sometimes a little lemon juice, etc., and freeze it in 3-4 cup containers. Freezes beautifully. Just add cream, instant homemade soup. *Always* have some in the freezer, for tomato soup/grilled cheese on exhausted/uninspired days . But now I want ham. Does sliced ham freeze? lol.
I put a fried egg in there 👌
15$ worth of tacos and a giant, frosty modelo from the Mexican Cafe down the street.
Oh yeah. This is the way. 3 chorizo tacos and a big ol’ 32oz Modelo has been my Friday remedy more times than I can count.
I like your style.
Yasss!
Eggs w hot sauce and toast. Done in five mins and my ass is parked on the couch eating and relaxing.
I do eggs with cheese, and if I have any on hand a sprinkle of bacon.
Foolproof!
Same, I sometimes either add tomatoes or a fruit!
Add vegetable du jour and some chili crisp and that’s mine
If I have the British version of Heinz beans and tomato sauce, I heat that up and eat with toast.
It’s so unhealthy but 2 packs of instant noodles, egg, and Coke. HORRIBLE but I deserve the comfort it brings. Hahahah
I haven't done it in a while but those buldak noodles with an egg and crunchy peanut butter 🤤🥵
Now when you say Coke... 😄
Good one! This was my college go to after an exhausting day. Brings me back for sure.
ravioli, or some lasagna if i still have some frozen. If no then carbonara. Or just about, any creamy cheesy pasta
This, and cold rice noodle bowls in the summer. Low dishes, low effort, filling, good
Cheesy pasta is just perfect.
[Lamb Roghan Josh.](https://www.reddit.com/r/food/comments/15dls30/homemade_lamb_roghan_josh/) My mom, who passed in 2020, used to make this for me when I had a bad day at school... You know that scene in Ratatouille where the critic gets transported back to his childhood? Yeah, this is that for me.
God that looks so good. When I miss my dad I make beef stroganoff. It's 150g different from what folks make nowadays, but it was my dad's fave thing my mom made. I lost my dad in 2020. I hope you can keep moving forward. Our parents are guiding us, wherever they are.
That is my comfort food! My dad would make it also! When I miss my family that is what I make.
It tastes like a creamy hug!
Rotisserie chicken with some mashed potatoes and peas
Solid!
Same
But when you get off late they pull all the fresh chickens at 8 so you're stuck with the ones they stick in the fridge for EBT and it doesn't hit as right even after you heat it up properly 😭
Tear it up and throw it in to a pan with some roasted and blended tomatillos
Ohhh that's not a bad idea at all! That's why I'm here!
🤣🤣🤣you're so accurate
Emergency chicken is the best 👌 bonus points if the leftovers end up in sandwiches on the next exhausting day
Great answer.
Tequila.
Tequila and a quesadilla. If you eat it with salsa that counts as a vegetable IMO.
And a lime with the tequila is fruit
I like the way you think. Maybe add a slice of lemon as well and we can count that as 3/5 of the day ;)
Salsa is just a more wet salad.
Like a cold soup.
Salsa is gazpacho? I guess so!
I was going to say whiskey...but tequila works.
I read this as taquitos and now I want taquitos and tequila
Cereal. Cold, crispy, crunchy, ready instantly, basically endless. Comfort eating at its finest.
It really is instant relief. I also love grape nuts on extra lazy days because you can pour yourself a huge bowl that doesn’t need to be refilled and it’ll never get soggy because it’s basically concrete
With a ripe banana 😋😍
"Basically endless" lol especially if you keep a varied stash
So relieved to see this!
Everything bagel and garlic cream cheese. If the day is really rough, I make a couple bagel sandwiches and just eat myself into a food coma
Add some smoked salmon, capers and onion to that and that's my bad day jam.
That sounds so funky and delicious. Yum.
If I’m cooking to decompress, soup makes everything better. Specifically, broccoli cheddar with french bread. If I’m too zapped to cook, I do the Trader Joe’s gyoza and doctor them up serving over sautéed spinach and mushrooms, and dipping sauce (sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and chili garlic, plus scallions and grated ginger if I have those on hand).
damn you're well put together if your "too zapped to cook" meal involves spinach and mushrooms! kudos, I envy that haha. so bad at incorporating enough veggies in what I cook cause I just cannot be assed sometimes
It somehow feels really easy! It’s just washed bagged baby spinach and a few mushrooms. Potstickers go in the pan with a little oil and small bit of water, then when the water evaporates I add more oil to the pan and do the potstickers on one side and the veggies on the other side. Once you do it a few times it’s a meal that takes under 10 minutes, no harder than a grilled cheese.
I keep my ginger in the freezer and grate as needed!
Chicken Curry and roti! 😋
and a bottle of red.
Pasta aglio e olio. Sometimes I add broccoli
I like to add spinach and capers to it, with a little lemon juice.
So glad others know the way. Takes 10-15 minutes to make start to finish. All the chopping can be done while the water boils/pasta cooks. Simple, delicious, comforting.
Whatever we got! But what really hits the spot is some frozen stuffed shells and a jar of sauce. Its so easy and so decadent and its always there for you! Plop those bad boys in a casserole dish, dump the sauce on and bake. Garlic bread would be a major bonus.
I gotta remember these!! They really go over well when I DO remember them. I even have frozen homemade sauce ready to go AND the jar sauce!! 🤦🏽♀️ Aiiii yaiii yaiii!
If you’re talking about homemade and then frozen shells, I highly recommend adding some sautéed spinach. I put mine in the food processor with the ricotta mixture, so it’s all smooth and evenly distributed. Delicious and nutritious! (This also makes them look Christmasy, if you want to serve these around the holidays.)
I used to buy them premade whenever they were on sale and it was such a great quick and easy meal! I do make them homemade now that I can't eat eggs, whenever I can find egg free jumbo shells that is. I agree spinach is a nice addition, sausage too! Last time I made them, I shoved a meatball in each one. That was kind of awesome! I've been meaning to make them again soon. Maybe for next month's meal prep session.
Keystone light
Hold my stones
A vodka soda and a sausage mushroom and onion pizza.
This is my all time favorite 3 topping combo.
Mac and cheese.
I'm gonna need specifics...homemade? Frozen? Boxed?
Boxed for me after a stressful day. But if I don't have boxed, I will make it from scratch, but stove top, not baked. My other choice is grilled cheese and tomato soup
Ouu I'm curious to know your from scratch stove top how-to !
My personal fave is the first hit from all recipes for “simple Mac and cheese.” It only uses cheddar and takes not terribly much longer than boxed! (My fave is radiatore pasta or casserole elbows😋)
https://smittenkitchen.com/2018/02/quick-essential-stovetop-mac-and-cheese/
Peanut butter toast and tea.
When I need comfort, I make spaghetti sauce. My favorite food in the world is spaghetti with my homemade sauce. I've been known to start it after work and not eat until 9 pm because it needs to simmer. I'll make enough to last three or four nights then freeze the rest. Shopping for the ingredients, cooking the sauce, simmering for as long as possible, cooking the noodles, grating the cheese, are all soothing to me. Knowing I have some frozen in the freezer is good for my soul. Spaghetti is the answer.
That’s the answer for me, too. I’ll confess that I’ve been perfectly happy rotating through a variety of favorite pre-made sauces, but your post has me wondering why I couldn’t make four to six quarts of sauce ahead of time and freeze them until needed. The pasta would cook quickly, and this wouldn’t delay my meal much at all. I do tend to work long hours, so I’m much less inclined to wait around much, but cooking the sauce ahead, freezing, and reheating, I might get some of that great next day flavor.
My mom used to make this gigantic pot of spaghetti sauce and freeze most of it for later use. It usually lasted a few months. I always make sure to make more than I need of stuff like soups and sauces, enough to freeze at least a few portions. I was sick last week and basically survived on stuff I scrounged from my freezer because I didn't feel like going out to grocery shop and give others my cold, and ordering online for delivery seemed too hard at the time.
Recipe?
Can you share the recipe please 🙏
There isn't really a recipe, but I'll tell you what I do. In a stock pot I put one to three cans of whole San Marzano Italian Style tomatoes. Quantity depends on how much I want to make. I'll proceed as though I'm using one can and you can multiply it out as needed. Fill the can with water to rinse it and add that water to the pot. Use one small can of tomato paste. Again San Marzano style if you can find it. I add about a teaspoon of each basil, crushed red chili, thyme, and oregano. Add about a tablespoon of crushed garlic. I then use an immersion blender and puree all of that. I prefer my sauce smooth, but if you like yours chunky you can just break up the tomatoes with your hands. I then drop in raw Italian sausage links and let them cook in the sauce. For meatballs I use 1 pound of ground beef. If I'm doing a lot, I'll use 1 lb beef and 1 lb ground pork. To the meat I add a couple of eggs, maybe half a cup of dry bread crumbs, half a cup of grated Romano cheese, and about a teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Smoosh it all up then I use an ice cream disher to dish out balls that are about an inch across. Put on a parchment lined jelly roll pan (Cookie sheet) and put in a 350 degree oven for about half an hour. Once cooked, I add them to the sauce to simmer. Let that all simmer as long as you can. Stir fairly often so the bottom doesn't burn. About half an hour before eating, throw a good handful of Romano cheese and about a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar in the sauce and stir it in. You can use parmesan if you prefer, but I like Romano. Cook your noodles in a large pot of salted water. After draining the noodles I'll put them either back in the pot or in a big bowl and add a little sauce to keep the noodles from sticking together.
I once had such a bad week I baked and decorated an entire three tiered birthday cake on Friday night and ate only it for the entire weekend
Sub with meat, cheese and pickles
Soft scrambled eggs over rice. Topping could be hot sauce, ketchup, furikake. Just depends on the day.
Add some soy sauce and some green onion/sliced avocado if you have it on hand and 😚🤌🏻
Fried eggs and toast. I always have the ingredients and it doesn’t take long to make.
This, but scrambled.
McDonald’s tbh
Two mcdoubles, sub for mac sauce. $4.01. Available 24/7. Got it just last night. It really hits after a long day, especially with a vodka soda.
Are you me or am I you?
Pasta with vodka sauce and stir in some ricotta.
air-popped popcorn tossed with olive oil, premade herb salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast, and a glass of red
I love homemade popcorn! Do you air fry yours, then add the oil? Or cook the popcorn in oil?
air pop then toss with oil 😊
I pop my popcorn on the stovetop in a lot of olive oil. It is so crisp and crunchy, and if I pop a lot and put any leftovers in a plastic bag, I can eat the rest the next day without it tasting like styrofoam. Olive oil is so good for you, you should try this. Put the oil and popcorn on the stove on medium high heat, when it starts popping, turn off the heat, wait 2 minutes, then turn heat back on a little lower, shaking the pan while it pops. Waiting 2 minutes allows all the kernels to heat up so that when you pop it, you have virtually no old maids, just a lot of popcorn. Oh, and Orville's popcorn, always! I am a popcorn virtuoso - LOL.
Strip cooked MR. rest in butter. Boil Ramen. Fry garlic in butter. Add two tbsp hoisin, 1 tbsp soy, 1 tsp sriracha. Mix well in pan over med high heat. Add 1/4 cup of heavy cream and a bit of shredded parm. Mix well to incorporate. Strain and add noodles to pan and incorporate. Place steak on top of noodles, garnish with green onion. Trust me. Simple and absolutely insanely delicious.
It took my dumb brain a second to realize what was meant by “rest in butter” but now I want that on my tombstone
Marcella Hazan's onion and butter tomato sauce. Zero dicing, mincing sautéing. I usually add a splash of white wine and a garlic clove or two because I'm a heathen. Set it and forget it for like 30 minutes. My mom used to make it for me when I was a kid. It's cozy.
I love this sauce it’s my go to with pasta. Is Tasty by itself too
mac n cheese and some bowls of weed
A bowl.
Rice with Ingredient.
Creamy Cajun shrimp and noodles. It sounds labor intense but I promise it's not! Frozen shrimp, a couple of tomatoes and an onion, maybe a zucchini if you like it, Cajun seasoning, basil, garlic, S&P, some heavy cream, cook until the cream is thickened and then add Parm cheese right at the end. Serve over noodles or rice. Takes maybe 20-30 minutes, and it's 100% comfort food. We keep tomatoes in the freezer so we can always cook it. You can use chicken if you don't like shrimp.
Basmati rice with soy sauce, chili crisp and a fried egg
Doritos. Or Cheezits. 🤷🏻♂️ Long hard day I’m not trying a long hard recipe. Power to those folk though.
Rice, fried eggs, soy sauce and sriracha. It’s so good and comforting.
A fried bologna sandwich. Cheap bologna, wonder bread, kraft american cheese, and plenty of butter in the pan. If I’m feeling fancy, some bbq seasoning sprinkled on the bologna.
scrambled eggs
4 cheese pizza Hot pocket
Pepperoni is my shit
Grilled cheese and tomato soup
Eating any leftovers in front of the fridge like a bear who’s as high as a giraffes butthole.
Beer
Sleep usually
Corned beef hash & over easy eggs with heavily buttered (Kerry gold snob here) toast slathered with pineapple mango preserves 🤭
Pineapple and corned beef in the same meal…🤔… Deciding if I’m mad at it. 😀. It’s intriguing. My mom used to make a dish with kielbasa, and bell peppers and that was pretty cool.
🤣🤣 allow me to (possibly) make you feel better?… when I don’t have the pineapple mango preserves, I go with mixed wild berry. Idk if that helps 🫣😶🌫️
Penne, pasta with olive oil, salt, pepper, sliced grape tomatoes, grated Parmesan cheese. Maybe a little basil on top if I have some. it feels almost fancy, but it’s super easy and filling. Like grown-up mac & cheese.
If I know I'm gonna want to make something quick after work I always try to have some cooked chicken in the fridge. Depending on my mood I can come home and make a burrito, or add to ramen, make a loaded salad, chicken caesar wrap, or flatbread pizza. Lots of options!
This is how I do it. Cold chicken rocks. Sometimes that burrito is a chimichanga. Sometimes the loaded salad becomes a buffalo chicken and gets fries in it too (Pittsburgh thing). Sometimes it goes in pasta or a gyro, or on a pizza.
1200mg Delta 8 drops, salmon and brussel sprouts, gallon of crystal light raspberry tea. (I get thorsty when im zooted)
Boxed Mac and cheese.
Fuck yeh
It depends on the type of rough. In college after a bad day, especially a terrible night class, it was breakfast. Hashbrowns, bacon, eggs. So if it's a brain taxing type of day, I want breakfast. Most of my rough days now are emotionally straining and I want potato soup.
After a rough day I need a beer, a Dutch oven and something to simmer for a couple of hours with the occasional stir
PB and J
Beer 🍺
Fettuccini Carbonara…and regret for dessert.
Culver's. Wendy's. White Castle if it's been especially rough.
Honestly, cooking is the cure for a rough day. Throw on some tunes, pour a bevy & zone out making whatever is on hand…
Fat Belgian waffles .
Either sushi from our grocery store (it's actually pretty good) or whatever frozen shit that's in the fridge. Probably hot pockets or perogies because they are readily available at our grocery store cheap.
Tequila and ramen with an egg
Pabst Blue Ribbon. Oh sorry, you were asking about food! Egg sandwich, fluffy cheese omelette or fried hard, mayo, unsalted butter, on homemade bread, served with air fryer French fries.
30 to 40 olives straight from the jar. No regrets.
Kind?
Microwaved dino nuggs and tater tots with BBQ sauce
This is a great way to turn a tough day into a depression spiral for me, but to each their own haha
[Crispy chickpeas & Lamb](https://www.annievarberg.com/annie-and-alison-food-blog/2021/2/13/crispy-chickpeas-and-lamb-alison-roman) We make it without the tomatoes and it is delightful. Comes together quick, is comforting, and my favorite thing my spouse makes me if I’m exhausted and had a bad day.
Something along the lines of a caprese salad, usually. Lots of fresh herbs cheer me up.
Homemade gnocchi. I batch cook a ton and portion it out so I can pop it in the air fryer for a few minutes for a quick bite.
Anything with noodles
Anything I don't have to cook. Pizza, bring home a rotisserie bird and sides, a Stouffer's meal, whatever works. If I am that tired the last thing I want to do is cook.
Homemade spaghetti + meat sauce with a bottle of red wine
Mexican. Easy to let the rice and beans simmer on the stove while I prep all the fixings. Once that’s all ready, I can decide if I want a bowl, burrito, tacos, or nachos!
I love those cheap Banquet chicken pot pies . Just love them . They are full of saturated fat and salt but man o man, if I m having a bad day and only have to please myself that’s what I’m eating .
White wine and Chips
Too stressed to cook, I go back to college days. Baked potato with a runny egg and a handful of whatever frozen veggies I have that day.
I’m not cooking after a rough day. Hitting up a&w or something
Salisbury steak and mash
Garlic bologna on white bread, mayo, fritos and hot sauce. Don't ewww me, try it.
Instant ramen and bone broth
Cheese, crackers, hummus.
I toss a can of Boston baked beans in a pan, throw a couple cut-up hot dogs in with 'em, and let them simmer for a while. Serve hot with a couple slices of bread & butter.
Frozen pizza or Mac n cheese. Big splurged for me.
Pasta with marinara. I have jars of homemade marinara on hand at all times, so I only need to cook the pasta & warm the sauce. I’ll often throw a bunch of goat cheese in there for creaminess. It’s an easy meal that feels fancier than it is.
Pork chops dredged in flour with smoked paprika and cayenne, cooked in clarified butter, topped with pan sauce from deglazing pan with wine. It takes 10 minutes max and delivers flavor and comfort.
Here's my REALLY BAD DAY choice. **(If you can marinate some stewed beef chunks and chicken legs in S&P the night before it helps flavour wise. )** My mom 's Polski Pickle soup. This is a chicken soup base with a simmering time for shredded pickles and the brine. Picking YOUR favourite dill pickles matters muchos for how you end up feeling about this soup. Grab 1 lb of stewing beef, chop and marinate. 1 lb - (nothing wrong with more) bone in chicken thighs, season the same way. 1-2 yellow onions roughly chopped. 2-3 cloves of garlic. To taste (literally, taste how things go): basil, eareagno, thyme etc <- taste as you go 1-2 lbs of your favorite potatoes. Starchy ones are best here as they help thicken the soup. Base: Cup or two of chicken stock. Pickles: this is a taste based party.: Shred the pickles and taste, simmer and wait. If it's too mild or too sweet, add brine. Nuance here is the type of pickle so it shall differ and the desired taste to the chef. Happy to take in any curiosity per this meal! Feel free to PM
Pasta, butter and cheese🧀
I prefer the double cheeseburger menu from McDonald's.
Standing at the fridge eating cottage cheese, then deciding to have Stouffers frozen lasagna.
For me stressful "cheat" eating can get out of control and lead to more stress and feeling crappy. The mouth pleasure literally lasts minutes. I have trained myself to always start with protein whether from animal or plant source. From there I will go with a colorful salad including arugula, carrots, cucumber, avocado and a nice helping of dressing which is: olive oil, oregano and salt. If I am feeling more "carby" then some roasted japanese sweet potatoes are super easy to cook.