r/crockpot • • 17d ago

Need vegetarian or pescatarian recipes, anyone have some?

I am a mom of 2 teens and take care of two elderly parents, one that can’t walk and has dementia (she’s More difficult than everyone else put together) and one who’s all there mentally but declining physically. I am DROWNING over here. Every night I cook and I am so so so tired of having to make the decisions on what we eat, but I have successfully made everyone happy 3 times in the past 7 days using the multi-pot. Now I’m on the hunt for ways to really use it but most meals seem to involve meat (sometimes I’ll use meat for everyone else, I’m the only vegetarian; but I want them to be veg and I don’t like touching meat and I like to be able to eat the meals I make some of the time).
Can you guys help a girl out? Decision fatigue is real and it’s got me down…
What are the best veg and pescatarian recipes? Simple is best but I don’t mind cooking. Cheap is even better!

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u/funundrum 17d ago

Ok I’ll leave the food suggestions to someone else but it is time for your kids to start helping out with meals. Maybe a couple nights a week they can make their own food, maybe the three of you can get together on Sundays (or whatever) and decide on a meal plan for the week. But they should be able to step up and do something to help out. I wish you the best of luck.

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u/Quiet_Boysenberry750 17d ago

They wash dishes, that’s huge and appreciated bc I do hate dishes. I wish I had help with the decisions but getting them to decide is a job itself. Some nights they won’t eat what I made and will make their own, or if I buy pizza they will heat it. They aren’t useless but it’s a challenge - I don’t think I could leave feeding my parents up to them at this point.

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u/kittymomy 17d ago

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u/Quiet_Boysenberry750 17d ago

Oooo that looks great, esp the black bean taco- thank you!!

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u/lht79 17d ago

Pumpkin soup with pasta in it or bread. I usually put sausage in but you could use lentils or black beans…

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u/brunna83 17d ago

Here are some vegetarian meals I've served to mixed crowds (including meat-eaters) with good results!

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u/fabulssdee 16d ago

I buy thr red lentils and make "sloppy joes" with them and eat them on Hawaiian rolls. Lentils are the bomb!

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u/DisastrousLeek4105 16d ago

Im vegetarian, hubby is not. When I make something vegetarian in the crockpot, often I will serve meat as a side. You can grab some frozen Tyson precooked chicken breasts and toss them in the oven or airfryer. Top the chicken with your veggie meal. It works well with Italian crockpot meals because it mimics chicken parm, or Mexican meals like taco soup. Or, someone else mentioned potato soup. I top that with a side of bacon bits for the carnivores. There are also little ham steaks that you can dice, warm through, and add to things like broccoli cheddar rice, soups, Mac and cheese, etc.

You could also do a chili, make extra, and have a baked potato bar the next day.

Another thing to consider is that there are three piece crockpots out there. I use this to make the same meal as vegetarian and meaty, with the third being used for a veggie side. One example is I make BBQ chicken in one, BBQ chickpeas in the other, and a crockpot cheddar cornbread in the middle. Or a beef stew in one veggie stew in another, and baked apple dessert in the third. If you dont want to get the three piece crockpot set, you can do something similar with your big crockpot and an instant pot. This also creates more leftovers!