Weekly Menu Plans 11-24-25
Like most, I’ll be busy this week with baking and cooking. That doesn’t even count decorating and housecleaning – it’s a lot, but so worth it!
What I love most about the day after Thanksgiving is that there is NO cooking. I love the microwave! And the day is usually spent putting up our main Christmas tree. Remember when I wrote that I like to celebrate Thanksgiving for itself, and let one holiday bleed into the next? I caved. I really want to celebrate each holiday for the special occasion it is, BUT we’re getting older, and it isn’t easy to do all the decorating at once.
This past week, we put up our two travel pencil trees and the loft tree. Done – and they won’t interfere with Thanksgiving. I still have all my fall decorations and turkeys out. I’m good to go!
Monday
During Thanksgiving week, I like to plan easy meals. Tonight, it’s Cajun Shrimp – and everything is cooked in foil – easy-peasy! This meal has it all with shrimp, sausage, zucchini, bell pepper, corn, and seasoning. I plan to serve this meal on a bed of rice with dinner rolls. This should be a satisfying dish from Skinny Taste.
Because there are only two of us, I like to buy the rice cups. Peel off the top, stick it in the microwave, and it’s the perfect amount of rice for two people. Yeah, I know, it’s processed foods, but it’s nice to have a simple dish that requires punching in numbers on the microwave. And the rolls – stick them in the oven for 10-15 minutes, then spread with softened butter.
| Cajun Shrimp in Foil Steamed Rice Dinner Rolls |
Tuesday
I recently came across this recipe from another blog. Just the mention of bacon, onion, and fresh herbs cooked in apple cider had my attention. So, tonight, I’m trying this recipe from Simply Scratch. It not only looks delicious, but it will have all the savory flavors of fall.
To complement this savory chicken, it’s got to be Brussels sprouts. And while I don’t have a recipe, I plan on winging it. I’ll roast them at around 400 degrees, drizzled with good-quality balsamic and maple syrup.
Would you believe I’ve never cooked fingerling potatoes before? I like the idea of crispy roasted potatoes in the oven, drizzled with olive oil, seasoned, and topped with shredded Parmesan, which sounds like the perfect side dish.
| Herby Apple Cider Bacon Chicken Maple Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts Crispy Roasted Fingerling Potatoes |
Wednesday
I like to switch up the menu on Thanksgiving Eve. We’ll be having plenty of poultry with turkey served for dinner, lunch, in soups, on pizza, in sandwiches – hot and cold that I don’t need another chicken, squab, duckling, or turkey dish tonight! Fish is a good alternative. In the past, I made cream of potato soup because it paired well with cornbread, and I used the leftover cornbread in my bread-and-cornbread stuffing.
If I didn’t serve potato soup, then it was Asian or baked pork chops. Tonight, however, it’s just the two of us, and we’re cooking salmon. This recipe from The Cooking Jar has all the elements to make this dish the perfect Thanksgiving Eve dinner – maybe even in the dining room (had I not already set the table for tomorrow’s celebration).
The salmon is cooked first. Then, garlic is sauteed in butter before adding wine to cook off. Next comes the cream, chicken stock, Parmesan, and seasoning. Once the sauce thickens, return the salmon to the pan, set the table with napkins and candles, and open some sparkly wine. This dish will be too good to serve at the kitchen table.
The Brussels sprouts recipe will be added to the site soon.
| Creamy Garlic Butter Salmon Steamed Rice Braised Brussels Sprouts & Bacon |
Thursday
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope your table will be as complete as mine with family and friends. We’ll have plenty of food to indulge our taste buds, fill our tummies, and warm our hearts. And of course, plenty of leftovers for everyone to take home and enjoy for a couple of days.
I’m not the sole cook today, either. Each of our wonderful neighbors will be bringing a dish or two. Rich will bring his famous Jarlsburg Dip, scalloped potatoes, and deviled eggs.
Our neighbors, Cathy and Gloria, will bring salad, possibly cranberry sauce, and pie. Barbara will bring veggies – like I say, we’ll have plenty of food!
As for the main dish, I’m serving turkey, a favorite recipe from Half Baked Harvest – tried, tested, and approved by all of us. And of course, all the usual suspects will make it to our dining room table. As for the fruit salad, I drain a can of fancy fruit cocktail, add bananas and apples to the bowl, and then make a lightened whipped cream that I fold into the fruit. It’s hubby’s all-time favorite.
Friday
We always stay home the day after Thanksgiving. No black-Friday deals for us – because we’ll be putting up our Christmas tree, and it takes anywhere from two to three days. And I stress over it, wanting perfection.
How many make potato patties with their leftover mashed potatoes? How many make turkey hash? Or turkey soup?
| Leftovers |
Saturday
I like turkey, but you can only go turkey so many rounds. Tonight I’m making an old favorite, Turkey almondine. I’m not even sure if I still have the recipe. But suffice it to say, you dip turkey breast slices into a batter, much like tempura, and fry them in butter and vegetable oil. While it’s cooking, sauté almond slices in butter to serve on top. It’s such a great way to use leftover turkey, and a favorite I’m anxious to revisit.
Turkey Almondine goes well with jellied cranberry sauce and leftover mashed potatoes and gravy.
I love the idea of adding pears to cranberry sauce. I’ve seen recipes calling for other sweeteners, but I prefer good ol’ sugar with the addition of honey. I want my cranberry sauce sweet and full of fruity goodness. This recipe comes from Allrecipes.
| Turkey Almondine Leftover Mashed Potatoes & Gravy Pear Honey Cranberry Sauce |
