All I can think about this week is Thanksgiving. And as I have said before what I am plan with the ad this week is what I am making for next week... So I am thinking one BIG, meal next week and easy meals the rest of the week. There are also a few items that are on sale this week that I plan to stock for quick meals later.
Idea #1 - Thanksgiving Dinner. Even if you are not cooking, take advantage of the price of turkey's now. Think about this - you can get a turkey that will feed your family for a few nights for less than if you and a friend went to dinner. Get all the trimmings! My Mom and I are planning to try baking our turkey overnight using this Southern Plate recipe. I will let you know how that works. I am also thinking about trying cornbread stuffing this year in addition to my Mom's traditional stuffing. Southern Plate has a ton of Thanksgiving Ideas as does Deep South Dish. Check them out!
Idea #2 - Stir Fry. Kroger frozen vegetables are on sale. Then use the meat of your choice. Shrimp and pork are on sale... you may have chicken or beef in the freezer... If you are like me, you have rice in your cupboard. This meal is the best because it is one meal in one skillet.
Idea #3 - Ham Barbecues. This is one of my absolute favorite quick meals. I buy Isaley's Chip Chopped Ham - because honestly there is no other kind. I am not sure it is on sale - but everything else is. I have a ton of bbq sauce from all the summer sales. So here is the recipe... Put ham in skillet; pour bbq sauce over ham (amount to your liking); heat. Serve on hamburger buns! Meal finished. One skillet - less than 5 minutes. If you don't want to deal with cleaning this skillet - get one of those plastic crock pot bags and pour everything in the crock pot and let it heat slow on warm. You can get a 10lb bag of potatoes and make bake potatoes or fries with this meal. Ore-Ida tater tots are on sale too. I am going with a relish tray with this one. I will buy celery, carrots, broccoli and serve with some ranch. Know that I am going to use this relish tray for multiple meals.
Idea #4 - Stuffed Shells. You have to have something saucy this week bc it is different than the normal Thanksgiving week fare... I make my stuffed shells with mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese (ricotta works too), eggs, Parmesan cheese, Italian spices. Kroger cheese are on sales as is cottage cheese. So your only item at cost (and maybe it is on sale but not in the ad) is the shells. Pick up some of those brown and serve rolls to accompany this meal. (My Aunt Nancy used to dip those rolls in butter and then roll them in cinnamon and sugar. OMG! melt. in. your. mouth.) Make a salad with this meal. Use those veggies up!
Idea #5 - Chicken Noodle Soup. Didn't expect this one did you? I love soup! In the winter, I usually have it once a week - all different kinds. I made up a recipe that I love and it is quick. First, I am going to buy a Park Farms Whole Roaster Chicken (get one big enough for 2 meals). I will bake that the day before I make the soup. Let it cool and de-bone it. (Or pray I time it right and my Mom shows up just in time to do it for me). Then about 1 hour before dinner, I first chop onions, celery, and carrots (have fun with the amounts to make it to your liking). Put 2-4 T of butter in the bottom of your soup pan and melt. Throw in the veggies. Let them simmer until they are almost cooked. Then place about 6-8 cans of chicken broth in the pot (Kroger brand is on sale - but if you have coupons Campbell's may be cheaper). If you have bouillon, that works just as well with water. Add one can of cream of chicken soup to the pot. Mix it all up and throw in the chicken. Season as you like - I use a bit of salt and pepper. Don't forget the noodles. Serve this with your relish tray as well. Mmmmmmm...
Idea #6 - Chicken Lettuce Wraps. I had the opportunity to have these at PF Changs. They are delicious. So I was pretty excited to try these at home. I used Christy's recipe on Southern Plate as stated. Maybe a bit too much soy sauce for me - but overall it was great. This will be a quick meal because you have the chicken finished from the soup. You are going to need water chestnuts, head lettuce, onions (I used a regular white onion), and rice noodles. You need oil to fry the rice noodles and Kroger brand is on sale. The items I have listed you needing are not necessarily on sale - but you can make this meal for under $10 for your family. Serve this meal with rice and finish the relish tray. Get ready to run your vacuum after this meal. It is a messy one! But so worth it. ~ A side note - my little one is not into new meals. So for her - I rolled ham and American cheese in lettuce and gave it to her. She did just fine with that.~
Idea #7 - Leftovers. Seriously - soup, shells, wraps, bbqs, Thanksgiving, stir fry.... you have to have some leftovers.
OK - things I am going to buy to stock are chicken Stove Top, beef Stove Top, and beef gravy. When thin steaks go on sale, I will use the beef gravy and stuffing to make this quick beef wraps. When chicken breasts are on sale, I will make a chicken and stuffing bake. These are all on sale for $1 each. Generics may be cheaper - those are fine too.
Need a nice Thanksgiving morning treat to eat while you are watching the Parade? I am so going to try these cinnamon rolls.
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