Happy Monday-Before-Thanksgiving! This week’s recipes are focused on main & side dishes you can use for Thanksgiving Dinner, plus a slow-cooker dessert as a bonus. Enjoy a great week… so thankful for this little community! ❤
All of my other Meal Planning posts are listed here.
Spicy Lentils, Sweet Potatoes, and Kale
Original recipe found over at Eat Live Run blog, but my tweaked recipe is below.
1/2 cup dry lentils
handful of baby carrots, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 TB minced garlic
1 stalk of chopped celery or 1 TB celery salt
3 big handfuls of raw kale, chopped
2 tsp rosemary
salt & pepper to taste
1 sweet potato, peeled & chopped
oil
2 cups vegetable/chicken broth
-Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a medium pot and cook onion, carrot, sweet potato, and celery for 5-6 minutes.
-Add kale and minced garlic. Stir and cook until kale is reduced and veggies are tender (3-4 minutes).
-Add lentils, spices, and broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes until lentils are cooked and have absorbed the broth.
*Delicious served as a side dish, or alone with crusty garlic bread and a salad.
Broccoli & Cauliflower Parmesan Casserole
Original recipe found over at Bitz N Giggles blog, but my tweaked recipe is below.
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 TB melted butter
1 head of cauliflower, washed and florets clipped
1 head of broccoli, washed and florets clipped
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 TB all purpose flour
1 onion, chopped
1 1/4 cups milk
4 oz cream cheese (half of a block)
2 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
oil
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease a baking dish with non-stick spray.
-In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, and melted butter. Set aside.
-Saute onion in a skillet with a little oil until translucent. Add garlic powder, salt/pepper, flour, and milk. Stir until it thickens.
-Add cream cheese and stir until completely mixed in and creamy.
-Mix cauliflower and broccoli in the cream sauce until coated.
-Pour vegetable/sauce mixture into greased baking dish, and sprinkle the breadcrumb/parmesan cheese/butter mixture on top.
-Bake (uncovered) at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
*Delicious served as a side dish, or as a small helping alone with a salad and garlic bread.
Chicken Marsala, slow-cooker style
Original recipe found over at Le Creme De La Crumb blog. This was on my list to make last week, but we had an extra Leftovers Night instead. It sounds delicious, however, and I can’t wait to try it this week.
4 chicken breasts (i will use frozen, because that’s how i roll)
salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp minced garlic
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 pinches of dried, chopped parsley
-Grease slow-cooker with nonstick spray.
-Add chicken and season with salt/pepper.
-Add mushrooms, garlic, and chicken broth to the slow-cooker.
-Cover and cook for 5-6 hours on low.
-Remove chicken (leave the broth in slow-cooker) and set aside for a couple minutes.
-Whisk water and cornstarch together until dissolved and pour into slow-cooker. Stir.
-Add chicken back to slow-cooker, switch heat to high, and let it cook for another 20 minutes (until sauce thickens).
-Sprinkle with parsley when ready to serve.
*This sounds like it would be delicious as a main meat dish for Thanksgiving, or served as a regular dinner entree with a side salad!
Cranberry Chicken, slow-cooker style
Original recipe found over on Frugal Girls blog. I had plans to make this last week, but had an impromptu dinner date out with family instead. Can’t wait to try this!
4 chicken breasts (i almost always use frozen)
1 can of whole berry cranberry sauce
1 package of dry onion soup
8 oz of catalina dressing
-cook chicken in slow-cooker on high for 3 hours.
-drain juices from slow-cooker.
-mix cranberry sauce, dry onion soup, and catalina dressing together and pour over chicken.
-cook another 30 minutes.
*This sounds like a delicious addition to a Thanksgiving meal! Cranberries always scream “Thanksgiving” to me. Would also be a yummy regular dinner entree served with a steamed veggie or salad.
Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup
Original recipe found over at Gimme Some Oven blog, but my tweaked recipe is below.
1 onion, chopped
2 TB minced garlic
1/2 cup flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 1/4 cups (10 oz can) red enchilada sauce
1 can black beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies
1 TB chili powder
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
salt to taste
oil
sour cream (topping)
tortilla chips (topping)
extra cheese (topping)
-Saute onion and minced garlic in a medium pot with oil.
-Add flour and stir.
-Pour in chicken broth and stir until combined.
-Add chicken, enchilada sauce, black beans, tomatoes/chilies, salt and chili powder. Let simmer and stir occasionally.
-Add cheese. Stir until mixed/melted.
Delicious served with a salad and cornbread! This would be a perfect, 20-minute meal to enjoy early this week while prepping your Thanksgiving dishes, or to make this weekend when your turkey leftovers are running low (or a hearty lunch after cold Black Friday shopping).
Apple Spice Dump Cake, slow-cooker style
Original recipe found over at Frugal Girls blog.
1 box spice cake mix
2 cans apple pie filling
1 stick butter, melted
2 tsp cinnamon
-Grease slow-cooker with nonstick spray.
-Pour apple pie filling into bottom of slow-cooker and spray evenly.
-Sprinkle cinnamon over top of apples.
-Combine dry cake mix and melted butter in a mixing bowl and mix together until crumbly. Sprinkle over top of apple/cinnamon mixture.
-Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
*Delicious served by itself, or with vanilla ice cream on top! I love a Thanksgiving dessert that is not only delicious, but cooks itself. 😉
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