Warning, I’m about to tell a sappy story about why I love this week so much. I’ve always been a fan of celebrations, especially when friends and family gather together around good food and drinks. But last year, my 4 year old daughter said something I will never forget. I shed a little tear every time I think about it.

We had all sat down for Thanksgiving dinner at my parents’ house (both sides of the family as well as some friends). Without any prompting, my daughter raised her crystal wine glass of water and said “I’m thankful for my Daddy”. It’s those moments that make all the chaos and insanity completely worth it, and why I love Thanksgiving so much.

Needless to say, this week’s dinner menu revolves heavily around Turkey Day, and keeping it simple the rest of the week.

Dinner Menu Week 46

This Is How We Do It:

Halibut Lasagna

There was more of the halibut from last week’s dinner than I thought there would be, so I too Jana’s suggestion (if you read the comments) to make a lasagna out of it. She gave me her recipe which turned out amazing! I don’t want to give away her secrets, but basically you make a bechemel to use as the sauce. And I had some extra veggies lying around so I sauteed up broccoli, sliced mushrooms, and matchstick carrots as well. Layer the lasagna noodles, halibut, veggies, bechemel, and a mix of shredded mozzarella and gruyere or swiss cheese. Repeat a couple more times. We topped with some panko, bake at 350 for 20 minutes covered, then 20 more minutes uncovered. Thanks Jana!

Bahn Mi Sandwiches

This is one of MANY variations: You could use pretty much anything, but we use a thinly sliced seasoned pork cutlet as the meat. Bread should be like a French hoagie roll. Then mix some Sriracha with mayo to put on one side of the roll. American cheese on the other side of the roll (probably not traditional but trust me, it’s delicious). Top with these delicious pickled carrots/onions/radishes, and a bit of cilantro.

Gyros

I found some Gyro slices at Trader Joe’s this week, so though we’d give them a try in a warm pita topped with this easy peasy tzatziki recipe, and big slices of tomato.

Mushroom Pappardelle

I try not to get sucked into the ready-to-eat meals from Costco. But this one looked really tasty and easy, which is the key this week.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Oh, I could have a whole entire blog on the subject. We’ll be having the classics over at my sister-in-law’s house… Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole (from scratch, this is my husband’s annual contribution), butternut squash, rolls, pumpkin pie.

Thanksgiving Leftovers

It takes me a very long time to get sick of the leftovers

Beef Stew

And then it’s nice to have a little red meat at the end of the bird week. I’ll throw any veggies left over like celery, shrooms, carrots, potatoes, etc. into the crock pot with some beef broth while I’m at work. I love having crescent rolls with beef stew as well.

What We Really Ate Last Week:

Sunday – Fajita Burritos

Monday – Shrimp Cobb

Tuesday – Turkey Meatloaf, Mashed Taters, Green Beans

Wednesday – Grilled Turkey and Cranberry Cheese

Thursday – Broiled Halibut, Risotto, Salad

Friday – Pad Thai

Saturday – Pizza