Meals for Week of November 22, 2010

Thanksgiving is almost upon us.  I hope that last week's post has been helpful with ideas for side dishes and desserts.
This week I wanted to get you thinking about holiday baking and so I will start with sharing a link to a blog who recently posted some great tips for baking.  Over the next few weeks I'll chime in with a few of my own tips as well as recipes and ideas for homemade gifts.
This post from Jennie at In Jennie's Kitchen, besides having great tips for baking basics includes a recipe for pumpkin buttercream which looks fantastic. 
Baking Basics

This week I am sharing recipes that are a mixture of meals for next week as well as recipe for using turkey leftovers.  And one more pie recipe that I highly recommend.

Next week, I am going to take a break.  The e-mealplanning Headquarters are finally going to move and so we have to spend the week finishing our packing and then take a break for the holiday before getting back to packing and then moving.  And after that, I hope I've got Internet service. Although there's always Starbucks and free wifi...

I wish everyone a healthy and happy holiday, take time to enjoy your family and friends and whoever else you share the holiday with.  We all lead busy lives full of stress and joy, so take time to think about and be grateful for the joy.

Meals for Week of November 22, 2010

Fettuccine with Clams, Basil, Tomato, Corn and Garlic- This dish is low in sodium and calories and fat.  You can make it healthier by using a whole wheat pasta or one of the 50/50 whole wheat blend pasta.

Cheeseburger Pizza- Use a healthy/whole grain English muffin for this super easy and kid-friendly pizza.  Serve with a salad or vegetables with dip.

Creamed Ground Beef- OK, I know it sounds gross and maybe a bit dated.  But it's good and I think of it as a variation on hamburger stroganoff and it's actually lower in fat.  It's a quick weeknight meal and you could eat it over green beans and sauteed mushrooms and no pasta for a one bowl, lower carb meal.
 
Turkey Cobb Salad- All the parts of this salad except the avocado could be prepped in advance.  Makes it so easy to just assemble and eat.

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie- Pot pie is actually rather simple to make.  And when you have the leftover turkey or chicken already made that makes it quicker and you can use a pre-made crust if you don’t want to make one from scratch.

Leftover Turkey Enchiladas- This doesn’t even need enchilada sauce.  A few simple ingredients and a great way to use up leftover turkey.

Turkey and Wild Rice Soup- Great for leftovers, but good anytime because turkey parts like legs are very inexpensive.  And of course a leftover roasted chicken would work well.

Pineapple Chicken Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette- After all the heavy eating over the holiday, have a lighter meal that is low in sodium, fat and calories.

Sweet Potato Pie- It’s really quite simple to make and it’s very tasty!  If you are scared to make your own crust, I highly recommend the pre-made crust at Trader Joe’s.