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2024 Thanksgiving Menu and Meal Prep Timeline

* image These past few months have been busy for our family, especially since our oldest joined a local swim team. Between juggling our work schedules and balancing school with practices... we're all pretty wiped out. Although it's a lot of work, I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving. Preparing the holiday meal for our family fills my heart with joy, and I can't wait to get started. To make things easier for me, I don't deviate much from  our first Thanksgiving  as a family. The dishes I make are familiar ones, and the recipes for them live at my fingertips. Keeping the same menu year after year means I don't have to spend time researching recipes or planning a new one. Here are my tried-and-true Thanksgiving recipes, as well as my prep timeline for the big day!

A Month of Dinners: Menu Plan for January

In an attempt to make my life a little easier, I'm planning all of our dinners for January at once.


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I probably should have drafted a list of food-related New Year's resolutions before putting together our menu plan for January so I could use them as inspiration while deciding what to make for dinner next month.

But the truth is, getting dinner on the table and eating more than two bites of it before Caroline begins to show signs that she's ready to go down for the night is enough of a challenge. I don't need any extra pressure to make sure that each meal follows a set of guidelines that I'll likely throw out the window as soon as Stephen starts traveling for work again.

(I mean, let's be honest.)

With that said, I want to continue our streak of stretching meals so they last a few days (or, at least, until lunchtime the next day), so I've planned for more Leftover Nights. Plus, I know I have a meal or two stashed in the freezer that I can defrost and reheat if I really don't feel like cooking.

At any rate, here's what I've come up with for January for the time being.

Menu Plan for January

Week 1: January 1 - January 2


Friday: Dinner Out -- Because tradition!
Saturday: Leftovers

Week 2: January 3 - January 9


Sunday: Spinach-Pesto Lasagna (from The 8x8 Cookbook)
Monday: Black Pepper Stir Fried Noodles (from Pinch of Yum)
Tuesday: Balsamic Chicken and Broccoli over Farro (from Dine & Dish)
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Breakfast Burritos (from Comfy Cuisine) with Guacamole (from Rosa Mexicano)
Friday: Pizza with Fresh Mozzarella, Tomatoes, and Basil
Saturday: Leftovers

Week 3: January 10 - January 16


Sunday: Grilled Chicken with Potato Herb Gratin (from RawSpiceBar)
Monday: Weeknight Cheese Enchiladas with Cilantro Lime Rice (from Skinnytaste)
Tuesday: Orecchiette with Sausage and Kale (from The Kitchn)
Wednesday: Stephen's Choice
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Pizza with Spinach, Caramelized Onions, and Ricotta
SaturdayRoasted Butternut Squash Soup and Apple Cheddar Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (from I Am a Food Blog)

Week 4: January 17 - January 23


SundayBulgogi Beef (from Bon Appetit) with Brown Rice and Broccoli
MondayOrzo Stuffed Peppers (from Two Peas & Their Pod)
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Stephen's Choice
Thursday: Baked Orecchiette with Chicken and Broccoli (from The 8x8 Cookbook)
Friday: Pizza with Roasted Eggplant, Grape Tomatoes, Garlic, and Spinach
Saturday: Leftovers

Week 5: January 24 - January 30


SundaySkillet Chicken Fajitas (from PureWow)
MondayCacio e Pepe (from Alexandra's Kitchen) and Arugula Salad with Shaved Parmesan
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Stephen's Choice
Thursday: Grilled Steak with Fiery Pomegranate Sauce, Jasmine Rice, and Steamed Sugar Snap Peas
Friday: Pizza with Mushrooms and Broccoli
SaturdayCaribbean Chicken Tacos (from Creme De La Crumb)

Week 6: January 31


SundaySalisbury Steak with Mushrooms, Mashed Potatoes, and Green Beans

Do you plan your meals? What's on your Menu Plan for this week/month? Let me know in the comments!

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One year agoMenu Plan: December 28 - January 3
Two years agoPepperoni Pizza Potato Skins
Three years agoBann Restaurant - New York, NY
Four years agoFood Memories of Atlanta: Anis Cafe & Bistro
Five years agoBest of the Best: 2010
Six years agoRecession Cooking Class with Erica De Mane
Seven years agoFood Network Magazine: Take It or Leave It?

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