Easy Weekly Dinner Menu #44: Everything but Thanksgiving dinner.

9 Comments
4 minutes
June 3, 2016
Andi Gleeson

Today’s Easy Weekly Dinner Menu includes Creamy Enchiladas, Crockpot Asian Beef, Deep Dish Pizza with Pasta Crust, Healthy Shrimp Etouffee, and lots more!

Easy Weekly Dinner Menu 44 including Creamy Enchiladas, Crockpot Asian Beef, Deep Dish Pizza with Pasta Crust, Healthy Shrimp Etouffee, and lots more! #mealplanning

Hello! How in the world are you? What are you doing for Thanksgiving? (That is not a rhetorical question. Tell me in the comments below!)

I have  a small announcement that is related to the holiday: Next week I will not be writing new easy dinner recipes. After 44 weeks of blogging, I feel like it’s OK to take a week off! I know everyone is going to be traveling and eating turkey for most of the week, so I don’t think you need new dinner ideas! I do have a fun weekly dinner menu planned with old favorites though, so come back to check that out on Saturday.

When I say I will be taking a week off, that’s a bit generous. I don’t seem to know how to properly relax, but I will be changing gears a bit with posts on a couple different kinds of topics: Learning How to Create Fancy Tablescapes and Choosing Wine for Your Holiday Table. I am not particularly knowledgeable about either of these subjects, but that’s what makes it fun. I’m going to learn and tell you about it in the process! I hope you will stop by early next week to check out those posts.

Hey, speaking of Thanksgiving, did you see my cocktail yesterday? It’s an Old Fashioned made with mandarin oranges, and the red, orange, and brown colors make me think of Thanksgiving. Make it with Wild Turkey bourbon, and you have a perfect signature drink for stuffed guests that evening!

Old Fashioned Cocktail with Mandarin Oranges

I need to stay focused. I’m not here today to talk to you about fancy place settings or turkey cocktails. I’m here to talk to you about regular easy dinner ideas that you will love to put on your table! Check out these babies:

  1. Deep Dish Pizza with Pasta Crust – I think this is my biggest achievement for the week, although it’s really not hard to make. The crust of this “pizza” is made with very cute, tiny star pasta. Plus, you see that gorgeous Le Creuset pie dish? Leave a comment on the pizza recipe by 11/25 for a chance to enter to win one of your own!Deep Dish Pizza with Pasta Crust
  2. Creamy Enchiladas – This was my recipe shared at TodaysMama this week. I’m now writing for their national site instead of Bay Area only since my recipes aren’t really specific to my location. I’m excited about this change and hope you will pay me a visit over there!Creamy Enchiladas
  3. California Frittata – Why not try breakfast for dinner this week with this tasty frittata? It has bacon, so you can’t resist!California Frittata Recipe with Spinach, Bacon, and Tomato | The Weary Chef #lowcarb
  4. Slow Cooker Asian Beef with Vegetables – This is the recipe revamp of the week. We enjoyed this dish at least as much as the first time, and I think you will love it too. I shined up the recipe instructions and added a new photo, so it’s just like new!Asian Slow Cooker Beef with Vegetables
  5. Healthy Shrimp Etouffee – This Cajun classic is made with only about a tablespoon of oil! It has some sneaky pumpkin in it, but you would never guess when you taste it.Healthy Shrimp Etouffee
  6. Mediterranean Pita Pizzas – I know this seems like pizza twice in one week, but these pizzas are completely different than the deep dish pizza above. Try spreading these with hummus instead of just olive oil for a heartier meal.Mediterranean Pita Pizzas - Quick and easy dinner! | The Weary Chef
  7. Quinoa with Sausage and Brussels Sprouts – Now that fall is here and brussels sprouts are in season, you should give this recipe a try again. It is quick, easy, and delicious!Quinoa with Sausage and Roasted Brussels Sprouts - An easy quinoa recipe idea | The Weary Chef

Before I go, I want to remind you to enter to win a Pomi tomatoes prize pack before 11/27. You can win four boxes of Italian boxed tomatoes plus some Pomi refrigerator magnets. Good luck!

I’ll see you next week to talk about fancy tables and not-too-fancy wine before Thanksgiving. Have a great weekend!

Andi Gleeson

9 comments

Liz
10 years ago

pumpkin in etouffe? Now this I have to try :-) Glad you’re (sort of) taking a week off. Good for you. We’ll be at my parent’s for Thanksgiving and they live only a 20-min or so car ride away. My job is to bring the bread, so I’ll be making baguettes on Wednesday. Looking forward.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, Andi. Blog friends are part of what I’m thankful for this year :-D

Andi
10 years ago

I hope you really do try the etouffee. How funny that all you need to make is bread. Is your mom a great cook too? Don’t forget to share photos of your feast (and bread)! Happy Thanksgiving!! xo

E
10 years ago

Hi Andi,
Just wanted to let you know I love your site and your creativity! I don’t usually like to cook but you are inspiring a new side of me with all the delish photos;) Got all the ingreeds for the Asian slow cooker steak meal – I’ll keep you posted on how it turns out!
Thanks for all you do!!!

Andi
10 years ago

Thank YOU so much for this sweet comment! This really was so nice and brightened my day. I hope you like the Asian beef, and definitely stop back by to let me know how it goes if you can. Have a good weekend :)

Carmen
10 years ago

Hi Andi! Have you thought about turning this into a book? I was thinking – I love what you are doing and I love getting the weekly emails, but I haven’t managed to use them yet… simply because I am not inclined to go through the steps of printing out the menus, I don’t keep my computer open in the kitchen, I don’t use my phone when I’m out grocery shopping, etc. But I DO go to my shelf of good old-fashioned cookbooks every weekend to create the menu for the week and make my hand-written grocery lists. I think I’m on the computer so much during the week that I avoid it (for the most part) on the weekend, when I’m doing my best food-related thinking and planning! I would totally buy the book of your weekly menus and photos. Just a thought from a loyal fan… xo Carmen

Andi
10 years ago

Hi, Carmen! It’s nice to hear from you, and I love this feedback. I have thought about doing a book, but I was considering an e-book that would still required a computer, iPad, Kindle, etc. Maybe I should look into a paper book instead for people like you who prefer a physical book to look through. I wasn’t sure people would want to buy a book of recipes that are available for free online, but maybe it would be worth if it’s more convenient. Thanks so much for this! Miss you!

Carmen
10 years ago

Hi Andi, I feel like an e-book or other mode is not so different from the blog in terms of the target audience. A paper book (spiral bound so it stays open!) would be my own preference (and a fun gift that I could get for friends & family, even grandmas who don’t go online much :) You could also think about it this way – there is actually a “cost” to using the online recipes, in terms of printing, having to have my computer open to cook (not to mention internet access), having to remember to go online for recipes instead of just reaching for my books, etc. So in a sense the paper book would “cost” me less because there would be fewer barriers to using it. I’m not sure if I’m making any sense…

Andi
10 years ago

I agree that an ebook doesn’t help if you are someone who likes paper books and lists. You are definitely making sense and have sparked my interest in the idea of a paper book. Thank you!

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