What to Cook for Dinner this Week

Fall continues with this week’s dinner menu. It’s getting chillier here in Virginia, although the trees are moving slowly through their changes, and there’s still plenty of green. We have a busy week ahead of us: my mom is coming from Michigan for a visit next weekend, our niece Gabby is turning 18, and Thanksgiving planning is in full swing.

Monday: Pumpkin Curry Soup, salad, and no-knead bread. This is one of my favorite soups, and it’s super easy. If you like curry, you’ll love it. It’s not too spicy, so the kiddos I know love it, too. Remember to start your bread 12-18 hours ahead of time!

Tuesday: Baked Spaghetti and salad. Cook spaghetti (or pasta of your choice) until al dente, according to directions on the package. Toss with this sauce, place in a casserole dish, cover with a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese, and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly – about 20 minutes. That’s it. To make it gluten-free, use GF pasta. To make it vegetarian, leave out the ground meat.

Wednesday: Pizza and salad. This crust. This sauce. Both dough and sauce freeze well, so double it up and save some for another night.

Thursday: Chicken Pot Pie and salad. Chicken Pot Pie is a favorite around here. This link is for the Dinner: A Love Story version (*Note: I just make one big pie, not monogrammed mini pies), because I haven’t posted my rendition of it yet. I basically substitute Yukon Gold potatoes for the sweet potatoes, double up on the other veggies, and add thyme to the gravy. But Jenny’s recipe is fantastic as is. If you’re in a rush, you can use store-bought pie crust. However, if you have a food processor, this pie crust takes five minutes to put together. Chill it in the fridge while you’re making the filling, and by the time you’re ready to assemble, the dough will be ready to roll out. *Make-ahead tip: the chicken can be cooked ahead of time. And really, you could make the filling in its entirety ahead of time, so that all you have to do is assemble the crust, fill it, and bake.

Friday: Takeout Night.

Saturday: Sloppy Joes. These joes will knock your socks off. Better by far than anything from a box or a can. They can be made in the crock pot if you prefer, or made ahead (as much as a day) and reheated. They also freeze well, so double it up if you want to be able to put a future meal in the freezer. I serve these with Tangy Apple Slaw and ridge-cut sweet potato chips. The perfect dinner to end a busy fall Saturday.

Sunday: Ina Garten’s Beef Bourguignon and fresh bread. In spite of my loyalty to Julia Child, I’m making this quicker version for Sunday dinner, with more homemade bread instead of the potatoes you might expect (after all, it’s a French dish, not an American one). Remember to start your bread 12-18 hours ahead of time!

Weekend Breakfast: Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal. The link is actually for Baked Oatmeal with Berries, but all you need to do is switch out the berries for diced apple. Delish. I’m working my way through the bushel of apples we picked last weekend and have stored in a box on the patio.

Weekly Treat: Since we’re making Cinnamon ‘n’ Spice Fall Cut-Out Cookies as a weekend project, those are our treat this week.

Happy weekend!