Thanksgiving Week
Now that it’s December and Thanksgiving is in the past, this little roundup seems a bit silly, but onward we go! I couldn’t resist sharing the two awesome meals we made last week as we geared up for Thursday’s feast and a few days off from work.
And as for Thanksgiving and all of the delicious, delightful joy it brought? It was a wonder, as always, and I loved having some time off to spend with our families. We’re back to cooking this week, but let me just quickly share these dynamite dinners - you’ll want to make them both ASAP!
Let’s go!
Jambalaya
Recipe by Gimme Some Oven, available here.
After my first few rounds of holiday baking, all I craved was salty, savory food (I was already sugared-out). And somehow jambalaya popped into my head while we were grocery shopping. Strange! Random! Delicious.
I quickly googled “jambalaya” recipes while pushing around the cart and low and behold this fantastic one from Gimme Some Oven came up near the top of the list. Conveniently, we had some of the ingredients already and just needed to add a few more while we were out. I love when that happens!
The recipe for this jambalaya was naturally gluten free and filled with protein - chicken, shrimp, andouille sausage - as well as veggies, and more. And it was thickened with okra, which is the traditional method for jambalaya. Who knew? Now we all know.
Let me tell you this about this dinner: it was phenomenal! 🥳 So rich in flavor and so hearty and fabulous after a day of baking. I couldn’t think of anything more satisfying to eat after a busy day, even if it seemed quite random when I decided on the recipe.
Sometimes the best dinner ideas come out of nowhere; follow your cravings. They may just lead you to something ridiculously delicious.
Baked Crispy Chicken and Brussels Sprouts with garlic and onion
Original recipe for Brussels sprouts.
Despite our best efforts, we couldn’t completely avoid Thanksgiving flavors before Turkey Day. The Brussels sprouts mood was real and since we knew they weren’t being made later in the week, we found it acceptable for our Tuesday dinner.
For the record, I haven’t always loved Brussels sprouts, but I thank my husband - and those who cook them with bacon - for finally changing my mind. Our current Brussels dish is delicious due to plenty of onion and garlic, as well as using our trusty cast-iron pan. That thing is the best! Seriously, start cooking in cast iron and your food will be even better. I guarantee it.
This dinner may have looked fairly standard, chicken and Brussels, but it was actually really scrumptious and very satisfying. We baked the chicken with an extra-crispy coating (Aleia’s Coat and Crunch) and cooked the Brussels with the aforementioned garlic (lots) and onion (plenty). Yum!
For all of the “fancier” type dishes we make around here, sometimes the most basic is exactly what we need. They hit the spot. Besides, it was almost Thanksgiving; we were saving the fancy stuff for Thursday. ;)
Editor’s note: The fancy stuff turned out to be an eight-hour cookie project (😳) and GF stuffing that was good, but not as amazing as I’d hoped. Ta da!
Happy Thanksgiving!
And happy holidays - check out the Holiday Gift Guide!
Enjoy,
