It’s the most wonderful time of the year – and the busiest! These few meals are for the week or so leading up to Christmas and the week after. As you can see, they are not plentiful. That’s because there are nights for get-togethers, final choir rehearsals, LEFTOVERS from Christmas, and nights out. Then there is also our Christmas Eve appetizer family party, our Christmas Day breakfast and dinner, and our New Year’s Day lunch. All of that will be posted on a separate menu titled Christmas and New Years. Catchy, I know!! I’m sure your life is just as busy, if not busier, than ours, so hopefully these ideas will help you fill in the gaps on nights where you need a meal.
Oven-Baked Chicken Breast, baked potato, broccoli
This is a SUPER-EASY recipe for a quick weeknight meal during this busy time – or any busy time. It just combines a few simple spices and some oil and butter. I found it at savorynothings.com. In order to have fluffy baked potatoes, I put them in my oven before leaving for work, set the oven timer and temperature, and they start cooking before I even leave work. All I have to do to get dinner ready is prep the chicken and steam some broccoli (fresh or frozen), and we have a delicious and quick dinner.
Homemade Hamburger Helper, peas
When my husband and I were first married and when we first had kids, we ate quite a bit of Hamburger Helper because it was cheap and filling. I’m not opposed to it, but I prefer not to cook it now because it contains so much salt and preservatives. However, my husband has always liked the stroganoff, so I found a recipe at thisisnotdietfood.com that I could make for him but without all the additives. I will say the one thing the recipe was missing for me was some sour cream, so I added that in at the end to make it taste more like stroganoff. And once again I will remind you that I only use LeSueur peas.
BBQ Chicken, potato salad, baked beans
For many years we always had BBQ for Christmas Eve. There was a terrific BBQ restaurant where my parents live (we used them for our wedding rehearsal dinner!), so my parents would bring all the meat and the beans from there and I would provide everything else. When we moved a few years ago, we tried replicating that the first Christmas but it just wasn’t the same. Then my husband and I got involved in our church Christmas program, and it became very difficult for me to be in charge of the Christmas Eve party. My daughter stepped in and took it over. The first year she did that, we had tons of appetizers and then no one wanted any BBQ. So now we just have appetizers on Christmas Eve, but my grown children still request BBQ sometime around Christmas, so we do a BBQ chicken meal and watch our family Christmas movie – Holiday Inn.
I don’t have a recipe for BBQ chicken. My husband cooks it on the grill and we use whatever kind of BBQ sauce we feel like using. That’s not very helpful, but that’s all I’ve got for that. I could link some recommendations, but I don’t know how good they are, so I would prefer not to suggest any. You can always look up some if you need a recipe or want to make a homemade sauce.
I have shared my “recipe” for potato salad before. I don’t have one! I can tell you the ingredients I use and how I mix it up, but that’s about it. I peel and cut up russet potatoes (you decide how big a batch you want to make) and boil them. I also put an egg in there to boil at the same time (my MIL taught me that – genius!). Once they are cooked and drained, peel the egg and chop it and add to the pot. Then I add mayo, mustard, sweet pickle relish, salt and pepper and stir it all up. I start with small amounts and add additional if needed until it is the color and taste that I want. You can always buy potato salad too, but homemade is SO good. We actually like to eat our potato salad warm, but I know many do not. If that is the case, if you are making homemade, just make it ahead of time and chill.
I would like to say that my baked beans recipe is a secret that I don’t want to share, but I guess it’s not really a secret recipe since I found it in a cookbook that I received when we got married. It is called Pots, Pans, and Pioneers Vol 3. These recipes were collected from employees and their families of the Telephone Industry (that really dates this recipe – and me!). This recipe was submitted by Barbara Smith of Shreveport, Louisiana. It is the only baked bean recipe I will use if I am making homemade baked beans. I usually make them a day ahead to develop the flavors.
1 large can pork and beans, drained
1 small chopped onion
2 tsp. Parsley flakes
½ cup maple syrup
½ cup BBQ sauce
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup brown sugar
4 slices bacon, cut up
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
Cook bacon until almost crisp. Add onion, parsley, and garlic; cook until bacon is crisp. Add drained beans and other ingredients. Cook slowly 30 minutes.
Several years ago I decided I wanted to use the turkey carcass from Christmas dinner to make turkey stock. I also wanted to use some of the leftover turkey for a different meal. That’s when I found this recipe. I usually get about 20 or so cups of stock when I make it. I freeze that in 2-cup and 3-cup portions. I have linked a recipe from thekitchn.com. I don’t follow it exactly, but it gives you the general idea if you want to try it. I like to add some garlic cloves if I have them, and I usually put a lid on my pot. I guess that means my stock doesn’t reduce down as much, but I still get a really good flavor since we inject our turkey before cooking it. I always make this soup from food.com sometime right after Christmas. My husband looks forward to it. I also make it a few other times throughout the year, especially during the winter months. I have made a modification to it. Instead of just using the carrots it calls for, I use frozen peas and carrots instead. We really like that combination better than just carrots. You can serve this soup with a salad or some fruit. You can also have some rolls or bread with it. Do what works for you.
Leftover Mashed Potato Soup with Ham, sourdough bread, salad
You just saw this recipe on Menu #10. I know we will have leftover potatoes from Christmas, so I’m going to make it again. My family does not mind! Reminder that this recipe is from littlehomeinthemaking.com. It makes a large pot of soup and is super easy to make. I add ham to mine because we like potato soup with ham. You can have just the soup, or fix some bread or rolls and a salad for a complete meal.
Skillet Sausage and Potatoes, fruit
This recipe was on Menu #2. Here is the description:
This is just another quick throw-together meal that I basically made up when my kids were little. I just cut up some sausage – of course I use andouille – and I peel and cut up some russet potatoes.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and heat up about a tablespoon or so of vegetable or canola oil. When it’s hot, throw in the sausage and potatoes – well, don’t throw them in or you will get splattered with oil – and season. We use Tony’s Creole Seasoning or Slap Ya’ Mama Cajun Seasoning. Of course, you use what you have or what you like. Stir around and sprinkle again if needed to make sure everything is seasoned. Put a lid on the skillet and let it cook. Check it every few minutes and give it a stir to make sure that nothing is sticking. When the potatoes are soft, it’s ready. I put some fresh fruit and some raw veggies as sides, and that’s it.
When my kids were little, I did alter this a bit. I made it as is for my husband and myself, but I did a little separate amount for the kids that did not have the spicy seasoning. We usually have some fresh or canned fruit as a side and call it a day.
Soup and sandwich
I don’t think this requires any explanation again. We have canned soup and either a hot or cold sandwich. Many times we each pick out a can of soup that we like. We also prepare our sandwiches as we like them. I like tomatoes and pickles on mine. My husband likes lettuce and onion on his. Or you can prepare them all the same or have grilled cheese sandwiches. The point is that this is an extremely low-labor meal either right before or right after all the holiday happenings. Sometimes during this time of year less is more.
Rotisserie chicken, instant mashed potatoes, green beans
This meal is exactly as it sounds. Use frozen rotisserie chicken that you have or pick up one at the store. Mix up some instant potatoes and open some canned green beans. Not very creative but very timely for what is needed.
Blue Runner Red Beans and rice with sausage, cornbread, cabbage
These are a favorite of ours when I don’t want to make homemade red beans and rice. They are not readily available where we are so I have to have family or friends bring them to me when they visit or I have to get them when we visit further south. They are creamy red beans that I serve over rice. I fry up some andouille sausage to serve on top. I mix up a package of yellow cornbread from Gladiola. Cabbage makes a good side dish for this meal. The recipe I use can be found at divascancook.com.
Managing the Mundane 
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