This is the last quiet week before Thanksgiving planning takes over, so I kept it warm and filling. Broccoli cheddar soup on Monday, honey mustard chicken thighs and vegetables on one sheet pan Tuesday, a turkey and sweet potato skillet that takes twenty minutes on Wednesday, a pot of Cincinnati chili big enough for ten on Thursday, and crispy beer-battered fish with fries for Friday.
For the bonus recipe, cranberry bliss bars. A tender cranberry blondie with orange and ginger under a white chocolate cream cheese frosting, cut into twenty four squares. It is the Starbucks copycat, and you get a whole pan instead of one.
Helpful Tips for This Week
- Buy a block of sharp cheddar for the broccoli cheddar soup and grate it yourself. Pre shredded cheese is coated so it will not melt smoothly.
- Get the honey mustard chicken into its marinade the night before, or before you leave in the morning. Half an hour works, but several hours tastes much better.
- Keep the sweet potatoes in the turkey skillet in a single layer and use the lid. Crowded pieces take a lot longer to soften.
- Cincinnati chili makes ten servings, so count on leftovers. It is just as good over fries or a baked potato on Saturday.
- Salt the fish and let it sit twenty to thirty minutes before you batter it. The batter is better made a day ahead too, so mix it Thursday night if you can.
- Let the bliss bars cool completely before you frost them, and cut them cold with a clean knife for sharp edges.
1
Monday — Broccoli Cheddar Soup
A roux based soup with milk, cream and three cups of grated sharp cheddar, with small broccoli florets cooked right in. Twenty five minutes, and vegetarian if you use vegetable stock.
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2
Tuesday — Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs
Bone in thighs marinated in honey, Dijon and cider vinegar, then roasted on one pan with Brussels sprouts, butternut squash and red onion. Six servings and one pan to wash.
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3
Wednesday — Ground Turkey and Sweet Potato Skillet
Ground turkey browned with cumin and smoked paprika, then simmered under a lid with sweet potatoes, black beans and red bell pepper. Twenty minutes, dairy free as written, and good with avocado on top.
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4
Thursday — Cincinnati Chili
A thin, spiced beef chili with cinnamon, allspice and a little unsweetened chocolate, ladled over spaghetti and buried in shredded cheddar. Ten servings in thirty five minutes.
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5
Friday — Beer Battered Fish
Firm white fish in a cold beer batter, fried until the coating shatters. Serve it with fries, tartar sauce and lemon for a fish fry at home.
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6
Bonus — Cranberry Bliss Bars
A white chocolate and cranberry blondie under cream cheese frosting, with more white chocolate drizzled over the top. Cuts into twenty four bars and keeps in the fridge for four days.
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Easy Serving Ideas
Monday wants crusty bread or a grilled cheese next to it. Tuesday is a full dinner on its own. The turkey skillet takes shredded cheese melted under the lid, or spoon it into warm tortillas. The chili needs spaghetti underneath and cheddar, onion and oyster crackers on top. For Friday, fries and a quick slaw are all it takes.
Shopping List
This shopping list includes everything you need to make all five dinners, plus the bonus dessert in this week’s plan. It is sorted by aisle so you can work through it in one pass.
Produce
- 1 large head broccoli, you need 3 cups small florets
- 12 ounces Brussels sprouts
- 1 small butternut squash, you need 1 pound peeled and cubed
- 2 medium red onions
- 2 yellow onions
- 1 large white onion, plus a little extra for topping the chili
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 pound sweet potatoes
- 1 bulb garlic, you need 13 cloves
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, optional
- 1 avocado, optional
- 1 lemon
Meat and Seafood
- 6 bone in, skin on chicken thighs, about 2 pounds
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 ½ pounds firm white fish fillets, cod, pollock, haddock or halibut
Dairy and Eggs
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, 1 for the soup and 2 for the bars
- 1 half gallon milk, you need 3 ½ cups, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons for the frosting
- 1 small carton heavy cream (double cream in the UK), you need ½ cup
- 1 ½ pounds block sharp cheddar, you need 3 cups grated for the soup and more for the chili
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 dozen large eggs, you need 3
Canned and Jarred
- 1 (32-ounce) carton chicken or vegetable stock, you need 1 ¾ cups for the soup and 1 cup for the skillet
- 1 (32-ounce) carton beef broth, you need 2 cups
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 small tin tomato paste, you need 4 tablespoons
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans
- 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans
- Dijon mustard, you need ¼ cup
- Whole grain mustard, you need 1 tablespoon
- Honey, you need ¼ cup
- Apple cider vinegar, you need ¼ cup
- Worcestershire sauce, you need 2 tablespoons
- Tartar sauce
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle or can of beer, you need 1 cup, cold
Frozen
- 1 bag frozen fries
Bread, Pasta and Dry Goods
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1 box oyster crackers
Baking Aisle
- All-purpose flour, you need 4 cups, or gluten free flour
- Baking powder, you need 3 teaspoons
- Light brown sugar, you need 1 cup packed
- Granulated sugar, you need ½ cup
- Powdered sugar, you need 2 cups
- 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
- 12 ounces white chocolate, chopped, or white chocolate chips
- 1 (6-ounce) bag dried cranberries
- Pure vanilla extract, you need 1 ½ teaspoons
- Orange extract, you need ½ teaspoon, or 1 orange for zest
Oils, Condiments and Spices
- Extra virgin olive oil, you need about 3 tablespoons
- Neutral oil for frying, enough for 2 inches in a deep pot
- Paprika
- Smoked paprika
- Ground cumin
- Dried oregano
- Ground cinnamon, you need 2 teaspoons
- Ground allspice
- Ground cloves
- Ground ginger
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
Supplies
- Large pot or Dutch oven with a lid, for the soup
- Immersion blender, optional, if you want the soup smoother
- Large sheet pan, for the chicken
- 12-inch skillet with a lid, for the turkey and sweet potatoes
- Large pot for the chili, plus another for the spaghetti
- Slow cooker, optional, if you would rather let the chili simmer all day
- Deep heavy pot for frying the fish
- Instant-read thermometer
- Tongs or a slotted spoon for lifting the fish out
- Wire cooling rack
- 9×13-inch baking pan, for the bliss bars
- Parchment paper
- Box grater
- Hand or stand mixer, for the cream cheese frosting
Optional Serving Ideas
- Crusty bread or a grilled cheese with the broccoli cheddar soup
- Shredded cheddar or Monterey jack melted over the turkey skillet
- Warm tortillas to turn the turkey skillet into tacos
- Oyster crackers, diced onion and extra cheddar on the Cincinnati chili
- A quick slaw with the fish and fries
Made something from this week’s plan? Leave a 5-star rating and a quick comment on the recipe. It helps other readers decide what to cook next, and it means a lot to me. Thank you for your support!
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