Decidedly not Thanksgiving...
...and easy ground beef enchiladas
And that’s a wrap! Thanksgiving 2023 is in the books!
We had a wonderful fun-filled, food-filled, beach-filled week in Florida, and I’m thankful for every minute of it, but boy am I ready to get back to my routine. And I think I’m not the only one - Saturday night the Kiddo sat down beside me and said, “Mom, I’m tired and everything hurts.” Me too, dude. Me too.
That’s when I realized that as much as I love Thanksgiving with all the planning and cooking (and more planning and more cooking), once it’s over, I’m equally ready to move on.
So, in the weeks after Thanksgiving, before we get to Christmas, I like to plan meals that in no way involve “holiday food”. We’ll move toward lighter, simpler meals or dinners that are internationally inspired.
I have a couple of great recipes for you that I’ll be working into our menu this week. The Easy Ground Beef Enchiladas are a family favorite. The homemade enchilada sauce is not hard at all, and it’s so worth it. Once I smell the spices start to come together in the pan, I just lean in and get a big smile on my face. And the Chickpea Coconut Curry is what I’ve been craving after a big holiday meal plus a couple of days of “leftover holiday meals”. It’s vegetarian and loaded with goodies like chickpeas and kale, and I can make a big batch and eat it for lunch all week.
That’s all for now! I hope you all also had a great Thanksgiving holiday and you’re in recovery mode until the next round of holiday eats and treats!
MONDAY - Easy Ground Beef Enchiladas and Rice
Just what we need after too much turkey and dressing. Chopped lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, and sour cream for topping. Recipe down below!
TUESDAY - Quiche and Roasted Potatoes
Kind of like breakfast for dinner. The quiche is a great use for those leftover bits of ham that maybe weren’t sliced pretty enough for the big platter…
WEDNESDAY - Chicken Cutlets with Angel Hair Pasta
Chicken cutlets are so easy and fast. You can buy them already as cutlets or cut a chicken breast in half. I usually do a quick breading with panko and then pan fry in a little olive oil. Buttered noodles, an arugula salad, and a squeeze of lemon go perfectly. If I’m feeling extra, I’ll roast some grape tomatoes also.
THURSDAY - Ditalini in Broth
This is our go-to for the simplest of dinners. Ditalini pasta cooked in chicken broth with butter, garlic, and parmesan cheese. It’s a little bit soup and a little bit pasta dish and all comfort food. I found this blog post from Domestically Blissful a couple of years ago and have used it as my inspiration. I add in extra pasta since the Kiddo likes more pasta and less broth, and I throw in a parmesan cheese rind to flavor the broth.
FRIDAY - Friday night pick up!
This Friday is the Christmas Tree Lighting on the town square, so I think we’ll actually go out and be festive!
SATURDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s! (the in-laws)
Asian-inspired with all the fun convenience foods you get roped into buying once you taste test them at Costco!
SUNDAY - Dinner at my Dad’s!
I actually don’t know what’s on the menu, but we saw some good looking things in the lastest Cook’s Country Magazine!
LUNCHES for this week - Chickpea Coconut Curry
This is my reset after all the heavy Thanksgiving foods! I’ll make some quinoa or brown rice to go with and have it for lunch all week. It freezes nicely if I end up having some leftover.
EXTRAS for this week
I’m making a some extra things for a few friends and family who will need some meals coming up. Also, I’m finalizing a couple of recipes so that I can bring you all the holiday cookie projects!
Easy Ground Beef Enchiladas
Makes about 6-8 servings.
Enchilada Sauce
· 1 tablespoon Butter
· 1 tablespoon Flour
· 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
· 1 teaspoon Cumin
· ¼ teaspoon Cayenne
· 1 teaspoon dried Oregano
· ½ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)
· 1/8 teaspoon Onion Powder
· 1/8 teaspoon Garlic Powder
· ½ cup Chicken Broth
· 15 ounce can Tomato Sauce
Filling
· 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
· 1 pound Ground Beef
· ½ teaspoon kosher Salt
· ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
· ½ of a large Onion, diced
· 1 can (4 ounces) diced Green Chiles
· ¼ cup of Enchilada Sauce from above
· ½ cup shredded Colby Jack Cheese
Other
· 8 soft taco size Flour Tortillas
· 1 cup shredded Colby Jack Cheese, for topping
· Diced Green Onions and Sour Cream, for topping if desired
Make the enchilada sauce first. In a small bowl, go ahead and measure out and combine flour, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, oregano, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat until bubbling. Stir in spices. Add chicken broth, stir and cook for a minute. Add tomato sauce, reduce heat to medium. Stir and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Make the filling. Heat a medium size skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until most of the pink is gone, breaking the meat up with your spoon. Add the onion and continue cooking until the meat and onion are cooked through. Drain.
Stir in the green chiles, ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce, and ½ cup of Colby Jack cheese.
Coat a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the middle position.
Divide the filling mixture among the 8 flour tortillas and roll up. Place seam side down in baking dish. Top with remaining sauce and cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes until cheese is melty and edges are bubbly. Serve with green onions and sour cream, if desired.
NOTES:
The enchiladas can be made and assembled up to 2 days ahead. Once assembled to the point of baking, cover with foil and refrigerate. Follow baking instructions, leaving the foil on for 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake another 15 minutes.
Also, as a variation, black beans or kidney beans can be added to the filling. I would add one drained can.
Chickpea Coconut Curry
Makes about 4-6 servings.
· 1 tablespoon Olive Oil (or other oil of choice)
· 1 medium Onion, diced
· 3 cloves Garlic, minced
· 1 ½ teaspoons Dried Ginger
· ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
· 2 teaspoons Curry Powder
· 1 teaspoon Ground Turmeric
· 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme Leaves
· 1 teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or store brand)
· ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
· 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
· 28 ounce can Crushed Tomatoes
· 2 cans Chickpeas (15 ounces each), drained
· 1 can full fat Coconut Milk
· 5-10 ounces Baby Spinach (or a half bunch of kale, chopped)
· 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
· Optional Jasmine Rice or Quinoa for serving
In large skillet with high sides, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and cook for 8-10 minutes until onion is translucent in color and cooked through. Reduce heat if necessary to prevent onion from browning.
While onion is cooking, go ahead and measure all of your spices together in a small bowl – ginger, cumin, curry powder, turmeric, thyme leaves, salt, pepper, and cayenne.
Stir in minced garlic and spice mix. Cook one minute, stirring constantly.
Pour in crushed tomatoes and chickpeas. Stir well to combine. Partially cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
Stir in coconut milk and return to a simmer. Then stir in lemon juice and spinach (or kale). Continue to cook for a few minutes until greens are slightly wilted (4-5 minutes).
Serve over rice or quinoa, if desired.
The Enchiladas look very yummy! I'll have to try those!