Well, folks - ‘tis the season! And by “the season” I mean the non-stop, go-go, hustle and bustle of this time of year where Halloween was forgotten in a second, Thanksgiving is bleeding into Christmas, and if you haven’t gotten that perfect family portrait for the cards and your Christmas tree isn’t twinkling yet, You. Are. Already. Behind. (It’s me. I’m behind.)
Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating, but we all have times when life gets busy and we don’t have much time or energy for elaborate weeknight meals. My tips? One - Definitely make that weekly meal plan so whatever brain power you have left isn’t spent just trying to decide what’s for dinner. And two - fill it with easy things like crock pot meals, sheet pan dinners, store-bought helpers, and the two one pot wonders I’ve got for you below.
Both of today’s recipes are made start to finish in one pan and require minimal ingredient prep. The Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice is a comfort food classic pairing boneless, skinless chicken thighs and creamy, cheesy rice with fresh brocolli florets that steam over the top. And the One Pan Vodka Pasta is rich and tomato-y and just as spicy as you want it (or don’t). Both love a good roll to swipe around the plate.
You’ll see from our family weekly menu below that we are leaning heavily into easy dinners this week as I have spent most of my time getting those make ahead Thanksgiving dishes done and in the freezer. (You can jump back here to a couple of weeks ago when I talked about my mostly make-ahead Thanksgiving!)
As for next week, I plan on spending some quality time at the beach with my family, so I won’t be putting out a newsletter, but we’ll jump right back in as soon as we all come out of our Turkey induced naps!
MONDAY - Sheet Pan Gnocchi
This hits our rotation pretty often; it’s easy and loaded with veggies. You can get the recipe back in my first newsletter edition!
TUESDAY - Gyros and Tater Tots
Taking assistance from a couple of store-bought helpers today. We’ll stuff some pita pockets with the already prepared gyro meat you can buy and whatever toppings we have around (onion, lettuce, tomato, store-bought tzakiki) and have tater tots and fresh fruit on the side.
WEDNESDAY - Fried Rice
This is a no-recipe, throw some veggies and cold rice in a skillet winner of a dinner. I keep a bag of frozen peas and carrots just for fried rice nights and then add any other veggies we have that need to be used up. If I don’t have any frozen cooked chicken or pork, I’ll grab some diced ham at the store. I like mine topped with a fried egg!
THURSDAY - Burrito Night
Ground beef, a can of black beans, and some spices make an easy filling for burritos. (Or a great topping for some nachos!) Load ‘em up your way!
FRIDAY - Friday night pick up!
SATURDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s! (the in-laws)
She found a recipe for a Chicken Bacon Pasta that the kiddo is super excited about.
SUNDAY - Dinner at my Dad’s!
Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes! (And Klondike Bars for dessert, always!)
LUNCHES for this week - Greek Quinoa Salad
I have a super awesome friend who came over and helped me make the tons of mashed potatoes I needed for Thanksgiving, and while she was here we made a big batch of this quinoa salad to split for our lunches. It has cucumbers, peppers, onion, chickpeas, feta, and a lemon vinaigrette. I grabbed some arugula to serve mine over.
EXTRAS for this week
Still working on a few Thanksgiving things, but I’m mostly done! I’m making some extra mac ‘n cheese and a pan of brownies to take to a pot-luck holiday lunch. And I need to try a sourdough loaf again, my last one was a fail. But that’s okay, I’ll get right back up on that horse!
One Pan Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice
Makes about 4-6 servings.
· 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
· 2 tablespoons Butter
· 2-2 ½ pounds boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs
· 1 medium Onion, diced
· 2 cloves Garlic, minced
· 1 ½ cups White Rice
· ½ cup White Wine
· 1 ½ cups Chicken Broth
· 1 cup Heavy Cream
· ¾ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or store brand)
· ¼ teaspoon ground Black Pepper
· 1 cup shredded Cheese (I like to use 2 different kinds, such as ½ cup cheddar, ½ cup fontina)
· 6-8 cups Broccoli florets, from about 3 small crowns (or 2 large ones)
Season chicken thighs with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil and butter in a large heavy skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium high heat until butter just starts to bubble and foam. Carefully place chicken thighs in skillet and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate.
Add diced onion to skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes until translucent and cooked through. Reduce heat if necessary to prevent burning. Stir in garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Stir in rice and cook for 1-2 minutes until toasty.
Carefully pour in wine and stir to scrape up any bits on the bottom of the skillet. Once most of the wine is absorbed, stir in the chicken broth, cream, cheese, salt, and pepper.
Gently set the chicken thighs back in skillet along with any juices that have accumulated on the place. Arrange the broccoli florets around the thighs. Once the pan reaches a simmer, cover with the lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat but leave the pan covered for another 5 minutes for the rice to absorb any remaining liquid.
One Pan Pasta with Vodka Sauce
Makes about 4-6 servings.
· 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
· 2 tablespoons Butter
· 1 medium Onion, diced
· 4 cloves Garlic, minced
· ¼ cup Tomato Paste
· ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (or more or less to taste)
· ½ cup Vodka
· 28 ounce can Whole Tomatoes
· 2 ½ cups Chicken Broth
· 1 ½ cups Heavy Cream
· 2 teaspoons White Sugar
· 1 teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or store brand), divided
· 16 ounces Penne Pasta (or rigatoni or ziti)
· ¼ cup chopped fresh Basil, plus a sprinkle more for serving
· ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese, plus a little more for serving
Heat butter and olive oil in a large, deep sided skillet over medium heat until butter is melted. Stir in onion and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, 8-10 minutes until onion is cooked through but not browning. Add garlic and cook just 30 seconds more.
Stir in tomato paste and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes, just until the tomato paste turns one shade darker. Carefully add vodka, continue cooking and stirring until the mixture has thickened, about one minute.
Add canned tomatoes, stir and break them up with your spoon (or a potato masher). Stir in broth, cream, sugar, and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring sauce to a simmer.
Stir in pasta, return to a simmer. (Lower heat as necessary to keep a gentle simmer.) Cook uncovered 12-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until pasta is al dente.
Remove from heat, let stand 2-3 minutes, then stir in basil and parmesan cheese. Serve, topping with more basil and parmesan if desired.