Halloween Week Dinners
Weeknight dinners should be simple to prepare and easy to clean up. This week is full of one-pot meals, Halloween night chili (a family tradition, even if it’s 80 degrees in Houston and the kids are sweating through their costumes) and a sheetpan wonder. Make your game plan and shop once for the week, you’ll have a week’s worth of dinners crossed off your list.
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SUNDAY
Weeknight bolognese. I’ll have mine over spinach sautéed in olive oil and garlic; kids will have theirs over penne. Pumpkin pie with whipped cream for dessert.
MONDAY
This versatile vegetable soup will use up all the odds and ends in your crisper and freezer. I may try gluten-free jalapeño corn muffins as well. Toss up a side salad with super simple salad dressing and swap the champagne vinegar for apple cider vinegar for a fall take on my classic dressing.
TUESDAY
Grilled chicken tacos with all the fixings, serve in a bowl over beans or greens or in a tortilla. I prefer to chop the chicken into oblivion, as opposed to slicing the meat. Serve with cilantro, avocado slices and salsa verde.
WEDNESDAY
Happy Halloween! We always have chili on Halloween, and usually a double batch to serve hungry friends. I like to feed my kids early so they have something in their stomach before hitting the candy trail. Look for my article in the Houston Chronicle today. You’ll find recipes for some new favorites: Roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin black bean chili, mummy sausages and a tasty adult beverage.
THURSDAY
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our school for the late start! So happy we get to sleep in after trick-or-treating. For dinner, sheetpan sausage and peppers with either kielbasa or bratwurst. Look for good quality sausage, such as Pederson’s Natural Farms or Teton Waters Ranch. We’ll have sauerkraut on the side, and I may add a few quartered red potatoes to the sheetpan.
FRIDAY
We have our big crosstown rivalry football game tonight. If you’re cooking at home, try Instant Pot Pot Roast from Pioneer Woman. Or if you feel like you’ve had too much beef and sausage in your life this week, try everyday turmeric chicken from Pamela Salzman.
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