One Pot Meals for Thanksgiving Week Guests

Thanksgiving is not just one meal when entertaining out of town holiday guests.  The  family time that Thanksgiving provides often last 3-7 days.  Delicious, ‘prepare ahead’, one pot meals are essential. Try a few of these recipes this week–be sure to make a double batch to freeze and serve.

Having soup on the stove or in the crock pot works for a quick meal and one that can be served to late arrivals. Try a few of these flavorful choices that freeze splendidly.

Sweet Creamy Apple Butter Nut Squash Soup has hidden pumpkin in it for a rich creamy taste. I make mine with coconut cream to cut out the dairy and  green apples for a little bit of tang.

Or, try this one pot soup sure to satisfy the heaviest eaters. One Pot Tortellini Italian Sausage Tomato Soup with fresh spinach makes a warm homecoming for guests who have been out playing all day. You can make the soup ahead of time–drop in the fresh spinach and a serve with crusty bread.

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To good to be true this One Pot Veggie Chili can be thrown together at the last minute and severed in less than 1/2 hour. (a shorter wait by far than the local restaurant)!  You can add some warm tortillas for dipping.

Made like a soup, but oh so much more yummy, this Easy One Pot Shrimp Boil will bring back summer memories this fall. Follow this meal with an equally easy “wow” meal that is so simple,  Easy Lemon Chicken.

OK, here is trick, cook more chicken than what you need for the Easy Lemon Chicken Recipe and serve it cold with the next recipe to make a hearty meal. Ha! two for one!

Next up, make a Fall Salad with Maple with Candied Pecans, Apples, Bacon and Shaved Brussels Spouts.  Combine this large salad with the shredded chicken breast ( which you cooked from the recipe above), it creates a wonderful lunch or lite supper.

I admitted in an earlier blog on spicy pumpkin recipes that I don’t like pie.  Well, I lied.  I like Chicken Pot Pie!  Especially, homemade chicken pot pie that can be frozen and thawed ready to pop in oven while family and friends play a rousing game of spoons.

Need a quick kid friendly meal that kids will gobble up before the big thanksgiving feast. If, like us, there is no pizza delivery in your area, try this five ingredient pizza pasta bake— loved by kids for its cheesy pepperoni-ness!

For adults only!  no kids allowed on this one.  Roasted Acorn Squash with Warm Goat Cheese Salad is a fall treat and easy to make. It will look sophisticated without you slaving in the kitchen all day.

I know, I know I keep talking about bread with out giving out a recipe.  If you can boil water you can make this bread.  It is beyond simple and very satisfying and freezes well.  It is water, yeast, oil, salt, flour and oil.  You can do this!

Need some One Pot Meals for after the holiday? Do you have left over mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving?  You can dress them up with this fully loaded bake mash potato recipe.  This one is super heavy on the dairy which makes it amazingly yummy.  Add a little finely chopped broccoli to incorporate a vegetable into these fluffy potatoes. Also, you can add a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and a bagged salad and yell “come and get it”.

I must admitted that the Le Creuset 5 quart pot is one of my favorites.  These pots while expensive come with a no questions asked life time warranty and are often passed from generation to generation.  The pots cook evenly and are pretty enough to be placed on the table where they will keep hot things hot and cold things cold.  Maybe an early Christmas Gift?