November Family Meal Plan

November is upon us, and once again I’m surprised! Halloween has been here and gone, and I’m now in FULL ON THANKSGIVING mode. We host, almost every year, and it is my FAVORITE holiday.

The last few years though I’ve been so frazzled when it actually comes that I don’t think I’ve really given it my BEST effort, so I’m on a quest.

November Family Meal Plan

This month is going to be allllll about those fall flavors, and perfecting what is going to end up on my Thanksgiving table. It may not be decorated like I see in the magazines, but I’m going to make sure the food being eaten on it could live in magazine land should it be given the proper lighting, camera, and vision.

I can’t wait for you guys to try some of these recipes from my favorite blogging friends! Let me know what you love, and what you want to see for next month as well.

November – Week 1 Menu

The first week of November is always frazzled around here. We’ve all got Halloween hangovers. SO MANY CANDY WRAPPERS. Where is the bottom of my sink? Or, maybe is this the cleanest my kitchen has ever been since we’ve been feasting on leftovers or take-out for the last several days? Who knows.

We’re going to dive into some fall and winter classics this week. Find something you can’t live without!

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday
Dinner	Homemade Alfredo	Beef Vegetable Soup	Baked Chicken Parm
Side	BBQ Ranch Cornbread Salad	Baked Sweet Potato Fries	Best Garlic Bread
Dessert	Apple-filled Pull-Apart Bread	Last-Minute Bread Pudding	Pistachio Salad
Drink	Blackberry Margaritas	Rumberry Punch Cranberry Cocktail	Blue Hawaiian Long Island

There is nothing like a REALLY good alfredo. This awesome dish, below, is going into my regular rotation – stat.

Homemade Alfredo Sauce over linguini in a white bowl on a nicely decorated table

Homemade Alfredo Sauce by Love Bakes Good Cakes

Later on this week we’re hitting the pasta train again with the easy Baked Chicken Parm pictured below! I love fall cooking and all the casseroles, hot-dishes, and baked goods that come out of my oven.

Baked Chicken Parm in a casserole dish held with potholders in hands

Baked Chicken Parm from Easy and Delish

	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Dinner	Brazilian Shrimp Stew	Laughing Cow Chicken	Apple Glazed Cornish Hen
Side	Greek Rice	Easy Fried Mushrooms	Oven-roasted Garlic Green Beans
Dessert	Instant Pot Eggnog Cheesecake	Ruby Apple Pie	Pumpkin Pie Bites
Drink	Blackberry Margarita Mimosa	Grown-up Pink Lemonade	Holiday Wine Spritzer

November – Week 2 Menu

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday
Dinner	Lemon Chicken Tajine	Bacon, Basil, Tomato Pasta	Korean Beef
Side	Airfryer Buffalo Cauliflower Tots	Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese	Pressure Cooker Creamy Tomato Soup
Dessert	Cherry Berry on a Cloud	Fresh Apple Crisp	Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee
Drink	Strawberry White Wine Spritzer	Cranberry Champagne Punch	Baby Blue Punch

Fire up some fancy in your life and make this awesome Prime Rib roast. I can almost smell it through my screen!

Prime Rib Roast cooked perfectly on a cutting board in the middle of a table full of food.

This melt-in-your-mouth prime rib recipe is from Foodie and Wine

	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Dinner	Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff	Stuffed Chicken Breast	Prime Rib Roast
Side	Best Deviled Eggs	Crock Pot Sweet Potato Casserole	Shrimp Scampi Dip
Dessert	Caramel Apple Crisp Magic Cookie Bars	Instant Pot Strawberry Cheesecake	Big Batch Brownies
Drink	Lemongrass Lemon Drop	Raspberry Margarita	Slow Cooker Apple Citrus Cider

Instant Pot Strawberry Cheesecake from Or Whatever You Do

November – Week 3 Menu

Thanksgiving week! Here are some Thanksgiving recipes you can make as well as the awesome options below. Including a normal Thursday even though it’ll be turkey-central for most of us.

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday
Dinner	Skillet Lasagna	Beef Stew	Maple Mustard Pork Roast
Side	Sheet Pan Roasted Vegetables	Chargrilled Pumpkin Salad	Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Dessert	No-Bake Eggnog Pie	Scratch Chocolate Pudding Pie	Easy Classic Lemon Bars
Drink	Cranberry Orange Mimosa	Raspberry Sangria	Cherry Peach Punch

If you want an Instant Pot version of Beef Stew, try this one from Meatloaf and Mellowdrama!

	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Dinner	Cheesy Chicken Potato Soup	Buffalo Chicken Bread (Use leftover turkey!)	Instant Pot Swiss Steak
Side	Stovetop Candied Yams	Airfryer Honey Goat Cheese Balls	Cream of Mushroom Soup
Dessert	Raspberry Angel Food Cake	Pumpkin Pie Dessert Dip	Chewy Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
Drink	Salted Caramel Apple Spiked Cider	Pineapple Prosecco Cocktail	Orange Creamsicle Mimosa

Cream of Mushroom Soup by Manu’s Menu

Cheesy Chicken Potato Soup by Little Dairy on the Prairie

November – Week 4 Menu

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday
Dinner	Crock Pot Tortilla Soup	Shrimp and Grits	Tortellini Pasta Carbonara
Side	Skillet Sweet Potato Casserole	Black Eyed Pea Salad	Roasted Root Vegetables
Dessert	Pecan Pie Cheesecake	Pumpkin Whoopie Pies	Apple Skillet Cookie
Drink		Apple Cider Sangria	Kahlua Mudslides

This Zuppa Toscana from Foodie and Wine is going to be my new winter “go-to” soup. It looks so creamy and delicious, and since taking 9 people out to a restaurant costs approximately 18 zillion dollars – it also might be the only way my children are trying this until they are adults and can take their own selves out to a restaurant.

Zuppa Toscana Soup with a spoon in a bowl

Zuppa Toscana Soup from Foodie and Wine

	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Dinner	Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo (make it with Turkey!)	Chicken Enchilada Skillet	Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana
Side			Cheese Korokke
Dessert	Pumpkin Cream Mousse	Arroz Con Leche	Hershey Chocolate Bundt Cake
Drink	Meyer Lemon Mimosa	Abominable Snowman Cocktail	Mason Jar Margarita

Arroz Con Leche from Mom Makes Dinner

Obviously, we don’t do a homemade dessert every day of the week, or a cocktail with dinner either, but I wanted to give you all some options if the mood happens to strike!

Hershey’s Chocolate Bundt Cake by Pink When

If you enjoy this meal plan, let me know in the comments below, and share with your friends! This is a new series for me and I want to make sure it is as useful as possible for you all!

Thanksgiving Leftovers Here We Come!

Turkey Cranberry Sliders
Turkey Cranberry Quesadillas
Chicken Noodle Pot Pie Casserole (sub in Turkey!)

Want some other ideas? Check out these other awesome dinners:

One-Pot Chicken Lo Mein from April Go Lightly

And these side dishes:

Eat Keto? Here are some great options for you!

Paleo?

Shredded Roast Beef Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

There you have it! Another month of awesome recipes and dinner ideas from some of my favorite bloggers. I hope you find something awesome, and let me know what you think!

Nicole Johnson

Website

Nicole Johnson, a self-taught expert in grilling and outdoor cooking, launched Or Whatever You Do in 2010. Her blog, renowned for its comprehensive and creative outdoor cooking recipes, has garnered a vast audience of millions. Nicole's hands-on experience and passion for grilling shine through her work. Her husband, Jeremiah Johnson, also plays a pivotal role in recipe development, adding his culinary flair to the mix. Together, they form a dynamic duo, offering a rich and varied outdoor cooking experience to their followers.