It's time for turkey, stuffing and all the trimmings! Here's our meal plan for the week which ends in a turkey feast and then leftovers for days and days and days...... I have included the "famous" broccoli slaw and ramen noodle recipe that we make every year.

What's on your holiday menu?

Meatless Monday (not every Monday is meatless, but this one is!)

Creamy spinach and cheese quesadillas (using fresh spinach, Green Giant creamed spinach on sale this week at Lowes for $1 with .60/3 coupons, cheese on sale at HT today for .97 with e-vic sale, garlic, pepper and topped with salsa and fresh tomatoes)

Spanish rice

Tangerine slices

Tuesday

BBQ chicken sandwiches (chicken breast cooked in slow cooker with BBQ sauce, garlic powder, pepper and chopped onions)

Steamfresh pasta and veggies (on sale BOGO at Lowes Foods - .50/2 coupon from 11/18)

Apple slices

Wednesday

Palermo's pizza (easy meal since I will be cooking/preparing for Thanksgiving meal all evening like many of us)

Salad

Thursday – Happy Thanksgiving!

We will have a smaller crowd this year than last, but I am still putting on a full spread!  Each year we have a traditional Thanksgiving with turkey, stuffing, sweet taters, pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce. 

The non-traditional dish at our Thanksgiving table is always Broccoli Slaw with Ramen Noodles.  My mom made it every year at Thanksgiving while she was still living and I have carried on the tradition. It's an easy tradition to continue because we all love it.  If you are new to this crazy Broccoli Slaw recipe using ramen noodles, you really have to try it. It's a bizarre mixture, but it comes together beautifully. Anyone else a fan of the Broccoli Slaw with Ramen Noodles dish?

Appetizers

Vegetable tray and dip, crackers and cheese slices (nothing that needs to cook in the oven since I will need it for the turkey, dressing and sweet potato casserole)

Salad

Broccoli Slaw (see recipe below – it is also in the WRAL Recipe Database)

Main meal

15 lb Honeysuckle White turkey (bought at Kroger for .47/lb) cooked in the oven. This year I am cooking it in a Reynolds turkey bag based on all the recommendations you made in the turkey giveaway thread.

Homemade dressing with 1 loaf of white bread and 1 loaf of honey wheat bread, celery, mushrooms, onions, butter, broth & herbs. Click HERE for the basic recipe I use. I also add 8 oz of mushrooms sliced to the butter, onion and celery mixture.

Sweet potato casserole (using NC sweet potatoes from Lowes Foods on sale for .27/lb this week)

Rolls, cranberry sauce, gravy

Desserts

Pumpkin pie – using canned pumpkin on sale for .99 and the Libby's Pumpkin Pie recipe found HERE (and on Libby's pumpkin labels since 1950!).

My mother-in-law is bringing a cranberry dessert of some kind

Friday (and probably Saturday)

LEFTOVERS!!

Broccoli Slaw with Ramen Noodles

If you have never had this salad, you may be raising your eyebrows at the mention of ramen noodles in a cold salad. I promise - you are in for a treat. The ramen noodles become perfectly soft in the delicious dressing and the nuts add an excellent flavor. It's ideal for a potluck or picnic, because it has no dairy products. 

This salad sits overnight and is eaten the next day. It takes a good 8 hours for the noodles to soak up the dressing and become nice and soft.

Dry Ingredients:

1 pkg. broccoli slaw mix (found in the refrigerated packaged salad section in the produce dept.)
1/3 cup sliced, blanched almonds
1 cup roasted, salted sunflower seeds
2 packages beef ramen noodles (broken into small pieces – but not crushed)
1 bunch green onions sliced

Dressing Ingredients:

1/2 to 2/3 cup olive oil (if you like an oily dressing, use 2/3 cup oil. If you like it more dry, use ½ cup. I measure halfway between the two for my slaw)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
Seasoning packets from ramen noodles

Mix oil, sugar, vinegar and seasoning packets together in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, mix together broccoli mix, almonds, sunflower seeds, sliced green onions and ramen noodles (broken up). Add dressing to broccoli and noodles and mix well. Let stand for a few hours and toss again so all the noodles are coated with the dressing. I usually make this the night before I am serving it. When I get up in the morning, I mix it up again. A few hours later I mix it again. Just before I serve it, I mix it one more time. Serve cold and enjoy!