It’s almost Thanksgiving Eve and everyone is making plans. Some are going to cook and host, some will travel to meet up with family or friends and some may just order in take-out and rest! My mom used to make her “Holiday” dinner for all of the special occasions. She would make the pies the night before, get up early to bake cornbread for the stuffing, and make a big Turkey — using up all those weird bits in the bag. We thought that bag was disgusting but she cooked it for stock and flavorings for the best Cornbread Dressing as us Southerners call it. We always had green beans, candied yams and the best mashed potatoes. This was the celebratory meal for Thanksgiving, Christmas and sometimes Easter with the added bonus of deviled Easter eggs! (recipe for the deviled eggs to come later in the Spring).

If you want to cook something delicious but don’t have the skills or the time to pull off a huge “Martha Stewart” dinner, there are ways to still have a warm comforting meal. You can make the infamous TV Dinner or …. there is also an abbreviated version aka a Merry “MJ Holiday Dinner!”

The Merry “MJ Holiday Dinner” is really for anytime you miss having the “Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.” And use these ideas to save time and focus on the family favorites. This is also, a good way to have the variety without the mega-leftovers. Don’t get me wrong, this is more cooking than microwaving the plastic tray for 41/2 min and letting it stand for 1 minute. That said, I think if you can boil water, you can pull this off.

What is this simple to make dinner that will still feel like a feast? Today we have all of the shortcut meals to help! This may or may not be THE healthiest but it is probably healthier than TV dinners! Also, Veggie Trays up the healthy ratio and are an easy appetizer!

Menu:

Chicken instead of Turkey – Plenty of options here

Mashed Potatoes – Use Instant Potatoes

Stove Top Stuffing — your fav flavor

Green Beans — Use the low-sodium version of your favorite canned beans — More experienced cooks may want to make a green bean casserole following the recipe on the back of the Fried Onions.

Cranberry Sauce — The canned stuff!

Candied Yams – the “Southern” brand – I know … you don’t like them so either add marshmallows or you can leave this off the menu – I won’t tell!

Rolls – Crescent Rolls or Hawaiian — this is the Cook’s Choice. Go Fancy and get French bread!

Jar of Gravy — Chicken or Turkey is preferred – tip — buy two jars and only make one for this meal and save the other for the leftovers if any.

Favorite Mrs. Smith’s Pie and Cool Whip or Real Whipped Cream or Ice Cream

The “helpers”

Worcestershire Sauce

Chicken Stock/Broth – low sodium

Butter, Sugar and Cinnamon

Lemon Pepper Seasoning

Optional – Celery and Onions

So the most important decision is which short-cut to substitute for the Turkey. This is important as it impacts the timing. Lots of options: make the MJ Roast Chicken (https://mhockman.com/index.php/2021/01/10/a-chicken-in-every-pot/#more-77) or pickup a Rotisserie Chicken or a pack of Turkey Breasts or Chicken pieces to cook.

Next which pie did you select? Read up on the cooking times. Does it (pumpkin pie?) need an hour and then some chill time in the fridge? Or is it (chocolate or coconut cream or cheesecake) so just thaw and serve? Do you want to serve it (apple pie) warm from the oven? If so you can bake while everyone is eating dinner (or just after everyone finishes).

Set the table now so it’s ready and decide on the bowls and serving pieces you will need. The hardest part of preparing this meal is the timing. The other shortcuts will take very little time. Open the can for the cranberry sauce and put on a pretty dish and put in the fridge. If you are serving Red Wine then open the bottle and let it breathe while you cook.

If you are cooking chicken, it is easy to put a little oil in the baking dish, add chicken, skinless boneless breasts, and salt/pepper – if you like add some Italian Dressing on top to keep them juicy and add more flavor. (note: don’t add salt when using the dressing as it has sodium in it). The chicken may take 45 min or so. Once it’s in the oven, now put the yams in another dish and add pats of butter, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Add a smidge of salt (sprinkle from up high). The salt will keep it from tasting too sweet.

Now open the green beans and put into a medium sauce pan on medium heat. Add a sprinkle of Lemon Pepper Seasoning and a smidge of olive oil or butter. Let these simmer literally on the back burner. bwahaha.

Prep the baking sheet for the rolls. Prep the pans to make the Stove Top, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy. Make sure you check on the Chicken and the Yams (swapping them around in the oven position 1/2 cooking). Once you take out the Yams and Chicken to rest, put the rolls in the oven. You will follow the instructions on the boxes/jar for the last sides. Here are the tips:

Swap the milk and water ratios for the Instant potatoes and add a bit of extra butter (it is the holidays!) and don’t forget the salt and pepper. For Stove Top — substitute Chicken Stock for the water or split it if you are really worried about your sodium. If you want… you can use some butter and saute the celery and onions before adding the Chicken Stock. Once they are softened add the the Chicken Stock and follow the box instructions. Put the lid on set aside.

For the gravy — heat up a little bit (1/3 cup of the chicken stock in your small pan, and add a dash of the W sauce. Heat over medium heat. Add in the jar gravy and add some shakes of black pepper and warm until it bubbles- turn down to medium low. Don’t let this get away or it will scorch. Once it has bubbled for at least 3 minutes, set aside with the lid. Check on the rolls, they should be ready!

Guess what — This meal probably took an hour and a half to prep and cook- something to think about! Which might sound like a lot, however, the full, unabridged version takes hours and hours. While I am a fan of making the full “Mom Holiday” dinner for Thanksgiving, this is often a good version for a cold wintery day in January or Christmas in July! Nothing says lovin’ like something tasty from the oven. You CAN do this! My table had a mix of home-made and shortcuts – see if you can tell <wink>! Have a wonderful time with your family and a Merry “MJ Holiday Dinner!”

I remember when my Mom first learned about and made a Tuna Casserole…. My mom was so proud that she had made this ubiquitous 70’s meal!  While we were eager to have something new for dinner and the noodles looked promising…. we were not happy.  We ate it, but that tuna smell.  I actually don’t think my little sister ate it – to this day, she does not like the smell of fish.  Fast forward, my mom realized canned chicken is a great substitute for tuna and Voilà!  That change was the trick to getting us kids to happily eat this dinner!  

Want something warm, comforting, inexpensive and easy? If you have more than 20 minutes – like maybe 30, then you can even do it in one pot (and a colander).  This is also a great dish when you need something easy on the tummy and possibly have leftovers.  Ok, I always have leftovers because I always make a large pot.  I love the leftovers, especially for lunch.  So, what is this lifesaver dish? 

One Pot Chicken Dinner.  And it can be made with all pantry (and freezer) ingredients for the win! 

In my quest for dinner in less than 30 minutes, I have shortened the ‘casserole’ to a one-pot meal and, hence, the name change.  Don’t get me wrong, if you have a lot of time, it is definitely tastier to cheese this up and pop it into the oven for 15 minutes or until bubbly.  The last time I made this dinner, I was quite hungry and it was summer time, so I just stirred in the shredded parmesan cheese until blended.

The basic recipe is really more of a formula:

1 Can of Chicken (if it’s the small can and you want more meat – use two cans)

½-1 Bag/Box of Pasta (penne or elbow) but choose your noodle of preference

Veggies of Choice – I think more mushrooms count

Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Chicken soup – I prefer the chicken flavor

1 Can of milk – you can use the shelf-stable milk if you don’t have the fresh (good, right?!)

Cheese of choice (optional) Seasonings –this is also your choice and I like to season to match the cheese used 

If you are doing the truly one pot dish, use the Dutch oven size pot.   Boil water and cook the pasta al dente minus another minute.  There will be carryover cooking.  Drain in colander and save a bit of pasta water.  Heat the un-drained chicken in the same pot on medium heat and add in the soup and the milk.  I like to add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce.  Stir and ensure the chicken/soup mixture doesn’t get too hot and scorch on the bottom.  If the mixture gets to boiling too much/too fast, you may need to turn down the heat.

Add in the veggies of choice and I won’t tell your mom if you don’t.  Season with some black pepper and other seasoning of choice, like oregano.  Add in the pasta and stir until well coated.  If need be, add a bit more milk or if you saved any pasta water, add a little.  Add in the cheese of choice and stir until melty and then serve! 

If you want to go the casserole route, pour into a baking dish prepped with cooking spray, oil or butter.  Top with cheese and breadcrumbs (optional).  Bake in a 350-degree oven until bubbly.  Let it rest for a few minutes before serving so the impatient diners won’t burn their mouths.  To be fancy, serve with some fresh veggies on the side and/or fresh herbs.  A nice salad and some biscuits can round it out to satisfy all of the hungry folks! 

Tips:  Mise en place (MEEZ ahn plahs) is a French term for having all your ingredients measured, cut, peeled, sliced, grated, etc. before you start cooking. Pans are prepared. Mixing bowls, tools and equipment set out.  Open all cans while the water is heating to cook the pasta.  Preheat the oven too.  I actually prefer using pasta over egg noodles as the pasta maintains a bit more texture.   If you only have like 20 minutes, boil the water/cook the pasta in different pot.  Use the Dutch oven to start the chicken mixture and drain pasta and add directly to the big pot.  It doesn’t take a lot of corn to add a bit of sweetness and crunch to the dish so I add a few tablespoons.   I like to add some frozen peas but I am putting this last to hide them like I did when I was a kid.