We hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving last week! Our tables were overflowing with delicious family recipes, but if you’re anything like us you probably don’t want to hear the word turkey this week.
So, we have 5 easy meals (because we know you’re done with cooking too) that don’t have any turkey in them at all.
Of course, if you still have leftovers hanging around, you can check out our great vault of Thanksgiving leftovers recipes too.
At top: Chicken Cobb Salad at Halfbaked Harvest; cheesy spinach stuffed shells at Peas and Crayons
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These paleo- and whole-30 fish taco bowls at Thyme and Joy are the light dinner we’re looking for after a week of overeating. DIY bowls like this are always a hit at my house, because everyone can choose their own ingredients. And if you’d rather skip cooking fish, you can just leave it out…or throw some Mexican spice on that leftover turkey. It’s one less thing to cook.
If you still have family lingering around, a soup and salad night can really stretch to feed a crowd. I like this Chicken Cobb Salad at Halfbaked Harvest, because it’s pretty simple — and I’d make extra hard-boiled eggs for breakfast. Then pair it with your favorite grocery-store soup, or make a big pot homemade soup to go with it. If you’re feeding little kids who won’t go for salad, just give them some bites of egg, chicken, tomato, and avocado on the side.
Apparently, stuffed pasta shells are the most-pinned recipe on Pinterest. Who knew? I love this cheesy spinach stuffed shells recipe at Peas and Crayons because she gives real-life parent tips for the meal, like which parts can be made ahead of time and other ideas for ingredients to add-in. I’d use up any leftover ham from Thanksgiving dinner in those shells, personally.
Realted: Two easy Trader Joe’s meals my family lives on during the holidays
If you’re craving burger night, consider kicking it up a notch with these bison burgers (you can totally use beef…or Beyond Meat, too) at Linger a Little. They have hot pepper jam and a fried egg on top, you guys. Of course, these may not be the kid-friendliest with those toppings, but that’s the beautiful thing about burgers. Just leave them off. Plain burger with ketchup only? No problem.
A quick wok full of fried rice has become my favorite go-to dinner when I seriously don’t feel like cooking, but know I probably should to stay on budget. I start with this cauliflower fried rice recipe at Nom Nom Paleo, but you can also use real rice if you’re not on a paleo diet. Add any veggies, meat, shrimp, or tofu you have on hand, and you’ve got a full meal in one dish. So easy.
