On The Menu Week Of October 24th
Need ideas for dinner this week? I have 7 scrumptious dinner menus and 35 delicious recipes just for you! Main dishes, side dishes, salads, soups, breads, desserts, and great tips and ideas for making every meal its best! Here's what's On The Menu week of October 17th.
What fall food are you loving right now? For me, it’s butternut squash. I just made the most delicious butternut squash and sausage casserole I can’t wait to share it next week! No matter what fall food you are crushing on right now, I hope you will love the fall food On The Menu this week!
MONDAY
One thing I’ve noticed lately about Mondays is they are quite busy. So I’m trying to keep that in mind when I plan meals on the menu. Often by mealtime, I just don’t feel like cooking so I am trying to make something quick, easy and of course delicious!
Chicken Taco Bowl has become a family favorite! Thanks, Lauren from Tastes Better From Scratch! I save the leftovers for lunches! Oh, YUM!
- INSTANT POT CHICKEN TACO BOWL
- NACHOS AND HOMEMADE SALSA
TUESDAY- SOUP DAY
My Nani used to make Cabbage Soup and passed down her cabbage soup making skills to my mom and me. And now I’m passing it down to you! It is just so good!
I hope you make it this week for your and your family.
- NANI’S CABBAGE SOUP
- BUTTER TOPPED BEER BREAD
- SLICED APPLES WITH HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE
WEDNESDAY
Salmon is something you will find on my menu almost every week. And this easy baked salmon looks so delicious! If you eat fish it is important to know where your fish is sourced and if it is farmed or wild-caught. I have made great friends with the local fishmonger at a few of my favorite grocery haunts!
Thanks, Marcie at Flavor The Moments! This recipe is a win/win/win. Fabulous, flavorful, and fast!
THURSDAY
This is one of Bobby’s favorite dinners. He loves pasta. And the meatballs are just the best!
If you make one thing this week, make the meatballs. These really are the best meatballs you will ever eat. And the story behind how I got this recipe is just so cute!
FRIDAY
Quesadillas are in my flavor profile wheelhouse! Especially one’s filled with fajita goodness.
Recently, my brother came in from Los Angeles for a visit. And we went to a restaurant called Mics (Lancaster County regional restaurant). Their quesadillas are far and away the best ones I have ever eaten! But I would have never suggested them to my brother who lives in LA!!!!!
He ordered them on his own and, to my surprise, loved them. He also said without my prompt, “These are the best quesadillas I have ever eaten”. Wow!
So all quesadillas are held up to Mics quesadilla perfection! The one’s on the menu today are so so close! Joanne from Jo Cooks knows quesadillas! Another must-try on the menu this week!
- CHICKEN FAJITA QUESADILLAS
- FIXINS’
SATURDAY
I’m obsessed with this gorgeous and sexy recipe, Linguine And Clams, which I found at Bon Appetit online. It is the best pasta recipe I’ve ever eaten! It’s beautiful, oh so delicious, and E-A-S-Y!
Make sure to make the breadcrumb topping.n DON’T LEAVE IT OUT! That puts this recipe over the top!!!! As a matter of fact, make it according to the recipe. You will be so glad you did!
One thing to keep in mind is to use fresh clams. Keep them in the frig in a colander inside of a bigger bowl with a damp paper towel on top of them. Do not put them in water! They will die. Get your clams from a reputable grocer and ask how long they will stay fresh.
I usually make them the same day or the day after I bring them home. I like littleneck clams because they are sweet.
- LINGUINE WITH LITTLENECK CLAM SAUCE
- ARUGULA SALAD WITH TOASTED PINENUTS, SHAVED PARMESAN, AND A LEMON VINAIGRETTE
SUNDAY- COMPANY’S COMING
I’m so excited to try this gorgeous pork loin recipe from Frugal Hausfrau! It’s full of scrumptious flavors and it looks so pretty! I love company worthy recipes I can prep ahead! Dried tart cherries are a favorite of mine and I’m a huge fan of fruit in a savory dish!
- BACON, DRIED CHERRY, CARAMELIZED ONION STUFFED TENDERLOIN
- MASHED CAULIFLOWER
- ROAST GREEN BEANS WITH BACON
TREAT OF THE WEEK ON THE MENU
Guess what I’m having for breakfast? Not only are these a healthy sweet treat but a scrumptious breakfast if you let them swim in a bowl of milk!
Thank you, Martha, from Nourishing Living for this glorious fall recipe!
MORE RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY
BROWN BUTTER MAPLE PECAN COOKIES
ROASTED PEARS WITH HONEY AND BALSAMIC GLAZE
INDIVIDUAL BACON AND EGG TARTS
GARLIC PARMESAN ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS
HERB ROASTED POTATOES WITH BLEU CHEESE
Yvonne, we learned my daughter had to be gluten free 7 years ago. It seemed overwhelming at the time (and all the gluten free products weren’t readily available back then), but it’s actually very easy. There are excellent substitutions of pasta and other carb products. My favorite and cheapest place to get gluten free is Aldi. They have a fantastic line of GF products that are priced very well.
Thanks so much, Ruth! My daugther in law is GF and loves Aldi! We have one within 15 miles of us. I need to check it out!
Hi Yvonne, I have been gluten free for about a year and so is my daughter and granddaughter. My favorite GF pasta is Barillla, it really is very good. Aldis GF bagels are delicious, I put Kerrygold butter on them, after they are split of course, then toast them in my toaster oven. Cinnamon raisin is my favorite, but I use the plain ones for a great grilled cheese sandwich. I grill the buttered bagel just like a piece of toast. If you need any other ideas I am happy to help. Kathy
My daughter was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at 16 months old. She is 21 now and has been GF since she was 17. We also made the change to a GF diet for her to help with the symptoms of the ra. It was difficult at first, but it made a ton of improvement with her symptoms. At first it can be overwhelming, but like you, I enjoy cooking and baking from scratch, so we just learned how to make recipes GF. Pinterest has been a major help in that. You will find so many recipes and articles to help you in this new way of eating on Pinterest. All the best to you, Yvonne! Keep us posted on how you’re feeling making this change.
Oh, Pat! I know what your daughter is going through! I just prayed for her. I just had toasted GF bread for the first time yesterday. Not bad. Not great but again… a new normal!
I can’t wait to try that pork tenderloin. Here’s an idea for meal planning that I use. Starting in the fall, every week I make a different homemade soup – after our initial dinner of soup I freeze containers that hold just enough for 2 servings. I build up a freezer of soup options. I now have spicy bean, corn chowder, vegetable, chicken noodle, and Italian wedding soups in the freezer. On a busy day, or a day I don’t feel like cooking I defrost whatever I want and add either a muffin, foccacia, or crackers to round out the meal. I also have 20 lbs. of carmelized onions so I can put together French onion soup when I want to. Just a thought – it’s healthy and easy.
Brilliant Lyn! If you don’t mind I’ll share your great fall meal planning idea when I post a soup ON THE MENU! Thank you so much!
Check out iowagirleats.com for GF recipes. You will love her recipes which are all GF.
Brenda! Thank you so so much!
I second that! IGE is the first place I go when hosting friends who are gluten sensitive! Always a hit!
Hi!
I am not gluten free (yet) but have several friends that are and they love the Aldi’s section for gluten free items…(baking mixes, pancake mix etc…) Hope this helps! karen…
I am gluten intolerant and have found some great options out there. Milton’s has a really good gluten free cracker, the best one I have found and it comes in four different varieties. Also, to make your meatballs gluten-free, using ricotta as a binder instead of bread crumbs is a really good option. Good luck on your gluten-free journey.
You are a gem, Jilly! I’ll try the ricotta trick for the meatballs! And thanks for letting me know about the GF crackers.
Elana’s Pantry has fantastic gluten-free recipes. And most of them have a short ingredient list. She has a few cookbooks but also has many free recipes to try on her website.
To add to the fajita quesadillas – have you ever tried sheet pan fajitas? 5 minutes prep, 20 minutes of hands off in the oven and you’re good to go! We like these over salad fixings and then I put it into quesadillas for our kids, such an easy and filling dinner! I use the recipe from Our Best Bites.
King Arthur Flour has some great ‘flours’ and mixes that are gluten free. They do have a website that items can be ordered from.
Elana’s Pantry has fantastic gluten-free recipes and most of them have a very short ingredient list. She has a few cookbooks and an extensive library of free recipes on her website: https://www.elanaspantry.com
What a great site! Thanks so much Renee!
As others have mentioned, going gluten free is much easier than it was years ago. I started gf cooking 12 years ago after two of my sons were diagnosed with celiac. I had MANY cooking failures. I agree that Aldi is a a great source. GF pastas vary greatly so you may need to try a few different brands to find your favorite. The issue with gf foods is usually not the taste, but the texture. Allow yourself time to try different substitutions and be patient! I also love the “Gluten Free on a Shoestring” website and books. The recipes there and flour mix recipes were life changing for me!
Thanks for the source Jan! And I hope your son is doing well!
Gluten free eating will surprise you— you will feel a lot better in a month is my prediction. Best GF pasta is Tinkyada Pasta Joy. Great texture. Easy!
GF bread is usually so-so but is almost always better lightly crisped or toasted. Try Canyon bakehouse brand. Wishing you the best on this journey.
Elle, thanks so much for the great pasta and bread sources.
Your weekly menus are one of my very favorite. I always go there first and enjoy checking out all the great dishes while drinking my morning coffee! Good luck with your gluten free diet. My daughter has been gluten free for a while (just felt it was a healthier alternative). Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes.
Thanks, Lynne!
I can’t wait to try some of these yummy recipes. Thanks for sharing Yvonne!!
Happy day!
karianne
Welcome to the GF Club!! It’s really not a bad thing at all, and hopefully you will find some wonderful relief to you pain! After eating gf baked items for such a long time, I cheated and ate a yummy “real” pumpkin muffin recently. Yuck! It was so gummy, I couldn’t stand it. Gf texture is so different, and definitely not gummy, although it does take some getting used to. You may also find that you may need to delete all grains from your diet. Just a thought to keep in the back of your mind. I’ve found it to be quite helpful, but it’s really hard to give up nacho chips and salsa!! 😉
Nacho chips are going to be hard to give up! I just found some GF ones so I’m giving them a try!
So how about when you do your regular recipes, you let us know what to do to make them gluten free so those of us who hate to cook can try them? I love your blog by the way and I especially enjoy your Sunday devotionals.
Great idea, Sherry!
Yvonne…my son has a lot of joint pain but doesn’t have RA. His doctor suggested he focus on a plant based diet and he told us he feels 100% better. My niece is GF and is quite the cook. I will check with her for resources. Sending hugs…RA has its challenges. My mom and her sister had.
Thanks, June!
Hello Yvonne, I have been eating gluten free for over 2 years now and I was also very surprised when I found out that I am gluten sensitive. My nutritionist explained that the gluten free epidemic in the US is because our wheat is highly contaminated by pesticides and is genetically modified. I can visit Italy, France, etc. and eat anything I want, simply because they don’t tamper with their wheat. If you’re interested in learning more about this problem, please research Monsanto’s involvement in this, it’s a fascinating story. After my initial phase of denial/feeling sorry for myself, I embraced the situation and my health is 100% improved, and my pants are 2 sizes smaller.
You will learn by trial and error what products you like and then you decide what to give up and find a delicious substitute for. In the past 2 years, there have been so many terrific products to come on the market. My favorites from Wegmans are Canyon Bakehouse (freezer section) rye bread and cinnamon raisin, their bakery just started making a delicious grain & cranberry bread. Nairn’s biscuits (from Scotland) that my local Wegman’s carries. Tate’s chocolate chip cookies, and Eggo gluten free waffles are really good when they are hot. My favorite cracker are Milton’s Everything – delicious.
I’ve learned quite a bit from my nutritionist and my personal journey regarding auto immune disease and gluten/foods. If you’d like any help please feel free to email me. Welcome to the GF club, it’s really OK. Sending you a big hug and wishing you God’s best.
Hi Susan, what a wealth of knowledge! Thank you so so much!!!!! How encouraging!
Going GF is just a change of mindset!! I was eating far too much bread, after all it is so easy to grab a sandwich when in a hurry and also bread rolls can fill out a meal sometimes. I didn’t like the bread to start with so usually toasted it which made it more palatable but now I have discovered so many more, and better, GF breads on the market. I also cut down on my bread eating and have leftovers from the evening before to eat for lunch. I am sure you will feel so much better with GF foods. Gluten and dairy milk cause inflammation. Just listen to your body as it will tell you something is wrong and that is usually something you put in your mouth! Best of luck my dear!
Thanks, Nancy!
Curious what kind of arthritis you have and if it would help others with the same kind. I follow Kate Scarlata’s site for easy gluten free ideas!
I’ve been diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis and crystal arthritis. I have waited over 7 months to see one particular rheumatologist and it was so worth the wait! Hope this helps.
Kari, thanks for the delicious site!
Hi Yvonne,
Sorry to hear your diagnosis. Going GF is so much easier than I thought it would be. Lots of good products our there and recipes. I had severe anemia and once I went GF I have not had to have an iron infusion in over a year and I lost 20 pounds off the bat! Good luck in your journey!
Sorry to hear that Debi! Hope you are doing better.
Yvonne, you have a fabulous site! I could hardly tear myself away. I love your quick styling videos. Thanks for including my pork tenderloin in your weekly round-up. I learned something, too. Who knew you could have baked apples for breakfast! 🙂
Mollie
Mollie! Thank you for sharing it with us. I can’t wait to make it this week!
I have been eating a keto diet (low carb) for about 2 years. I started it to lose some weight but just a few short weeks into going keto I realized I was making down the stairs much easier in the morning. I had been diagnosed with arthritis a few years before. I had also been put on high blood pressure medication that I was able to get rid of in a matter of just a month or two of starting. I learned your gluten rich foods act as sugars to the body and sugars are inflammatories. There are tons of great blogs with recipes and tricks. Pinterest has been a great help. Best wishes as you navigate the changes!
Thanks, Jolena! I’m looking forward to feeling great!
I am not following a gluten-free diet, but I came across this website, and a good many of her recipes are gluten-free.
https://iowagirleats.com
Thanks, Kristy! I just found out about it and it is really fabulous. I’ll be using some of her recipes ON THE MENU
I’m so excited to see what GF menus you come up with. After being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s a few months ago, I’ve also gone GF. It’s amazing how much of our health is related to our gut. I really do feel better, my skin cleared up, my reflux disappeared, and I’ve lost weight. Since I don’t much care for gluten substitutes, I’ve been going through my favorite cookbooks and finding great recipes that don’t contain gluten to begin with. I look forward to seeing your future menus! God bless!
Thanks for the encouragement, Allyson!
Hello! I discovered your blog about 3 weeks ago and I want to tell you how beautiful and inspiring it is! I had to switch to gluten and dairy free eating in March when I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder called Sjogren’s Syndrome! I feel so much better now and I no longer have IBS issues! Another plus is that I lost weight without even trying! It can be hard and frustrating at times but learning to eat differently is so worth it! I look forward to following you on this new journey and can’t wait to see how you modify your recipes! Good luck to you! Blessings, Donna
Hi Yvonne! I have arthritis also, and I suffered stiffness and joint pain for years. Then, I learned a few months ago that SUGAR and GRAINS are INFLAMMATORY to your joints. I could not believe that not one doctor ever told me that. I started eating a low carb (sort of keto) diet and have had ZERO stiffness and pain!!! I even lost 30 pounds in about 4 months and have so much energy that I can actually exercise now because I feel so great! I can eat cheese, butter, heavy whipping cream, sour cream, cream cheese, vegetables, meats, pork rinds, eggs, nuts, berries, just tons of yummy foods! I make and eat lots of delicious desserts, which I use natural sweeteners to make. I use coconut flour and almond flour, which are not grains. We eat out and everything! My hubby and son have even lost 20 pounds or so each. I got to half my high blood pressure meds and have reversed my high blood sugar. I no longer take arthritis meds! I can’t say enough great things about this life-changing way of eating! Good Luck and God Bless!
LOVE your recipes and I can’t wait to try these! I am especially looking forward to making the apple dessert for my diabetic husband. I just found a great brown sugar substitute and this will allow me to make this for him.
Blessings,
Teresa