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Monday
Hamburger & Mac Tomato Casserole
Chris's Special Party (Green) Salad
Dovetailing Tips: When chopping the onions for this meal, chop extra for the other meals this week to save time (and to save tears!). Chop 2 medium onions (sweet onions if you can get them) and put 1/2 cup of the chopped onions into a zipper sandwich bag or other small freezer-safe container to freeze for Friday's Turkey Soup; you should have about a cup of chopped onions left.
Buy an extra-large bag of salad greens, separate it into the portions needed for today's Special Party Salad and Tuesday's Nacho Taco Salad. Otherwise, you can loosely chop your lettuce today and separate the portions as above, bagging Tuesday's into the (rinsed) produce bags you get at the market.
While browning the ground beef for this meal, brown extra for the Taco Salad on Tuesday. Brown 3 pounds ground beef, the leaner, the better. Add and sauté 1 cup of the chopped onions with the browned beef just until the onions are translucent. Divide the ground beef and onion mixture. You will need about 2/3 of the mixture for today's Hamburger Casserole, and 1/3 of the mixture will go into the fridge for the Taco Salad on Tuesday.
When shredding cheddar cheese for this meal, shred extra for the other meals this week to save time. Get a 2 pounds block of Colby-Jack or Cheddar cheese. Shred all of the block EXCEPT a piece about 3" square. Measure out 3-4 cups of shredded cheese for this meal (use more or less to taste). Place 1-1/2 cups shredded cheese into a plastic bag and label it for the Nacho Taco Salad for Tuesday. Slice the 3" square into 1/4" slices. Re-stack and cut into 1/2" cubes for Wednesday's Hot Tuna Buns. This should equal about a cup of diced cheese. Place it into a sandwich bag and label it for the Hot Tuna Buns for Wednesday. Measure out another cup of shredded cheese for Saturday's Turkey Club Squares and label it. Most of the cheese may also be frozen. If you freeze it, make sure it's not packed in the bags, or it will defrost in a huge lump. Freeze any remaining shreds.
Tuesday
Nacho Taco Salad- Kid Friendly, edited by Linda
Dovetailing Tips: With the extra ground beef that was browned, the cheddar cheese that was already shredded, and the lettuce that was already chopped and reserved on Monday, this meal will whip up quickly.
Wednesday
Hot Tuna Buns
German Chocolate Bars
Dovetailing Tip: Use the cheddar cheese that was cubed and reserved on Monday to save time!
Thursday, Thanksgiving Day!
Dovetailing Tip: When you're cleaning up the big meal mess, take the time to cube your 2 - 2 cup portions of turkey meat and bag them separately in the refrigerator for Friday and Saturday's meals. Label them, so the family sandwich makers don't steal your prepared meat!
Friday
Old-Fashioned Turkey Soup
Garlic Bread
Dovetailing Tips: Save time when preparing this meal by using the onions that were chopped and reserved on Monday.
Buy a head of cabbage that's around 3 pounds. Using a sharp knife, thinly slice the whole head. Use 1 cup of it for today's meal and store the rest of the shreds in a medium plastic bag in the refrigerator for use in Saturday's Cole Slaw.
While cutting up the carrots and celery for the soup, chop or shred an extra carrot for Saturday's Cabbage Slaw.
Saturday
Turkey Club Squares
Cabbage Slaw
Dovetailing Tips: Save time when preparing this meal by using the cabbage and carrots that were shredded and reserved yesterday! And use the the cheddar cheese that was shredded and reserved on Monday to save time!
