The food world is full of buzz about all the amazing foods you can make for your Thanksgiving dinner. You may even see a few recipes for using Thanksgiving leftovers. But Thanksgiving is just one meal. You still have to feed your family the entire week.

In this episode I give three practical tips for feeding your family the week of Thanksgiving.

1. Avoid Poultry. I may serve chicken on Monday, but it will be beef, fish, pork or something vegetarian on Tuesday and Wednesday. There is enough poultry at the end of the week.
2. Keep your meals very simple. You are going to have elaborate and rich food at the end of the week. I like to keep the beginning light and simple with a heavy dose of salads and veggies.
3. Portion Precisely. Make only what you will completely use. You do not want containers of leftovers in your packed refrigerator. If you need “planned leftovers” for lunches, make exactly what you will need without extras.

If you have been following me on Instagram @mariefiebach, you will see that I used my Holiday Planning Guide and did a big pre-holiday shopping trip for basics. My pantry and freezer are stocked and I plan to use them to make simple dinners.

Some great ideas for this week are:

Cheeseburger Baked Potatoes

Max’s Favorite Soup

Other links for this episode:

Cooks Illustrated Sweet Potato Casserole

100 Days of Real Food Green Bean Casserole

Feed Your Family Tonight Holiday Planning Guide

PSA- NOW is the time to start thawing your turkey.

20 Pound turkeys should be thawing in the refrigerator no later than Saturday.

15 Pound turkeys should be thawing in the refrigerator no later than Sunday.