Our column, ThePrep, has everything you need to make meal planning and preparation as easy as possible. Nutritional needs vary from person to person. Use these dinner plans as inspiration and adjust as needed. Sign up to receive meal plans in your inbox every Saturday.
When you're focused on the Christmas feast, it's easy to forget to plan dinners for the rest of the week. And even though I was visiting my parents for the holidays, my mom put me in charge of meal planning while I was home. This week we decided to take a look back at all the delicious new recipes published in 2023. And from a flavorful enchilada skillet to a cozy bowl of lemony chicken soup, this week's menu features some of my most loved recipes from the past year. It can be made in just 20 minutes.
your meal plan
Christmas is my favorite holiday! I'm excited to be back in my hometown and spend quality time with my family and friends. My sister and I are helping our mother prepare the Christmas Eve dinner that our parents are hosting. We always make roast turkey, buttery green beans with sliced almonds, and wild rice. After dinner, my mother sets the dessert table with all the sweet treats her friends have given her in the days leading up to Christmas. (In Mexico, it is common for friends to give each other small Christmas gifts, such as cookies, pies, brownies, and rompope, an eggnog-like drink made with almonds, milk, egg yolks, sugar, rum, and cinnamon.) As you're planning your holiday menu, we've included a collection of recipes that you can use as inspiration for last-minute planning in lieu of a fixed menu for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
I think all of these recipes are delicious, but Friday's Steak Enchilada Skillet has a special place in my heart. This recipe uses ingredients I grew up eating in Mexico, including enchilada sauce, cilantro, corn, and whole-wheat tortillas. Not only does this recipe come together in just 15 minutes, but it also uses one skillet for easy work and quick cleanup. Bonus: It's a complete meal, so you don't have to worry about side dishes.
Christmas Eve + Christmas Day: Still looking for something to make?Scan these galleries for inspiration (Ingredients are not included in the shopping list):
A fun and festive last-minute appetizer
perfect side dish recipes
Easy 3 step Christmas cookies
Tuesday: quick lemon chicken soup
Wednesday: Sauteed pistachio-crusted halibut with broccolini and quinoa
Thursday: Stir-fried salmon with lemon garlic Served with mixed greens tossed with creamy cottage cheese dressing and microwaved potatoes
Friday: steak enchilada skillet
What I want to drink
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Shel Royster, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf
When you're at home with your Chihuahua in Mexico, your schedule can quickly fill up with a flurry of social events, like visiting grandma's house or having lunch with friends. Between then and the colder months, you want to make sure your immune system is in the best shape possible. What better way to do that than with a nutrient-packed smoothie? This anti-inflammatory lemon and blueberry smoothie is one of my favorite releases this year. Packed with ingredients rich in anti-inflammatory nutrients like blueberries, lemon juice, kale, hemp seeds, and green tea, this delicious drink also helps keep your immune system strong.
Get the recipe: Anti-inflammatory lemon and blueberry smoothie
What inspired me this week
Getty Images
My family's Christmas meal usually starts with a variety of cold cuts and cheese, olives, toasted crostini, and salted nuts and vegetables served with a creamy dip (we're adults, but my mom still tells us I'm looking for ways to make myself eat more vegetables). But let's be honest: Most of us don't eat vegetables often. As the saying goes, eat with your eyes first. And most crudité platters look boring. So this year, instead of just putting them on a platter, we're making this beautiful crudité Christmas tree. I hope this article inspires everyone, myself included, to eat more vegetables.
Learn more: This Crudités Christmas Tree is the most festive way to eat your vegetables
