Thanksgiving Inspiration: The Other Meals

{Vegan banana-almond French toast}

 
Ready or not, here they come. Family and friends are loading up their cars and filing onto planes to make the trek home for Thanksgiving. To your home, that is. Your house is spotless(-ish), and you even scrounged up enough air mattresses and clean towels to accommodate your visitors. You’ve got this host thing down.

But what are you going to feed these people? Of course the Thanksgiving menu has been ready for weeks, but the main event doesn’t hit the table until Thursday afternoon at the earliest. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered from Wednesday night dinner through the final Sunday breakfast. These meals will keep your overnight guests full, happy and away from your bird until you sharpen the carving knife.

For breakfast, jazz up a classic French toast with pumpkin, apple-vanilla, banana-almond or even eggnog flavors. Or check out savory breakfast pies, make-ahead muffins and other breakfast ideas here.

For dinner, think large, one-pot meals that feed a crowd. You can’t go wrong with a big pot of chili or a hearty bowl of noodles and sauce, like deceptively simple spaghetti or fettuccine. Make a hefty pan of lasagna ahead of time featuring butternut squash, forest mushrooms, chicken, or even a vegan version.

Is hosting a crowd for Thanksgiving not enough of a challenge? Try whipping up jambalaya or even paella to sate their appetites on Wednesday night. Or better yet, have the company lend a hand. After all, you’re going to need your rest for the big day.

Need more ideas for your Thanksgiving table (or any table)? Click here to access the entire database of Sauce recipes.

 -photo by Carmen Troesser

This article appears in Guide to the Holidays 2013.