Hey, Sweet Friend!

Happy Sunday!

Pour yourself another cup of tea, grab your Thanksgiving notebook, and let's get down to business.

We are officially in the thick of November, and I have one very important question for you:

WHAT'S FOR DINNER?

No, not Thanksgiving dinner.

I'm talking about tonight. Tomorrow. Next Thursday when you're exhausted, and the last thing you want to do is figure out what to feed everybody.

Because here's something nobody talks about when they're handing out Thanksgiving hosting advice:

People insist on eating EVERY SINGLE DAY leading up to Thanksgiving.

The audacity.🤭

And since we have a whole holiday to prepare for, I'm declaring this the week we make our freezers earn their keep.

We're cooking once, eating twice (or three times!), and making a few things ahead for the Ultimate Dinner Party.

Let's get into it!

THIS WEEK'S GAME PLAN

I'm keeping our list manageable because we're preparing for Thanksgiving, not training for the Olympics.

1. Take inventory of your freezer.

Open that freezer and see what you're working with. Move things around, make some room, and figure out what you can use up this week.

We're about to put some GOOD food in there.

2. Choose one big-batch dinner to make.

You do not need to make every recipe I'm sharing today. Pick one that sounds delicious and make enough to put a second meal away.

If you're feeling ambitious, choose two!

3. Check your Thanksgiving menu.

Is your menu finalized? Do you know who's bringing what? Are there any dishes you can make ahead?

Now is the time to make those decisions, not while you're standing in the grocery store the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

4. Start your Thanksgiving sides.

I'm making two of my favorites this week, and both are headed straight for the freezer. More on that in a minute!

5. Make one thing easier for Future You.

Maybe that's ordering your groceries, washing your table linens, or pulling out the serving dishes to make sure you have what you need.

One little task. That's all I'm asking.

DINNER TONIGHT, LUNCH TOMORROW

These are the recipes I want you thinking about this week. Cozy, hearty, delicious meals that stretch a little further.

And some of them are practically begging to be tucked into the freezer.

Italian-American Bolognese Sauce

A big pot of rich, hearty meat sauce is one of my favorite things to have on hand. Make a batch, enjoy it over pasta, and freeze the extra sauce in portions.

Future You can pull it out for pasta night, spoon it over something baked and cheesy, or use it to make another meal entirely.

RECIPE: https://sweetpealifestyle.com/italian-american-bolognese-sauce/​

Sweetpea's New Lasagna

Now THIS is what I'm talking about.

This recipe makes TWO lasagnas.

TWO!

Eat one now and freeze the other for December, when the calendar is full, the house is festive, and you have absolutely no interest in making dinner from scratch.

A homemade lasagna waiting in the freezer during Christmas season? That's a love letter to yourself.

RECIPE: https://sweetpealifestyle.com/sweetpeas-new-lasagna/​

Pizza Puffs

These little beauties are such a great thing to have on hand!

Bake them up, enjoy a few, and freeze the extras after they're baked.

They're perfect for a quick lunch, an afternoon snack, or those evenings when everybody wants a little something but nobody wants a whole production.

RECIPE: https://sweetpealifestyle.com/pizza-puffs/​

Crispy Cornflake Chicken Tenders

Listen to me.

If you're going to stand at the stove and fry chicken tenders, you might as well fry up a TON.

These are going to be your freezer pull over and over between now and Thanksgiving.

Dipped in honey mustard? YES, PLEASE.

Plopped into a hot dog bun with BBQ sauce? You got it, baby.

Chopped up over salad greens? My kind of meal.

One cooking session. A whole bunch of delicious possibilities.

RECIPE: https://sweetpealifestyle.com/crispy-cornflake-chicken-tenders/​

Seasoning for Frozen Green Beans

Sometimes you just need a side dish that requires almost no effort and tastes like you tried.

These are the easiest green beans, and they get rave reviews.

From me.

And frankly, I'm a pretty reliable source.

Keep a bag of frozen green beans on hand, and you've got a quick side dish ready to go with just about anything.

RECIPE: https://sweetpealifestyle.com/seasoning-for-frozen-green-beans/​

Southern Collard Greens with Bacon

Cozy season DEMANDS a weekly batch of collards to eat on.

I don't make the rules.

A big pot of collards in the refrigerator means you've got a delicious side ready for several meals throughout the week.

Give me some cornbread alongside them, and I am one happy girl.

RECIPE: https://sweetpealifestyle.com/southern-collard-greens-recipe-with-bacon/​

FROM SWEETPEA'S FREEZER

Here's what's happening in my own kitchen this week.

I'm tackling TWO Thanksgiving side dish preparations.

Thanksgiving Mashed Potatoes

Yes, you can make your mashed potatoes ahead of time.

Yes, you can freeze them.

And YES, they can be delicious on Thanksgiving Day.

I'm making mine this week, getting them tucked away, and crossing one of the biggest Thanksgiving side dishes off my list.

Because mashed potatoes should not be the reason you're stressed out on Thanksgiving morning.

MY RECIPE: https://sweetpealifestyle.com/thanksgiving-mashed-potatoes/​

BIG TIP OF THE DAY: When freezing your mashed potatoes, make divets/wells around the casserole. This helps your potatoes cook more evenly later when you heat them up!

Sweet Potato Casserole Prep

I'm also roasting my sweet potatoes, mashing them up, and freezing them FLAT.

That's the trick!

Instead of cramming a big container into the freezer, I'll portion the mashed sweet potatoes into freezer bags, press them flat, and stack them away.

When it's time to make the casserole, the most time-consuming part will already be finished.

No peeling, roasting, or mashing on Thanksgiving week.

Just one more little gift from Past Me to Future Me.

THE EXTRA POINT

Here's something I want you to remember as we move through November:

Preparing ahead isn't about doing more.
It's about making room for what matters.

Every casserole in the freezer, every list you've already made, and every decision you take off your plate is giving you something back.

Time.

Time to sit down with your people.

Time to enjoy the anticipation of the holiday instead of dreading the workload.

Time to answer the door without a spatula in your hand and panic in your eyes.

And maybe, just maybe, time to enjoy a little quiet before the house fills up.

That's the kind of Thanksgiving I'm working toward.

Not a perfect one.

A present one.

SWEETPEA SAYS:

You don't need to cook six recipes this week.

You don't need to have every detail figured out.

And you certainly don't need to turn your Sunday into a twelve-hour kitchen marathon.

Pick ONE thing to make ahead.

Pick ONE thing to put in the freezer.

And pick ONE thing you're looking forward to about Thanksgiving.

That's enough for today.

I'll see you Wednesday, when we'll talk about why all this gathering matters in the first place.

Because you know what I believe...

Dinner parties can change the world.

And Thanksgiving might just be our biggest opportunity yet.

With love and a freezer that's filling up,

Ashley

P.S. Hit reply and tell me what you're making ahead this week! I want to know what's going into everybody's freezers. And if you're not hosting Thanksgiving? Make that extra lasagna anyway. December You deserves a night off, too