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^[2]It’s Thanksgiving Week! I’m hosting Thanksgiving dinner at my house this year, and I’m really looking forward to it. For some strange reason, I’m feeling more relaxed and prepared than I usually am when I host a large dinner party. But this is family, and it’s fun. Here’s what we are preparing for the feast:

• For an appetizer, we’ll be making a family favorite: Pepper Jelly poured over Cream Cheese, and served with gluten-free crackers. (I’ve got Mary’s Gone Crackers ^[3] and Blue Diamond Nut-Thins ^[4] on hand.)
• One roasted 20-pound turkey. Big enough for everyone to take home some leftovers. — I hope. (Check out my post on Gluten-Free Turkeys ^[5], if you haven’t already.)
• If I have time, I’m hoping to make Cranberry Pomegranate sauce with a recipe I found at Coconut & Lime ^[6].
• My husband is making his always-requested Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
• My mother-in-law is bringing the traditional green Jell-O marshmallow stuff and a roasted vegetable platter of butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots and more.
• For dessert, I’m planning to make Apple Crisp, Apple Cranberry Crisp, and my grandmother’s recipe for Pumpkin Pie (with a gluten-free crust, of course).
• I’ve decided not to make my yummy Broccoli Mushroom Bake ^[7] casserole for Thanksgiving this time. Partly because I just made it a couple weeks ago for a dinner party, but also because I know there will be more dishes brought by other family members coming, too. I like to give everyone the option to bring their favorites. That eases the cooking burden on me, and also lets everyone contribute to the feast.

Still need ideas for Thanksgiving dinner?

• Be sure to check out Gluten Free Goodness ^[8] for the Gluten-Free Menu Swap this week. Cheryl has plenty of her own Thanksgiving recipes to share, but there are sure to be even more gluten-free Thanksgiving ideas from other gluten-free bloggers, too.
• The Holiday Food Fest ^[9] hosted at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free has plenty of fall and holiday dishes to check out. (Many are gluten-free, but not all.) Check out the roundups of Fall Desserts ^[10] and Fall Dishes ^[11] that have been posted.
• Diane at The Whole Gang has the details about the virtual Thanksgiving Progressive Dinner Party ^[12] from last week. Several gluten-free bloggers posted some great recipes for the event.

So, that’s Thanksgiving. Here’s what we’ll be eating the rest of the week.

Monday – Pork Cutlets
The last time I made these, I sealed the leftovers and put them in the freezer. Seems like the perfect week to pull them out for a quick meal with sweet potatoes and corn. I’ll use the extra time to get started on the pie crusts, and get the cleaning done for Thanksgiving.

Tuesday – Leftovers
Another easy dinner with leftovers from last week. We’ve got to clear out the refrigerator for all the dishes to come for Thanksgiving! A quick meal so I can make the cranberry sauce and finish making the desserts.

Wednesday – Chicken Tenders
Assuming the leftovers were cleared out on Tuesday, I’ll pull Bell & Evans frozen chicken tenders ^[13] out of the freezer. We’ll serve them with french fries and green beans. Another quick and easy meal so we have time to make the mashed potatoes and soak the turkey in the brine ^[14].

Thursday – Thanksgiving Feast!

Friday – Leftovers!
I’m expecting to have plenty of leftovers to have a second evening of good Thanksgiving food.

Saturday – White Chicken Chili ^[15]
Time for a break from the turkey. I’m planning to make chili with chicken, white beans, and some southwestern spices.

Sunday – Turkey Spaghetti
If we haven’t eaten all the turkey yet, I’ll be using it to make a spaghetti dish like Chicken Spaghetti ^[16].

Need more menu ideas?

• Laura at OrgJunkie.com ^[2] hosts Menu Plan Monday every week. You’ll find links to hundreds of meal plans (not necessarily gluten-free) there.
• Or, check out some of my past menu plans ^[17].