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Home » Meal Plans

Meal Plan 53

Published: Dec 11, 2022 · Updated: Jan 24, 2025 by Marye

A collage of the main dishes from this meal plan with text overlay for Pinterest.

Finish up the year with yummy style! You'll find a special Christmas brunch as well as New Year's Eve snacks with lots of easy and delicious recipes for all the days in between.

A collage of the main dishes from this meal plan.
Table of Contents
  • 📅 Food Holidays
  • 🍹This week's cocktail
  • December 24
  • December 25
  • December 26
  • December 27
  • December 28
  • December 29
  • December 30
  • December 31
  • 📚 Related recipes
  • 💬 Comments

📅 Food Holidays

We celebrate a couple of fun food holidays this week. They're silly little holidays but it gives us an opportunity to make some memories and have some fun!

  • Oddly enough December 25 is National Pumpkin Pie Day... I would have thought it would have been in November.
  • December 26 we celebrate National Candy Cane Day and I can't think of a better way than with this Candy Cane Martini.
  • December 27 is National Fruitcake Day and if you like it you'll be happy to know that my fruitcake recipe is the best ever.

Here are some tips for this week -

  • Make enough cornbread to go with the black bean soup and you can make the Khachapuri another time.
  • Serve leftover Ranch chicken over slices of the buttermilk bread for a quick and easy lunch.
  • Move the days around as you need to. Don't forget there are more meal plans here.

🍹This week's cocktail

Small fig old fashioned cocktail image for recipe card

Muddled Fig Old Fashioned

If you suddenly found yourself in a Victorian library, surrounded by leather and dark wood, THIS is the cocktail you'd be holding.

December 24

Bowl of chicken chili on a white plate.

Creamy Chicken Chili

I like to keep things easy on Christmas eve and there's nothing easier than this creamy chicken chili.

Stack of cut cornbread squares ready to be served.

Buttermilk Cornbread

You'll want this classic southern cornbread to go with it!

Closeup of cookies.

Santa's Whiskers

I've heard that these easy to make cherry and coconut cookies are Santa's favorites.

December 25

Close up of the sweet rolls on a white plate.

Easy Cheese Danish

These cheese danish are SO pretty made in the shape of a Christmas tree or wreath (I show you how). Made with crescent rolls!

Overhead view of the finished casserole for the feature image.

Crockpot Christmas Breakfast Casserole

This easy breakfast casserole is full of sausage, eggs, and all the good things!

Overhead view of the cranberry nut bread

Cranberry Bread

Old fashioned cranberry bread is mosit, sweet, and tangy with cranberry orange flavor. Spread with a little cream cheese or top with this mock devonshire cream.

A cup of Russian tea with the mix behind it.

Russian Tea

Orange spice Russian tea is the perfect warming drink for the whole family! The homemade mix makes a fabulous gift, too!

cranberry cocktail with cranberry garnish

Cranberry Daiquiri

Sparkling, sweet, and tangy! Cranberry Daiquiri is one of the most festive cocktails I've ever had.

December 26

Overhead view of two bowls of black bean soup similar to paneras.

Copycat Panera Black Bean Soup

If you've overindulged on Christmas you'll want to keep things simple with this easy black bean soup.

Closeup of a cheese turnover.

Khachapuri

These Khachapuri are a delicious, Eastern European roll that's filled with gooey cheese and sweet fried onions.

Square image of cookies.

Oatmeal Cookies

There's probably cookies left, right? If not, these oatmeal cookies are hearty and delicious!

December 27

Ranch chicken in the slow cooker waiting to be served.

Ranch Chicken

A one dish slow cooker dinner? Oh yeah! Tender chicken, potatoes, and carrots simmer in a yummy country style gravy.

Loaves of baked bread.

Buttermilk Bread

You can make this buttermilk bread into loaves, mini loaves, or rolls.

close up of chocolate chess pie waiting to be sliced.

Chocolate Chess Pie

Chocolate chess pie is a decadent dessert that you've got to try.

December 28

Casserole with a serving taken out showing the inside texture.

Tater Tot Cowboy Casserole

Throw this simple casserole together in the morning and bake it just before you're ready to eat.

Close up overhead view of a bowl of gree

Southern Green Beans

Tangy and sweet with lots of onions and smoky bacon! Southern green beans are full of country flavor.

Feature image for the pineapple upside down cake recipe.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Pineapple upside down cake from scratch is easy to make.

December 29

Crispy baked chicken on a white plate.

Crispy French Onion Chicken Bake

We love this easy chicken recipe.

Close up of finished carrots.

Maple Roasted Carrots

Sweet and spicy roasted carrots are so delicious that even people who dislike cooked carrots might find themselves changing their minds!

Chocolate pudding in a glass.

Chocolate Pudding

Homemade, microwave chocolate pudding from scratch takes just 10 minutes in the microwave!

December 30

Close up of a shrimp sandwich with avocado.

Shrimp Po' Boy

Make this classic New Orleans style sandwich in minutes!

Wooden spatula removing fried potatoes out of iron skillet.

Fried Potatoes

Crispy fried potatoes are one of those side dishes that goes with everything.

Closeup of cinnamon crinkle cookies that have been decorated for the holidays.

Cinnamon Cookies

These chewy cinnamon crackle cookies are similar to Snickerdoodles but a little spicier and ... well just give them a try... you'll see.

December 31

A closeup of the finished recipe.

Sausage Balls

There just has to be sausage balls on the table! These stay moist and delicious!

Overhead view of brie appetizer showing appetizer on tray.

Baked Brie

This baked brie topped with apples and bacon looks fancy but it's so easy!

plain cupcake with white frosting.

White Cupcakes

White "wedding cake" cupcakes are really pretty decorated with silver sprinkles for New Year's Eve.

Closeup of decorated truffles.

Dark Chocolate Truffles

These dark chocolate truffles are super creamy and chocolaty. They're an elegant addition to your NYE party and the perfect way to start of the new year sweetly!

Two dark blue cocktails in champagne flutes.

Midnight Kiss Cocktail

This sparkly champagne cocktail has a unique color that makes it perfect for New Year's Eve celebrations.

📚 Related recipes

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    Real Life Meal Planning
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    Meal Plan 52: December 17 - 23
  • Collage of main dish images with a title text overlay, "Dec 10 - 16 Meal Plan".
    Meal Plan 51: December 10 - 16
  • Collage of images from this week's meal plan.
    Meal Plan 50: December 3-9

More Meal Plans: What to Cook This Week

  • Collage of images from this meal plan.
    Meal Plan 49: November 26 - December 2
  • Collage of images from this meal plan.
    Meal Plan 48: November 19- 25
  • Collage of images from this week's meal plan.
    Meal Plan 47: November 12 - 18
  • Collage of images from the November 5-11 meal plan.
    Meal Plan 46: November 5 - 11

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About Marye

Meet Marye Audet, a wizard in the kitchen and a storyteller at heart. Marye is like your eccentric but fun aunt who knows all the secret recipes and isn't afraid to spill them.

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  1. Tammy says

    December 12, 2021 at 2:29 pm

    Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you and your family! Thank you so much for all the delicious recipes and including us in your daily memories, musings, and for just being you! ❤️

    Reply
    • Marye says

      December 12, 2021 at 7:21 pm

      You are so sweet! Thank you!

      Reply
Marye Audet-White, founder of Restless Chipotle Media

Hey Y'all, I'm Marye

Welcome to my kitchen! ☕

NY Times bestselling author. 10 cookbooks. Mom of 8 kids. Homeschooling mom for 22 years. Addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies. Collector of old cookbooks.

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