I don’t know about you, but 2020 can’t get here fast enough for me.
Let’s get these final dinners of 2019 over with, as painlessly as possible.
First, a word about the Hoppin John recipes. If you clicked through to the first mention in the shopping list email, you saw a Southern Living version. But if you clicked the link in Wednesday’s description, you got Fine Cooking. Sorry about that—I was having trouble deciding! We’re using the Southern Living one.
Sunday
Cook the Hoppin John (and maybe some meatballs)
Here’s why we’re going with Southern Living’s version: If you cook a pound of dried black-eyed peas, you won’t need all of them for this recipe. You’ll be able to swipe some to set aside for Thursday’s soup. Here’s how it works: Rinse and sort the beans, then put them in a big pot and cover with water by 3”. Bring to a boil, let it rip for two minutes, then turn it off, cover, and let it sit one hour. Drain, and you’re good to go. Cook the whole pound in step 1 of the Hoppin John recipe—add two cups of water (or more broth, if you’ve got enough) to the pot. It’ll take the same time as directed, no worries there. When the beans are done, transfer roughly 1.5 cups to a container and refrigerate separately. If you’re working on Tuesday and won’t have time for much cooking, move right on to the Sweet & Tangy Cocktail Meatballs.
Vegetarians: Instead of the bacon, use 1 tablespoon of olive oil to soften the vegetables, and add 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika to the pot with the beans. And use vegetable broth, of course.
Monday
Sheet-Pan Chicken Thighs (or Vegetarian Sausage) with Squash, Fennel, and Grapes and a Baguette
If you’ve got kids who won’t appreciate the seasoning, feel free to season some of tonight’s offerings with nothing but salt and pepper. You’ve got four more thighs than the recipe calls for—season those with salt and pepper, no spice rub, and add to the pan (or put them in a separate, smaller pan if there’s no room). Remove the meat from the bones and refrigerate for Thursday.
Vegetarians: You’ll only need to make half as much of the spice mixture, since the sausages don’t need seasoning. Nestle the sausages with the vegetables and proceed with the recipe.
Tuesday
Kid-Friendly New Year’s Eve
Sweet & Tangy Cocktail Meatballs, Fresh Summer Rolls with Sweet-and-Spicy Dipping Sauce, pigs in blankets, and mini-knishes should satisfy both kids and grownups. If you haven’t already made the cocktail meatballs, do those first since they simmer for an hour. Never made summer rolls before? I wrote a tutorial a while back that walks you through it—it’s even got a video! The recipe itself is straightforward: Cook the rice vermicelli according to package directions, use scallions instead of chives in the dipping sauce, and get rolling. Let the kids roll their own, if you’ve got picky ones—my guy’s usually contains just noodles and shredded carrots. Heat your frozen items according to package directions, and serve it all on party plates with sparkling grape juice.
Wednesday
Hoppin John with Braised Greens and Cornbread
The time-consuming part is already taken care of, so tonight you’ll only need about 30 minutes to cook the rice (step 2 in the Hoppin John recipe) and greens. If you’ve got picky eaters, serve the beans and rice separately—my own kid will be eating rice and cornbread off this menu. You should have at least two cups of Hoppin John with rice and about a cup of greens leftover—refrigerate those for Friday.
Vegetarians: Instead of using bacon in the greens recipe, use 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil for the sauté and add 1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika when you add the vegetable broth.
Thursday
Quick Chicken Tortilla Soup
Pull the chicken and black-eyed peas from the fridge to use tonight. Other than that, follow the recipe as written. Serve all the toppings separately, so picky eaters can take only what they want.
Vegetarians: Use vegetable broth. Instead of chicken, drain and rinse the can of hominy and add it when you add the beans.
Friday
Hoppin John Fritters with Remoulade and a Green Salad
Before starting the fritters, make the remoulade and throw together a salad with the remaining lettuce, cucumber, carrots, and any herbs you like. As for those fritters, you’re going to want to save these instructions to use whenever you’ve got some rice & beans to use up: Combine the rice and beans in a large bowl. Transfer half to a food processor and pulse until it’s a chunky paste, then return to the bowl. Chop any leftover greens and add to the bowl, along with a chopped scallion or two. Beat an egg and stir it in, then add enough breadcrumbs to make everything hold together without feeling sticky. Heat a thin layer of oil in a large skillet over medium heat; when it shimmers pinch off a small portion of the mixture and cook until browned on all sides. Taste that and adjust seasoning before proceeding. Form the remaining mixture into patties or balls—your choice—and pan-fry on both sides until browned.
And that’s your week! Let the countdown to 2020 begin…
Next week we’re back to normal, with a regular ol’ five-day dinner plan. Nothing goofy at all, phew.
Happy New Year!
Debbie