November Dinner Menu Ideas

November often brings fuller schedules and a desire for nourishing, dependable meals. These November dinner menus focus on complete dinners with sides that rely on real ingredients and thoughtful planning, helping dinner stay calm during a busy month. Includes a full Thanksgiving menu, too.

Thanksgiving table with white pumpkin and hydrangeas

Not sure why to menu plan? Check out all the great reasons here!

This menu is part of a monthly series of meal plans that help you cook healthy meals from scratch that fit real life, not perfection.

November is the month we usually see the weather change to be more consistently winter-like, so our dinners this month are full of our favorite warming soups, stews and casseroles. Isn’t it interesting how we eat with the seasons even when we don’t plan it? When the summer starts I can’t wait for grilled foods, salads, and easy finger foods. But right now I’m all about French Beef Stew, Chicken Corn Chili, and Roasted Chicken with Vegetables – all meals that warm up the house with their smells and the heat from the oven.

November is also the beginning of the holiday season where we look forward to indulging in all the traditional foods of Thanksgiving. Because of that, I’ve tried to make this seasonal menu have quite a few lighter, healthier options. Warm and comforting for November is the name of the game, but comfort food can be incredibly nourishing, too.

There is also our favorite Thanksgiving menu in the last week – it’s literally the menu we have every year!

What’s Included in this Plan

Five days of complete dinner menus for four weeks, plus a complete Thanksgiving Dinner menu. Mix and match to the days that work for your schedule.
The no-brainer, repeatable menu we have on weekends you can replicate.
Each day’s menu includes a main dish and sides.
Use the sides as-is, come up with your own, or pull from the other days.
Dessert ideas: Pie for the holiday: Crumb Topped Apple Pie, or two other options

How to use the dinner meal plans

You have a couple options to make these menu ideas work for you and whatever system you use:

Click the heart in the lower right corner to add the whole month’s plan to your recipe box. When you want the recipes, revisit the menu and click on the recipes you need to make.
Copy the daily menus you like and paste them into your own menu planning system.
NEW!! Download a PDF of this entire meal plan, complete with links (with no other text and only the recipe images), to keep on your computer. When you want to make something, open the pdf, click on the recipe you want and it will take you straight there! (And on the off chance you want to make the whole month’s menus, you can print it out and post it as your menu, too.)

I hope you’ll find some dinner menu ideas here to help you plan your family’s menu this month and have a blessed Thanksgiving!

curried lentils with cabbage in white serving bowl

Week 1

Curried Lentils with Bacon & Browned Cabbage, green salad with Honey Mustard Salad Dressing
Creamy Pesto Tortellini with Red Peppers, spinach salad
Mexican Chicken Corn Soup, Black Bean Quesadillas, carrots and dip
Greek Salmon and Vegetable Frittata with Creamy Feta Sauce, toasted sandwich bread
Roasted Chicken & Vegetables, cut vegetables & Creamy Feta Dip (make extra for Week 2’s Dijon Chicken Pot Pie)

bacon dijon chicken pot pie on fork over ramekin

Week 2

Bacon Dijon Chicken Pot Pie (with easy WW crust using cooked chicken), green salad with Feta Dressing
Tomato White Bean Soup – A 15 Minute Dinner, Quick Sourdough Vegetable Fritters, or Delicious Vegetable Tuna Salad on toast with melted cheese
Slow Cooker Cassoulet, Orange Almond Salad, Easy Artisan Bread (save half for another meal)
Mediterranean Fish Bake, Three Bean Salad on a bed of chopped lettuce (or other green salad)
Potato & Caramelized Onion Frittata, Chopped Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette, Easy Artisan Bread

sausage bean soup with spinach in white bowl above

Week 3

Sausage Bean Soup with Spinach & Tomatoes (Slow Cooker or Instant Pot), Quick & Tender Breadsticks
Stir-fry on baked noodles (use thinly sliced pork or chicken or shrimp & vegetables)
Easy Slow Cooker Pork Sirloin, Vegetable Barley Pilaf, green salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Cheesy Baked Pasta, green salad
Thai-Style Peanut Spaghetti Squash Recipe (High Protein, Low Carb) (one dish dinner)

Week 4 – Easy dinners + Thanksgiving Menu

Italian Vegetable Beef Soup ( Slow Cook or Instant Pot), any bread you have or crackers
Quick Taco Rice Bowls – 3 Pantry Ingredients + Toppings
Creamy Shrimp Pasta with Green Beans – Easy 30 Minute Meal, green salad with vinaigrette

Thanksgiving Dinner

Making the rolls for the first time? I promise they’re easy! Here’s a video tutorial to help them turn out beautifully every time.

Leftover Turkey Dinner Ideas for Friday and the weekend

Creamy Turkey-Rice Soup (using leftover turkey & rice – my favorite!), green salad
Thai Inspired Turkey Vegetable Curry (leftover turkey), rice
Turkey soft tacos, 10-Minute Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa
Chicken-Spinach Frittata (can use cooked turkey), Quick & Easy Chopped Salad

->Here MORE are ways to use your Thanksgiving leftovers: 29 Of The Best Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes

WHAT ABOUT SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS?

Our family’s menu always has a couple of standards for the weekends – it’s one of the ways I make menu planning easier!

Saturdays alternate between burgers on homemade buns (or pigs-in-blankets) & fries and homemade pizza.

Sundays are mostly on-your-own leftovers (if nothing is available, a quick pasta is made using our frozen roasted tomato sauce or pesto).

November Dessert Ideas

apple pie and slice of pie on plate from above

Pies, of course!

Crumb-Topped Apple Pie (that you froze earlier to be ahead of the holiday game)
Quick & Decadent Chocolate Chip Walnut Pie Recipe
Black Bottom Maple Pecan Pie Bars (for a different option with the same pie flavor)

More Meal Planning Help

I hope you enjoy and are able to use some of these favorite family meals of ours. Make sure to sign up here to download the PDF of this meal plan if you haven’t yet, and get more recipes and simple homemade life tips delivered right to your inbox!