I am a full-time food blogger living in beautiful Colorado. I founded JuliasAlbum.com in 2012. I focus primarily on savory recipes (protein-based main dishes, pasta, salads) and seasonal ingredients (with many vegetables and fruits). Many of my recipes are 30-minute ONE-PAN meals. You can subscribe to me by e-mail here if you like. Or, browse my current and previous newsletters.
Share
10 Light Meals to Enjoy between Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Published 7 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader,
Looking for some easy & light weeknight dinners? These are fast, foolproof, and totally delicious.
10 Light Meals to Enjoy between Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Serve these, and suddenly everyone’s in a good mood.
Autumn Dinner with Sausage, Pasta, Brussels Sprouts, and Butternut Squash features simple ingredients in a delicious combination! The veggies are first roasted in the oven and then coated with garlic butter sauce together with bow tie pasta and sliced smoked sausage. Perfect for making in the Fall and Winter months or year-round using sweet potatoes.
Spaghetti Squash with Chicken, Tomatoes, Spinach, and Feta Cheese is a Mediterranean-style dinner that is healthy, gluten-free, low in carbs, and high in protein. Using spaghetti squash is a great alternative to regular pasta recipes! Your family will love this simple dinner and it might quickly become one of your new favorites!
Mushroom Ravioli with Spinach - this easy meatless pasta dinner requires only 6 ingredients and 30 minutes! Mushrooms are sauteed with spinach, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and combined with ravioli. Use baby portobellos, shiitake, oyster mushrooms, cremini, or button mushrooms.
Garlic Butter Steak with Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash is a delicious dinner packed with fiber (veggies) and protein (steak). This well-balanced Autumn meal is comfort food on a plate. The flank steak is cooked in butter, garlic, and fresh thyme. Brussels sprouts add crunch, while roasted butternut squash provides subtle sweetness to this savory dish.
Italian Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Spaghetti Squash is just like your favorite Italian sausage pasta! Except in this recipe, everything is stuffed into the roasted spaghetti squash! This cozy dinner is packed with veggies (spinach, tomatoes, and mushrooms). It's completely gluten-free, low-carb, and keto-friendly!
Creamy Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sausage, Thyme, and Sage is the ultimate Autumn comfort food. This one-pan recipe takes only 40 minutes to make! It's simple and quick enough to make on a busy weeknight, yet it looks sophisticated and presentable to serve as the main course for friends and family on a special night.
Lemon Shrimp Orzo with Asparagus is a 30-minute Mediterranean-style dinner that looks like a fancy restaurant-quality main course. It's light, refreshing, and perfect for a quick Summer meal or a simple weeknight dinner. The orzo is coated in a delicious lemon garlic butter sauce and topped with capers and fresh herbs (basil and thyme).
This Italian Sausage Spaghetti features marinara sauce, fresh tomatoes, spinach, garlic, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and fresh herbs! There is so much flavor packed into this crowd-pleasing pasta dish! The whole recipe takes only 30 minutes and requires simple ingredients found in most pantries.
Chicken Feta Pasta is an easy, 30-minute Mediterranean recipe that uses basic everyday ingredients and is perfect for family meals. Pan-seared chicken (generously seasoned with amazing spices) is tossed together with the bow tie pasta, cherry tomatoes, spinach, garlic, and creamy feta cheese! This recipe makes great leftovers and is freezer-friendly (perfect for meal prep).
Creamy Garlic Parmesan Orzo is a perfect comfort food that comes together in just 30 minutes, using only one pot! It works well as a side dish or a complete meatless meal. It's creamy, cheesy, and is sure to become a family favorite! Fresh green peas add crunch and the veggie component to this quick and easy recipe!
I am a full-time food blogger living in beautiful Colorado. I founded JuliasAlbum.com in 2012. I focus primarily on savory recipes (protein-based main dishes, pasta, salads) and seasonal ingredients (with many vegetables and fruits). Many of my recipes are 30-minute ONE-PAN meals. You can subscribe to me by e-mail here if you like. Or, browse my current and previous newsletters.
Here are my dinner recommendations (and salads!) for the upcoming week (June 30 - July 6, 2025). DAY 1 (NEW RECIPE): Grilled Salmon with Pineapple Tomato Avocado Salsa and Cilantro-Lime Rice RECIPE HERE DAY 2 (NEW RECIPE): Oven Baked Ribs with Homemade Kansas City BBQ Sauce RECIPE HERE DAY 3: Garlic Butter Chicken with Zucchini, Corn, and Ravioli RECIPE HERE DAY 4: Sausage and Veggies Skillet (with bell peppers, zucchini, corn, and fresh cilantro) RECIPE HERE DAY 5: Shrimp and Creamed Corn...
Here are my dinner recommendations (and salads!) for the upcoming week (June 23-29, 2025). DAY 1 (NEW RECIPE): Tequila-Lime Shrimp Skewers with Veggie-Pineapple Skewers (on the Grill. Prep time 10 min.; marinate for 15 minutes, cook time: 25 min.) RECIPE HERE DAY 2 (NEW RECIPE): Herbed-Citrus Grilled Flank Steak with Mango Avocado Salsa (with the best homemade marinade: fresh rosemary and thyme with cumin, garlic, tamari, and a splash of both lime and orange juice, balsamic vinegar, olive...
Here are my dinner recommendations (and salads!) for the upcoming week (June 16-22, 2025). And, Happy Father's Day! 🎊🎉🎈 DAY 1: Korean Stir-Fried Beef Noodles (Japchae) RECIPE HERE DAY 2: Thai Chicken Meatball Curry RECIPE HERE DAY 3: Lemon Shrimp Orzo with Asparagus and Capers (serve with homemade garlic bread) RECIPE HERE DAY 4: Mexican Street Corn Black Bean Chicken Bake (with Cotija or Feta Cheese. One-pan recipe, 30 minutes baking time. Serve topped with Pico de Gallo) RECIPE HERE DAY 5:...