Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans and everybody who enjoys a large meal on the third Thursday of November consisting of an oversized turkey that resembles a small dinosaur.
We’ve lived in the US for 12 years, and this is one of the American traditions and holidays we have embraced entirely, probably because it includes large quantities of food, which we thoroughly enjoy.
And true to tradition, we overate and indulge in various sides and desserts. Our turkey was only 15 lbs, and I made my famous Pecan Bourbon Pie.
Homesickness
I became homesick this week and have added a few delicious typical Danish dinners to this week’s meal plan to remind me of home.
My sister is coming over for Christmas, which I’m excited about. She and I will have the opportunity to cook the Christmas meal together, which I don’t think we have done for over a decade.
Concerning Danes
Like most countries back then, the food was based on what was available nearby or could be delivered by agriculture, i.e., small farms and fisheries. The Danes “enjoy” cabbage and root vegetables and will preserve these for the fall and winter. In addition, we eat a balanced diet of rye bread, dairy, fish, and pork.
One of my favorite dishes is smørrebrød, an open-faced rye bread sandwich. It is not an easy dish for foreigners, but it is terrific – an acquired taste!
We make beautiful slices with fried or pickled fish, boiled eggs, cold meats, and our famous cheese. It’s all I had for school lunches when I grew up and something I miss today as it is not easy to source or make when living abroad.
Pork is one of the popular meat options in Denmark. Well, today, Danish families eat many more options and have access to all kinds of food and cultures.
But, historically, we are a pork-eating nation: pork roast, crackling pork, pork belly, pork chops, pork liver pate, pork sausages, pork loins, pork meatballs, pork meatloaf, and plenty of bacon.
The Love of Pork
Welcome to this week’s meal plan and cooking adventures. I’m going old school with some excellent Danish dishes I remember from childhood.
I’ve included the Danish recipe names on the meal planner below. You can Google the pronunciation if you so desire.
I’m pleased to share that I ‘persuaded’ my son to help me cook this week, or at least provide some morale support and validate that the flavors are as expected.
While not pork, we use the last turkey to create a typical Danish soul food dish called biksemad. It is chopped onion, diced potatoes, and turkey cut into small pieces, then gently fried on the pan and served with a fried egg.
Then we move into the pork overdose by starting with a simple dish using pork sausage served with brown gravy (left over from Thanksgiving) and mashed potatoes.
We move swiftly onto a pork loin pot with mushrooms and onions and then a paprika and cream sauce – served with boiled rice. But I do add fried and crisp bacon to the stew, too.
Rice is not native to Denmark, but I changed the side to avoid having potatoes daily.
Lastly, I present the fantastic traditional Danish dish with crisp pork belly slices, boiled potatoes, and parsley sauce.
I’m making a few simple options for school lunches with chicken, hummus, egg muffins, and turkey sliders with stuffing.
Danish Food in Pictures
Meal Plan
| Lunch | Dinner | |
| Monday | Honey Sesame Chicken Thighs with Rice | Grilled Sliced Pork Belly with Parsley Sauce and Boiled Potatoes (stegt flæsk med persillesovs) |
| Tuesday | Egg Muffins with Mushrooms, Spinach and Sundried Tomatoes | Turkey, onion and potatoes fried (Biksemad) |
| Wednesday | Hummus, Chicken Thighs and Pita Bread | Pork sausage (medister) with mash, gravy, and red cabbage |
| Thursday | Turkey Sliders with stuffing | Pork Loin Pot with Rice (mørbrads gryde) |
| Friday | Frida Pizza Delights | Friday Knucklehead Gathering |
One Day, I might get so organized that I will link the meals below to my recipes. We can only live in hope!
Have a fantastic week, my friends. I hope you enjoy these meal plans. It is much easier to make food in advance, although you must invest several hours preparing meals during the weekend.
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