Ham. Saw a lot of people clustered around the hams in the grocery store today.

Au gratin or scalloped potatoes, green beans or asparagus, baby carrots, crusty rolls.

I never tire of ham in all its manifestations - sandwiches, ham & eggs, omelets, cheesy macaroni & ham, diced up in a salad; if bone in, a big pot of split pea soup.

I gotta agree with the ham- it's super yummy and is great for pretty much any holiday feasting.

I know a few folks that do lasagne for major holiday meals, or pot roasts too.

If you do the chicken and noodles, I would do a vegetable like peas or green beans or a vegetable tray, a fruit salad and dinner rolls and even though you already have a starch, you can't do chicken and noodles without mashed potatoes.

Another idea I like is a bbq brisket that I can put in the oven and forget or a spiral sliced ham. Make it easy on yourself, so you have time to enjoy your family!

What do your chicken and noodles taste like? That is, what are the flavorings?

If you want it to be a feast in honor of the holiday, even if it isn't Thanksgiving, you could do a roast. If your people have already had turkey and ham, how about a beef or lamb roast?

An old recipe from a magazine that an aunt used to make, which is marvelously "special" but easy, except for the attention needed for basting: Get a large butterflied leg of lamb. Use an ice pick or similar to poke holes, all the way through, about a inch and a half apart. Season the top to your own taste (or not). Sliver a whole head--yes a whole head and yes slivers--of garlic. There's an inexpensive gadget called a garlic mandolin that works, but if you're patient and careful you can get even better results with a knife. Put the lamb in a roaster, pour an entire bottle of good red wine all over the lamb and into the roaster, cover with the garlic slivers (throw them in--they'll all end up down the sides eventually). Roast in a 300ð oven for 3 hours, basting every 15 minutes.

Instead of mashed potatoes, how about a celery root or parsnip puree. You're making a kiddie dish, so can go with the stronger flavor...they have noodles to fall back on for a starch. You can make it leaner than the chef-y recipes say and it'll still be yummy.

Stuff a butternut squash instead of a bird, and if they've all had bread stuffing, do cornbread or wild rice, or vice versa, or go with a standard squash stuffing. That also does for a pumpkin dish. :)

Make broccolini or snow peas instead of green beans, and a carrot dish instead of sweet potatoes. A spiced chutney instead of cranberry sauce.

For dessert, how about a pear and dried cranberry galette instead of a traditional pie, or a cobbler, or even brownies and ice cream.

I think after Thanksgiving sounds like a fun holiday because you can make it special but there are no expectations!

I have some very picky eaters, and so the grand kids have asked for chicken and noodles...and of course, mashed potatoes....it is the rest of the meal I am trying to decide. Thanks for your help.

A ham is a great idea. Why not do some kind of buffet rather than a sit-down. People can pick at the ham all day. Rolls with condiments so they can make little ham sandwiches; a green salad; a green and yellow wax bean salad;baked potatoes with all the fixings...

Why not make chicken and noodles and mashed potatoes for the grandkids and something else for the grown-ups. I hate to sound redundant, but i would go with a ham. I have to confess that as the only childless sibling in my family, i get extremely irritated when somebody wants me to plan my menu and serving time exclusivley around the little ones tastes and schedule. I always compromise...here is the kiddie food...here is the grown up food...feel free to mix and match. If the chicken and noodles is a winner with picky eaters, then by all means, save a headache and make it. But i would do a ham, some rolls, maybe some potato salad and mac and cheese. I also like to serve buffet style. So much easier.

Spinach salad with olive oil and lemon juice, lasagna in an extra-deep pan, broiled slabs of french bread with chopped garlic and butter, steamed asparagus, bacon/bread stuffed mushrooms, ending with cheesecake with whipped cream and fresh berries of any sort.

Hard cider, Melini, Cecci, or Ruffino Chianti in the raffia wrapped bottle (have candles ready), ice water in a pitcher, and home made rumless egg nog.

Beefaroni, chocolate pudding, potato puffs for the kids. Outside. They will be happy.

oh...and i know you didn't really ask about this, but as the aunt of 14 i can say the biggest hit for dessert (and the absolute easiest too) for kids and adults alike has always been an ice cream sundae bar. My siblings always go to their spouses families first, and sometimes they have their own separate family celebration with their kids only. My mom always gets them last, and i do all the cooking. I steer clear of the turkey and all the fixins because they have already had them at least once, and same goes for the pumpkin pie(even though its MY favorite non-chocolate treat) I know you didn't mention dessert, but its just something to think about. A few different flavors of ice cream, some store bought sauces and toppings like nuts, marshmallows, crushed up oreos, other candies, fruit(i put fruit out just so my siblings can't say i never have anything healthy-bananas are always popular though) choc. chip cookies,brownie pieces,etc. It ALWAYS goes over well, i dont care how cold it is outside.

Chicken and noodles is comfort food to the max and everyone likes it so why not! That's what we had one year, for a second go round of Thanksgiving at my cousin's house. But yes, maybe something else to go along with it, like maybe a cold cut tray with cheese and good meats for sandwiches. Any kind of great salad your family likes. How about baked squash instead of the mashed potatoes, which seems like starch overload to me, but maybe that is a "must have" too. If so, I would play down the starches for everything else and serve a cheese, fruit and nut platter that folks could nibble on, and maybe make apple or cherry crisp for dessert. I make a cherry cranberry crisp that is out of this world! I linked to the recipe below. I can't wait for cranberries to go on sale at the store so I can make this! It would go good with ice cream, hint, hint . . . :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Cranberry cherry crumble

Thanks for the suggestions.... amylou, the ice cream bar sounds like so much fun....for old and young alike. I think I might try that :-)

PS I always have my kids/grandkids put up most of my Christmas decorations after lunch....it would be fun to do the sundae bar after they are done....I think I will do that.

What about a nice brisket along side the chicken and noodles? Instead of cranberry sauce, a bowl of cinnamon-spiced cooked apples? And yep, an ice cream bar is always a hit, I did it for the kids at church after services one Sunday afternoon. I never got so many hugs in my life!!!
Edie

To me, what makes it more holiday is the number of side dishes. Holidays always have more. So add a jello mold or a couple of different kinds of veggies, maybe sweet potato casserole and green beans and a tossed salad.

How about a tenderloin?
But keep the ice cream bar!