November 9, 2024

WEEKLY MENU 11.10.24

The Weekly Menu 11.10.24 celebrates National Fast Food Day with knock-offs and the recommendation to pick your fave!

The Weekly Menu 11.10.24 gives us permission to eat fast food! National Fast Food Day is on Saturday when I recommend going hog wild and heading to the fast food restaurant of your choice. Is it the healthiest way to go? Of course not. But a little moderation will go a long way.

McDonald’s isn’t actually the favorite fast food around here. I think that distinction goes to Taco Bell for the boys (is there anything better than ten tacos at midnight?) and to Arby’s for Bert and I. We were all alone in the house a couple weekends ago and were delighted that we could run out and get a few Arby’s sammies for the two of us. Then we wondered if adoring Arby’s is dating us. If we were younger and hipper, we probably wouldn’t have to fight the blue-hairs to get to the counter first. Just saying.

What’s the Nationwide fast food favorite?

For all of America, unlike our household, it is McDonald’s.

Here are the top 10 restaurants in America by sales, according to the report:

McDonald’s ($53.1 billion)

Starbucks ($31.6 billion)

Chick-fil-A ($21.6 billion)

Taco Bell ($15 billion)

Wendy’s ($12.3 billion)

Dunkin’ ($12 billion)

Burger King ($11 billion)

Subway ($10 billion)

Chipotle ($9.9 billion)

Domino’s ($9 billion)

While sales have grown for a healthy majority of the top 50 businesses, those collective billions of dollars don’t tell the whole story. Nation’s Restaurant News points out that although the Technomic report indicates sales growth across the industry, the rate of that growth lines up pretty cleanly with the price increases on popular fast food menu items over the past year—meaning that we’re not necessarily going out to eat any more than we were before. Indeed, there’s data to suggest that we might be doing just the opposite, pulling back on fast food spending because those dining options no longer feel like a bargain.

Food and Wine

Holy moly, that’s a lot of fast food. Sales are actually “sluggish” lately due to the increased prices in most of the fast food restaurants. Fast food doesn’t equal cheap food anymore. We don’t actually eat a ton of fast food around here, despite indications to the contrary. When the boysies were little we ate a bit more, but that’s really decreased over the years. It’s much more of an occasional treat now.

Baby Boy and I developed a little bit of a taste for Quarter Pounders during the pandemic (there’s an understatement), but overall I’m more likely to hit up the Golden Arches for breakfast. (An Egg McMuffin, Hash Browns and a Diet Coke is the breakfast of champions. Or at least this champion.)

McDonald’s is a kid favorite because of the Happy Meal.

There’s no scientific data to back this up, of course, but, come on. Those things are tempting now and I’m 61 years old. I love a little kit, and when you throw in some tasty food, some fries and some tchotchke item, I. Am. There. And McDonald’s never disappoints. (Affiliate links follow – see Disclaimer Page for details.)

You don’t actually have to go to Mickey D’s for the toys anymore. They are purchasable everywhere. Check out how stinking cute these chicken nugs are:

And the first non-creepy Ronald McDonald I’ve ever seen:

Apparently, it’s big business all around, not just at the restaurant itself.

Plus, everyone is trying to figure out how best to make the iconic menu items at home. I’ve looked at a ton of recipes that purport to make fries that taste just like McDonald’s. You can brine them in salt or salt and sugar. You can coat them in corn starch. How about a double fry in two different kinds of oil? Yeah. No.

How about if I’m really jonesing for McDonald’s fries, I stop in and buy some fresh ones? We are making at-home versions of some of our favorite fast-foods this week, but we’re going with a bag of frozen fries for the accompaniment. I have curly fries listed, but Bert hates coated fries, so I’ll probably go with the store-brand shoe-string type, which have really been hitting it lately.

What else is for eats on the Weekly Menu 11.10.24?

Sunday dinner is an homage to the knock-offs and copycat recipes for fast food. We’re starting with a Chicken Nugget recipe. It’ll be nice to know what’s actually in them this time. It’s a little more involved than I usually do for an appetizer, but they look delish. Stopping by Mickey Dee’s is also an option.

We’ve got a nod to Taco Bell for a yummy burrito and are finishing up with a Wendy’s Frosty. I’m on the fence about the fries. Maybe I’ll bake up both.

Monday is a casserole dish. I’ve been waxing poetic about soup season being back, but casserole season is too ~ Yippee! I do love me a one-plate meal. Sloppy Joe Sliders are a cafeteria staple that the whole family enjoys and it would be sacrilege to serve them without some sort of semi-fried spuds, so Tater Tots it is. Don’t judge.

We’re having the alternate recipe for Creamy Crockpot Chicken on Wednesday. The original recipe uses a jar of roasted red peppers; this week, we’re subbing in Mexican chilis and serving the chicken with tortillas for dipping. I’ll probably make some Minute rice too.

On Saturday, take the day off and spend some coin at your favorite fast food joint!