Holidays are a time to honor traditions, escape our greatest recipes, and rejoice in excessive model. Still, it could’t be denied that the same old Thanksgiving menu is tough on these with dietary restrictions, and usually leaves most of us feeling as overstuffed because the turkey!
Years in the past I made a decision to take our Thanksgiving dinner in a more healthy route. I can now say with confidence that it actually is feasible to host a scrumptious and wholesome Thanksgiving meal.
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None of us miss the standard variations of traditional Thanksgiving recipes and like the style and high quality of those straightforward however home made dishes. You can host your finest Thanksgiving ever with a little pre-planning with a few of these scrumptious recipes. Or for those who’re bringing a dish over to the household Thanksgiving for a potluck-style occasion, there are many choices to select from!
Our Favorite (Healthy) Thanksgiving Recipes + Menu Plan
Here are our favourite Thanksgiving Day recipes, from our household to yours! I tailored them again after I was fully grain-free and (principally) paleo, in order that they’re positively wholesome. While our household does embody some dairy and a few grains in our weekly menu, you’ll discover loads of allergen-friendly choices right here.
If you’d like to do this menu, I’ve included my full procuring checklist beneath.
Mom disclaimer: No, I do not make all of those recipes from scratch yearly! This is simply a checklist of our favorites we’ve compiled over time. Some years we’re extra motivated than others (learn: when it’s not a baby 12 months or the 12 months of a worldwide pandemic).
Usually, I prioritize making the primary portion of the meal from scratch and hold dessert easy. Even some recent fruit or grain-free chocolate chip cookies from Thrive Market hold my crew comfortable. And as my children have gotten older they’ve taken cost of lots of our meals and household dishes which helps issues go even smoother!
Enough from me, let’s dive into all of the yummy recipes!
Appetizers
I like to have these round whereas I’m cooking/baking… together with a good glass of wine after all! They additionally assist when you’ve little ones with massive tummies who’ve a laborious time ready for the primary meal to make its look. Another straightforward choice to add is a plate stuffed with chopped uncooked veggies with some dipping sauce, like high-protein ranch dressing or home made French onion dip made with shallots.
Deviled Eggs (Traditional or Japanese)
For a number of years I prevented eggs due to a meals sensitivity, however my children would by no means let me overlook the deviled eggs! We have them yearly they usually’re at all times a hit.
While I used to be taking a break from consuming eggs, my children took over making this Thanksgiving recipe, thanks to the talents they discovered from my favourite on-line cooking class for teenagers.
If you’re uninterested in conventional deviled eggs (not that there’s something unsuitable with them!), do this wonderful Japanese twist on the traditional. We at all times add some dried herbs to these for a burst of taste, however recent herbs additionally make a tasty garnish.
Charcuterie Board
Absolutely my go-to vacation or get together appetizer. Very little chopping or prep is required and you may load it up with colourful veggies and fruits with out anybody suspecting it’s truly wholesome! Serve with home made aioli or dip for wholesome fat to take the nutrition even additional. You may even add some buttery brie or different cheese for filling and attractive fat.
Here’s how to put collectively a stunning charcuterie board… no creative expertise required.
Tip: Make some easy bulk nuts higher by toasting them for a jiffy in a pan with a drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkle of sea salt.
The Thanksgiving Meal Turkey (of Course!)
No Thanksgiving feast is full with out a Thanksgiving turkey on the vacation meal! First, I extremely advocate brining your turkey a few days to a week earlier than the vacation. It helps the drier turkey breast meat particularly to have a lot extra moisture and taste. I quarter an onion and a lemon and place them contained in the cavity earlier than tying. Then, I rub butter on the surface and sprinkle it with salt, pepper, garlic, and basil.
You can discover my turkey recipe for brined and roasted turkey right here. You also can use the drippings to make your individual turkey gravy. Just add a little arrowroot or natural cornstarch to the drippings and cook dinner on the range till thickened.
Side Dishes
Grain Free Veggie Stuffing Recipe
Stuffing (or dressing for those who’re Southern) is without doubt one of the hottest Thanksgiving facet dishes. Instead of the everyday cornbread dressing or from a field stuffing, although our household loves this grain-free model.
Roasted turnips and candy potatoes are flavored with apples, celery, and onions. This is a smart way to add some additional veggies to the meal and check out some scrumptious root greens. Hints of sage and thyme give it the standard style of stuffing with out gluten or synthetic substances.
Get my stuffing recipe right here.
Green Bean Casserole
Green beans topped with a home made (actual) cream sauce and topped with crispy pan-fried onions in a coconut flour batter. This recipe has all the flavour (and extra) of the standard model with out the thriller soup in a can. You can use canned French-style inexperienced beans, however recent or frozen work rather well right here.
Get the recipe for inexperienced bean casserole right here.
Sweet Potato Casserole
At our home, we want candy potatoes baked and topped with actual butter and sea salt. If you just like the marshmallow-topped model, that is a good different. It’s topped with a home made egg and honey-based “marshmallow” meringue that’s very related in style and texture. (It’s simply lacking that top fructose corn syrup aftertaste…).
Get the recipe for candy potato casserole right here.
Mashed “Fauxtatoes”
Many of us are used to a potato recipe of some variety at Thanksgiving dinner, whether or not that’s potato gratin or creamy mashed potatoes. If you like potatoes, by all means indulge, however we love this low-carb cauliflower model. It makes use of pureed cauliflower and all of the seasonings of normal mashed potatoes for a scrumptious substitute. Don’t fear, I left within the butter, bitter cream, and cheese so this qualifies as a Thanksgiving recipe!
Get the recipe for creamy garlic mashed cauliflower “potatoes” right here.
Cranberry Sauce
A barely candy recipe that leaves out the “equal parts sugar” in conventional recipes. Hints of orange and pineapple sweeten it naturally. It tastes nice with the primary even, or as a garnish on leftover turkey sandwiches.
Get the recipe for lower-sugar cranberry sauce right here.
Maple Tarragon Carrots
My dad’s facet of the household at all times has some kind of carrot facet dish annually. Some time in the past I made a decision to give them a tasty twist and make some with maple syrup and tarragon. You can simmer them on the range till delicate or make roasted carrots for much more advanced flavors.
Get the recipe for maple tarragon carrots right here.
Apple Kale Salad
While this is probably not a traditional Thanksgiving dish for many, it provides a crisp and refreshing facet to assist stability out the heartier dishes. It makes use of tender, massaged kale leaves paired with tangy apples and an apple cider French dressing. You can high it with recent pomegranate seeds, goat cheese, and onions for much more taste.
Get the recipe for apple kale salad right here.
Bacon and Sea Salt Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Who says children (or adults) have to dislike Brussels sprouts? When roasted till caramelized and topped with bacon and sea salt, Brussels sprouts can change into a facet to combat over! The balsamic vinegar provides a good tang to actually complement the bacon.
Get the recipe for roasted Brussels sprouts right here.
Butternut Squash Soup
If you need to serve a soup course, I like to recommend this one. We love this barely candy soup that tastes like Fall in a bowl! It makes use of coconut milk so it’s additionally dairy-free.
Get the recipe for butternut squash soup right here.
Fresh Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan
A scrumptious facet that’s equally scrumptious in omelets the subsequent morning. Even the children like asparagus this manner, and we normally serve it with Hollandaise sauce. It’s tremendous easy to throw along with simply a few substances and the oven actually brings out the flavors. If you want to make it dairy-free, attempt it with out the parmesan.
Get the recipe for roasted asparagus with parmesan right here.
For grain-free dinner rolls, bake a batch or two of coconut flour biscuits. We love them for making sandwiches with leftover turkey and cranberry sauce the day after Thanksgiving!
Show-Stopping Thanksgiving Desserts
Although I typically like to hold dessert easy with some fruit and recent whipped cream, pies are a must-have at our Thanksgiving desk. Here are a few totally different choices to attempt (or attempt all of them!).
Pumpkin Pie
The much-loved Thanksgiving dessert will get a makeover with out the added sugar or dairy and a grain-free almond and pecan pie crust. (It’s additionally equally good for breakfast the subsequent day!). And don’t overlook the whipped cream!
Get the recipe for pumpkin pie right here.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
If you aren’t a lot of a pumpkin fan or want to feed a greater group, this recipe has a refined pumpkin style in cheesecake type. It’s rapidly change into certainly one of my all-time favourite desserts! And it’s not solely gluten-free nevertheless it’s grain-free and naturally sweetened. It’s virtually like having pumpkin pie and whipped cream (however with a cheesecake tang) all rolled into one.
Get the recipe for pumpkin cheesecake right here.
Carrot Cake
A wholesome model made with coconut flour, a number of eggs (protein!), and spices. You can add the non-compulsory cream cheese frosting for those who like. Carrot cake is a little extra concerned to make, nevertheless it works rather well to make this even a number of days earlier than the massive occasion. For a extra crowd-friendly model, attempt making them into cupcakes!
Get the recipe for gluten-free carrot cake right here.
Pecan Pie
This is certainly one of my favourite grain-free dessert recipes. With no refined sugar and plenty of eggs for protein, it’s a comparatively wholesome dessert for particular events. Plus this model doesn’t have any of the corn syrup that provides many variations a bizarre style.
Get the recipe for pecan pie right here.
How to Put It All Together (Step by Step)
Do the phrases “menu plan” ship chills down your backbone? Here’s how to get a wholesome and stress-free Thanksgiving menu on the desk in 5 manageable steps:
Step 1: Write Out a Thanksgiving Dinner Menu Plan (or Borrow Mine!)
About two weeks earlier than Thanksgiving, I pull up my vacation recipes in Real Plans (the software that makes all my menu goals come true) and determine what I’m going to make. I additionally examine the pantry and ensure I’ve my staples that aren’t accessible regionally. This manner I’ve time to order from my favourite on-line sources.
Doing this effectively forward of time saves a lot stress. I can store earlier than the shops get actually insane and make a lot of the dishes forward. Then, on Thanksgiving, I simply have to cook dinner the turkey, roast some veggies, and reheat the dishes I’ve made.
Free Printable Shopping List
Here is my full printable shopping list for a healthy Thanksgiving menu.
Step 2: Shop, Prep, and Chop
I head to the shop with my checklist about 5 days earlier than Thanksgiving. Surprisingly, procuring is fairly easy (and inexpensive) when you’ll be able to spend most of your time within the produce part of the shop. Most of the objects on the checklist (brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and so on.) hold effectively for days.
We plan for a day at residence after procuring and I put my youthful children’ knife expertise to work serving to me peel and chop the recent veggies. The older child’s cooking expertise imply they’re ready to take over on a number of the dishes. I additionally precook any veggies that shall be blended into soups or casseroles. (The Instant Pot is useful for this!)
I save an additional bowl of chopped veggies for a straightforward turkey vegetable soup to simmer the day after the massive feast.
Step 3: Brine That Turkey!
I don’t imply to be pushy, however actually … don’t skip this step! Brining is my favourite manner to obtain juicy, wonderful turkey each time. Grocery shops do their very own brining with overly salty solutions with questionable substances (that you find yourself paying for because it provides to the weight).
If you may get your arms on a native natural turkey it’s price the additional planning and expense. A pastured turkey brined at residence simply can’t be crushed for wonderful taste and texture. If you don’t have a place native to you, locations like Butcher Box will ship one to your door.
A frozen turkey may even sluggish defrost in a brine. By the time it’s defrosted, you’ve a tremendous juicy turkey prepared for roasting! I clarify how to brine step-by-step on this submit.
Step 4: Bake a Dessert (or Three)
Pumpkin and pecan pies are a Thanksgiving requirement in our home. Thankfully we’ve mastered grain-free variations of all of the desserts we love (and I’ve included a few extras beneath for good measure). Many individuals additionally welcome a traditional apple pie or candy potato pie at their Thanksgiving desk.
I normally plan a while within the kitchen about 2 days earlier than Thanksgiving to make a number of of those from begin to end so they’re prepared for the massive day. As my children grow old, most of them are ready to take cost of this … something within the identify of dessert!
Step 5: Put It All Together
The day earlier than Thanksgiving, we assemble casseroles, soups, stuffing, and mainly something that retains effectively in a single day. I actually simply save the turkey and the asparagus for cooking on the massive day and reheat the remainder of the meals in batches within the oven.
At the tip of this present day, the chopping board, blender, and a few bowls want washing, however not a lot else!
Enjoy, and Happy Thanksgiving!
What are your favourite Thanksgiving traditions? Will you utilize my procuring checklist or recipes? Share beneath!
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