For the past few years I've been in charge of our menu at Thanksgiving, and serving 20+ people. For my side of the family, this is our big holiday. We come here from all over and celebrate Thanksgiving & Christmas with an active Turkey Trot, delicious food, fun activities & a gift exchange that usually leaves us in stitches! It's a good time had by all & I can't wait for my family to arrive.
That being said, I need to get a menu nailed down for this year. So why not share it with you all? I hope this can help you to choose healthy food, whether you're hosting or bringing a dish to pass.
THE BIRDS
We always do a buffet style dinner, everything is on the table and we load up our plates, at least once. That being said, let's start with the main event; the TURKEY! For the past 3 years I've been ordering ours from a local farm where they raise free-range, antibiotic & hormone free birds. They are a little different to cook, but turn out fantastic! And I just feel good about this choice.We usually do two turkeys - a big (25 pounder) and a small (16 pounder) because we host many people for several days. And who doesn't love leftovers?!
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| Maple Glazed Roasted Turkey |
So for the bigger turkey, we roast it. I'm thinking this recipe looks delish. My husband likes his food very traditional & I like to branch out by trying new flavors & styles. We'll see if I can sneak in some maple syrup as a glaze, or if he will win with just olive oil. 😏
And for our smaller turkey, we cook it in an infrared fryer. No oil used. It renders a beautiful, lean bird.
THE SALADS
Ok, if you're trying to get through this holiday season & not pack on the pounds, then load up your plate with veggies! That's my plan, at least. I usually only make one salad, because if it doesn't get eaten, it doesn't keep well. However, I took my two little boys to lunch at Panera a couple of weeks ago & had their Romaine & Kale Caesar Salad with chicken. It was pretty good! So I'm going to recreate it here (sans chicken) & I'll update this post with the link shortly. It was topped with round parmesan discs which I'm pretty sure were made of more than just cheese. Just wait, I got this...
As for another salad, I think I'll give this Fall Harvest Salad with Pumpkin Goddess Dressing a shot! I know not everyone is a fan of pumpkin, but I told you I like to branch out. Autumnal salads are beautiful.
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| Fall Harvest Salad with Pumpkin Goddess Dressing |
THE SIDES
Now here is where I'm struggling. A lot of our traditional side dishes at Thanksgiving are far from clean & healthy. I don't want to upset people if they're counting on an annual favorite, but the more I learn about food, the more I want to tweak recipes. Let's start with a big one; Green Bean Casserole. You know -- the one made with condensed cream of mushroom soup & french fried onions... That being said, this recipe looks like a good swap. I will either omit the mushrooms or be sure to finely chop them.
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| Clean Green Bean Casserole |
One of my favorites is Sweet Potato Casserole! Commonly topped with mini marshmallows. 😳 SUGAR! Instead, I'll be whipping up this Paleo version topped with pecans & I'll probably add some maple syrup in these for a little more sweetness.
Sticking with the starches, what's Thanksgiving without Mashed Potatoes & Gravy? I'm scaling down this year, because while people would miss it if it were not included, I also find that they only take a scoop, which leaves too many leftovers! Do you think I can get away with tricking my family with half potatoes & half cauliflower? I'm going to test it out on my guys & see if I get any strange faces. If my secret mission is a success, then I'll be creating my own version of Mashed Caulitatoes!!
**Update! I tried out a similar recipe & my husband & boys gobbled them up. I used about 60% potatoes & 40% cauliflower.**
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| Mashed Caulitatoes |
Brussels Sprouts have made a HUGE comeback! I totally understand why; I love those little cabbages, especially with a balsamic glaze. My 4 year old actually gets EXCITED when I say we're having brussels sprouts for dinner. I love his love for veggies! So I'll be using my tried & true recipe, that I hope to share soon.
Next we have the stuffing. I have to admit, it's one of my favorites at Thanksgiving, probably because I never make it otherwise. I plan to use a multigrain bread, and follow this recipe as a guide - although I'm not sure it will be gluten free.
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| Gluten-Free Homemade Stuffing |
Another side dish that the kids usually love is cooked carrots! They're sweet & the light glaze I use makes them every sweeter. Here is a quick & easy recipe.
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| Honey Balsamic Carrots |
One condiment that I've come to love over the years is the cranberry sauce! It's fun to make from scratch because not only is it easy, but I love to hear the popping of the fresh cranberries on the stove. Here is a recipe I've used over & over. I'm going to try substituting honey or maple syrup for the sugar this year instead. Or maybe some coconut sugar.
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| Cranberry Orange Sauce |
In all honesty, I always buy rolls at Thanksgiving. I've never even attempted to make them & the only bread I've made is quick bread. I'm not sure I'm ready to give it a shot, but if I make rolls this year, these Soft Whole Wheat Rolls sound like a winner!
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| Whole Wheat Rolls |
THE SWEETS
Ya gotta have 'em, right? Indulge a bit & don't beat yourself up over it! Just get back on track with your clean eating the next day... or in our case, on Monday. I'm going to try to clean up these pies a bit, but how possible is it to make a better-for-you Pecan Pie?! I'm going to give it a shot with this recipe. I few months ago I found a giant bag of unrefined coconut sugar at Costco & I haven't gone back to refined cane sugar. I make cookies often for church & we always have to sample them. Not ONCE has anyone said they taste funny. They don't know the difference. It's lower on the glycemic index, so it's less likely to cause your blood sugar to crash! I'm not trying to convince you that it's HEALTHY, but it's certainly a better option if you love to bake like yours truly.
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| Clean Eating Pecan Pie |
While nursing my second son, I found that he had a sensitivity to casein, a protein found in dairy. It was difficult for him to digest as a baby, but he has since overcome this & drinks milk like the cows are drying up! However, I credit that year for pushing me out of my comfort zone & really discovering other ways to eat. A year without cheese will do that to you. Insert everything coconut! That's why THIS pumpkin pie sounds better than the traditional recipe to me! I can only hope my family is either in agreement or is fooled. If you're looking for a great canned pumpkin, I found a case of organic pure pumpkin puree at Costco.
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| Paleo Pumpkin Pie |
Hopefully my menu will inspire you to make some clean swaps this holiday season! And because I can't get enough infographics, I'll leave you with these!
