We generally have a full house on Thanksgiving Day It starts with the Thanksgiving Day parade all in Pj’s and then Happy Hour at 3 with Dinner following. I have spent a lot of time in the past years revising some of our favorite recipes so that they are a little healthier. Believe me, we are foodies over here so each recipe has a ton of flavor.
Since there are so many of us around on Thanksgiving morning, breakfast must be made in advance since we are all hustling about with Dinner preparations. I like things as stress free as possible.
Here a few make ahead ideas… some of which are gluten/grain free and cow dairy free as well. I usually have a muffin/oatmeal bake option with some sort of egg dish for added protein. All of these recipes are easy to reheat in the oven Thanksgiving morning. Use some paper plates and you’ve got yourself a stress free breakfast that will keep everyone full til dinner.
Breakfast:
Grain Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Cinnamon, Chocolate and Walnut Baked Oatmeal
Mediterranean Sausage and Goat Cheese Frittata
Cheesy Kale and Sweet Potato Egg Muffins
Happy Hour:
Around 3 in the afternoon we gather for happy hour with a nice glass of sparkling or a special cocktail/mocktail with a few bites to tide us over until dinner. If we have a large group I might pull together a Charcuterie platter with some homemade Pimento Cheese, but if it is just our family I may whip up a batch of Artichoke Squares or an Artichoke Goat Cheese Dip. If we want a more veggie centric starter I might make my Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Hummus with varied chopped vegetables.
Thanksgiving Dinner:
Dinner starts in our house around 5 PM. I enjoy lingering at the table so a coursed meal makes that possible and gives us lots of time to digest each course:)
1st Course:
Shaved Fennel and Beet Salad with a Maple, Lemon Vinaigrette
Kale and Butternut Squash Salad
Bacon, Carmelized Onion and Toasted Pecan Kale Salad with Sweet Potato Croutons
2nd Course:
Turkey– most years we make a deep fried turkey but this year I am going to try a Roasted, Spatchcocked Turkey.
Gluten Free Cornbread Stuffing– I linked a recipe here but my recipe usually includes gluten free bread, gluten free cornbread, sausage, apple, parsley, thyme, sage and lots of onions and garlic all bound together with an egg, chicken stock and butter.
Cauliflower Mash-great replacement for mashed potatoes and delicious smothered in gravy.
Orange and Honey Roasted Carrots
Warm Crispy Onion and Hakurei Turnip Salad
Green Bean, Goat Cheese and Roasted Cashew Casserole
3rd Course:
Apple Crisp topped with Coconut Milk Vanilla Ice Cream (I like the So Delicious or Coconut Bliss brand)
Gluten Free Chocolate Orange Cheesecake
Madison’s Pumpkin Roll-this recipe is not gluten or dairy free but is perfect if looking for an absolutely delicious, indulgent experience!!!!
I hope you enjoy this list. If you try any of these recipes I would love for you to comment below and maybe send me a picture or two.
Happy Cooking!!!!!