Thanksgiving is just a week away, it really snuck up on me this year! This year we are hosting Thanksgiving at our home here in LA and I could not be more excited! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays – I love the slow days when we are not running around to activities and get to spend time as a family! We have so much to be grateful for this year including our newest little addition! My older kids are excited to be helping in the kitchen and I am excited to have some extra hands!
Earlier this week I shared my Thanksgiving checklist. A few simple steps that I take to stay organized as we head into the holiday in hopes of a less stressful and more memorable holiday. The first item on my checklist (that I like to do the week before) is to plan my menu. This is when I sort through my favorite recipes, taking into consideration any dietary restrictions my guests have (and also including any of their favorite traditional recipes).
Planning ahead of time helps me build my grocery list to help prevent numerous trips to the store. After writing out my list I typically will go ahead and and pick up any nonperishable items, double check we have all the kitchen essentials we need, and make sure I have my Thanksgiving table put together.
The last thing to keep in mind when building a menu, you don’t need to make every single traditional Thanksgiving item! Don’t take on more than you can do just because other people will have that menu item on their table – if it’s not a favorite in your family do not worry! Also, note you CAN pick a few things up at the store – I don’t bake my own rolls so those will be store-bought! You will see in my menu below that we have quite a mix of things! I hope this menu gives you a little inspiration for your turkey day!
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What’s on the Menu This Year
Turkey Brine
via Lively Table
When cooking a Thanksgiving turkey, brine is essential for a juicy, flavorful bird. A turkey brine with oranges, rosemary, and spices will ensure a moist turkey.
Herb Butter Maple Roasted Turkey
Incredible maple roasted turkey made with savory herb butter and plenty of sweet pure maple syrup flavor. This whole turkey recipe is perfect for your Thanksgiving table and easy to make thanks to this step-by-step guide on how to cook a turkey!
Curious about how long to cook your turkey – follow this guide!
Easy Turkey Gravy
via The kitchen
There are many wonderful ways to make turkey gravy but my favorite is the classic “old-fashioned” way using the drippings from the turkey in the roasting pan! I’ll make extra to have on hand for leftovers all weekend long.
Cranberry Sauce
via Downshiftology
Cranberry sauce is an easy Thanksgiving side dish that’s a must-make for your dinner menu. This one’s naturally sweet, with a hint of orange, and slightly chunky – the perfect texture to spoon over your turkey and serve
Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
via Downshiftology
This healthy sweet potato casserole has all the tasty Thanksgiving flavors in one baked dish. It’s a lightened-up, refined sugar-free version of the classic recipe with a layer of creamy, spiced sweet potato topped with a nutty pecan crumble to balance out your blood sugar.
The Best Mashed Potatoes
These herb-infused garlic mashed potatoes are the best-mashed potatoes you will ever eat. They are creamy, fluffy buttery and so insanely delicious you will never make another mashed potato recipe again.
Maple Roasted Carrots
via The Almond Eater
Dressed in a sweet and buttery maple syrup glaze, these Maple Roasted Carrots are so easy to make and a simple holiday side dish. Top them with crushed pistachios for flavor and crunch!
Buttery Herbed Stuffing
via How Sweet Eats
This is our favorite stuffing and the only one I make now. The edges are golden and crunchy, the inside is soft. It’s wildly flavorful and buttery and filled with herbs and most importantly, a delicious neutral flavor that truly goes with any meal.
Roasted Garlic and Balsamic Brussel Sprout Recipe
via Jillian Harris
Simply toss brussels sprouts in a little olive oil, diced garlic, salt, and pepper and let the oven do the work– then drizzle and coat roasted Brussels sprouts with balsamic vinegar and you’ve got yourself a delicious dish you’ll want to keep eating over and over.
Chopped Kale Salad With Mustard-Shallot Vinaigrette
via Camille Styles
A massaged kale salad with pears, gorgonzola, radicchio, pomegranates, candied walnuts, and red onion that also happens to be so brilliantly colored I’ve taken to calling it my “Holiday Jewels Chopped Kale Salad.” (Kale has never sounded so festive, am I right?)
Pumpkin Pie
Creamy, healthy pumpkin pie from scratch that is naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup. This easy-to-make pumpkin pie recipe will knock your socks off! Serve with dairy-free or regular ice cream, or a little whipped cream for a treat.
Pumpkin Pie Crust
This Homemade All Butter Pie Crust recipe is an easy flaky pie crust from scratch. It’s made with only 5 ingredients in 5 minutes in a food processor or by hand, and is the best pie crust recipe ever!
Apple Pie
While I try to keep Thanksgiving recipes as healthy as possible, an apple pie is one thing I will absolutely INDULGE in. A mountain of gooey cinnamon apples nestled under a perfectly buttery and flaky pie crust, this apple pie recipe is a must. Bake and cool the pie, and then top with vanilla ice cream for the ultimate homestyle dessert.
Graze Board for a lite bite
I try and keep appetizers light but always want to provide a little something before dinner! Here is what is on my graze board! I usually pull a brie, goat cheese, parmesan, manchego, and aged gouda. Plenty of berries like strawberries and raspberries and of course apple slices. A variety of crackers (including gluten-free) and nuts like Marcona almonds (I love the ones from Trader Joe’s) & walnuts. Charcuteries like salami, pepperoni and prosciutto. A beautiful honeycomb to drizzle honey over cheese and olives. I love a variety – make sure to include a small dish for pits!
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