5 Delicious Thanksgiving Recipes!

November 20, 2024

Need a little inspiration for Thanksgiving side dishes?

You’ve come to the right spot! I’ve rounded up my favorite options for you – I’m all about easy, healthy, and foolproof recipes on the big day!

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

This shaved Brussels sprouts salad is a crisp and flavorful recipe that comes together in just 10 minutes! It’s a blend of seasonal ingredients such as Brussels sprouts, red apples, and cranberries – tossed in a homemade Dijon vinaigrette. I’d definitely say this is one of my favorite winter salads.

For the Salad:

5 Cups Shaved Brussels Sprouts

⅓ Cup Dried Cranberries or Chopped Dates

⅓ Cup Dry Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

⅓ Cup Chopped and Toasted Almonds, Pecans or Walnuts

½ Cup Shaved Parmesan Cheese

For the Dressing:

¼ Cup Olive Oil

3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

2 Teaspoons Red Wine Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Pure Maple Syrup

2 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Set aside.

Next, add all of the salad ingredients to a large bowl and toss to combine.

Pour the dressing on top of the salad and fully combine. Let sit for 15-20 minutes, so that the dressing soaks in and the flavors develop. Store any leftovers in an aright container in the fridge for up to one week.

Parmesan Herb Roasted Acorn Squash

A platter of this Parmesan herb roasted acorn squash is simple, impressive, and oh-so-delicious. The squash slices are perfectly tender, coated with a golden cheesy seasoning, and layered beautifully for the best side dish ever.

2 acorn squash (small to medium sized)

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh sage leaves

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon dried oregano

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Slice the top and bottom of the squash, then place it on a flat end and slice it in half. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon, then slice each half into slices about 1-inch thick. Add the squash to a large mixing bowl along with the oil, parmesan, sage, garlic, salt, basil, thyme, and oregano. Use your hand to toss the ingredients together, until well mixed.
Place the squash slices on a parchment-lined baking tray. If there’s extra parmesan herb mixture in the bowl, just press that onto the top side of the slices. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until soft and lightly golden on top. Transfer the roasted acorn squash to a serving platter and enjoy!

Honey Glazed Carrots

These honey glazed carrots are an easy sheet pan recipe that transforms the everyday carrot into a show-stopping sweet and savory side dish (that’s also highly addictive).

2 pounds carrots peeled

1/4 cup local honey

3 garlic cloves minced

2 tablespoons melted butter or ghee

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Parsley, thyme or other herbs for garnish 

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Then, cut the carrots on a diagonal, about 1″-1.5″ in length. If your carrots are large and thick, you can slice them in half as well. In a mixing bowl, toss the sliced carrots with the honey, garlic, butter, oil, and spices. Pour the carrots and glaze onto a sheet pan and spread them out. Roast for 20-25 minutes, tossing halfway through. You can also broil for 2-3 minutes, to get caramelization on the edges. Transfer carrots to a serving dish and garnish with chopped herbs. These can be served warm or at room temperature.

Green Beans Almondine

This green bean almondine recipe is one of my favorite ways to serve green beans. It’s so simple to make, and it’s absolutely delicious. The toasted almonds offer the perfect crisp, nutty contrast to the tender green beans. A squeeze of lemon juice takes it all over the top.

12 ounces green beans, preferably haricot verts, trimmed

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 shallot, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more for seasoning

1 garlic clove, grated

½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and set a large bowl of ice water nearby. Drop the green beans into the boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain, and immediately immerse in the ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain, and transfer to a towel to dry.
Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds to the dry skillet and toast until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the almonds from the pan and set aside.
Add the oil to the pan (turn down the heat down if necessary), then add the shallot and the salt and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the green beans and sauté, 2 to 4 more minutes, until the green beans are warmed through and tender. Remove the pan from the heat, add the garlic and lemon juice and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving dish. Top with the almonds and serve.

Pumpkin Mousse with Maple Brittle

Pumpkin Mousse that is almost TOO easy to make and definitely too easy to eat. Just 6 ingredients and a blender and you have the dreamiest dessert!

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup coconut cream (the hardened cream at the top of the can of refrigerated canned coconut milk)

¼ cup pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon salt

Refrigerate the can of full fat coconut milk for 24 hours before preparing the mousse. You will be using the hardened coconut cream at the top of the can in this recipe. Place all the ingredients into a high-speed blender. Run on high speed for several minutes (or more if needed), until the mousse is fluffy, smooth, and creamy.Add a bit of coconut water if need be to reach desired consistency. Refrigerate mousse until ready to serve. Let mousse come to room temperature before serving.

For the Maple Brittle:

¾ cup mixed raw, unsalted chopped nuts (cashews, pecans, almonds, walnuts, etc)

3 tbsp pure maple syrup

¾ tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp cinnamon

⅛ tsp powdered ginger

Pinch of nutmeg

Pinch of salt

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 275 F and line a small sheet pan with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients for nut brittle until well coated.

Spread onto parchment paper in a thin, even layer. Bake for 35-40 minutes, but start checking them for doneness at 25 minutes as each oven is different. Rotate the pan once during cooking. Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking up into pieces.

Posted in Dinner or larger meal, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Leave a Comment