Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, so its about time we begin thinking about what will be on the menu for dinner that night! Typically, Thanksgiving dinner leaves us feeling tired and overfull. Well, we have good news – it doesn’t have to be that way! The classic dishes that are served on Thanksgiving can be made with quality ingredients, helping to prevent that after-dinner feeling that we all know so well. But don’t worry, they are just as delicios… no flavor is being sacrificed here! Below you will find twelve recipe options to try this year. We hope you enjoy them!

Delicata Squash Salad 

Ingredients

  • 12 oz kale washed and chopped
  • avocado oil and sea salt for massaging the kale
  • 2 delicata squash
  • 2 med/large apples cored and sliced into 1/2” slices
  • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup pecans
  • 2/3 cup dried cranberries, preferably sweetened with apple juice rather than sugar

Dressing 

  • 2 medjool dates, softened
  • 3 Tbsp water
  • 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp mustard
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
  • 1/3 cup avocado oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 425° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash the squash Cut ends off to create two flat edges. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds.
  2. Cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices, keeping the size of the slices consistent. Rub, toss, or spray with olive oil so both sides of each slice are coated with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and spread onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet in a single layer.
  3. Place in preheated oven and roast for 25-30 minutes, flipping after 15 minutes or so. Once they appear golden brown and crisp, remove from the oven.

Apples and Pecans:

  1. Spread out the apple slices on a large parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with the cinnamon. Roast in the preheated oven (below or above the squash) for 7-9 minutes or until tender.
  2. After 5 minutes, sprinkle the pecans over the apples and continue to roast 2-4 minutes, watching the pecans to avoid burning.

For the Dressing:

  1. Place all dressing ingredients in a small high speed blender  and blend until smooth. Set aside until ready to serve.

Arrange the Salad:

  1. Place the chopped kale in a large bowl and drizzle with 1-2 Tbsp oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Massage the kale for several minutes until you reach desired texture.
  2. Layer the kale with the roasted delicata squash, apples, pecans, and the dried cranberries. Toss with the dressing before serving. Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Enjoy!

https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/roasted-delicata-squash-kale-salad-paleo-whole30/

Winter Kale Salad

Ingredients

For the dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil OR extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar OR lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • 1-2 tsps pure maple syrup
  • fine sea salt + freshly cracked black pepper , to taste

For the salad:

  • 1 bunch kale stems removed, chopped (5–6 cups)
  • 1/3 cup arugula
  • 1/4 cup shredded red cabbage
  • 4 grape tomatoes , sliced into halves
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pecans
  • 1 tablespoon sliced almonds
  • 1.5 tablespoon pomegranate arils

Optional:

  • 5 cranberries , for garnish
  • freshly chopped parsely , for garnish

Instructions

Make the dressing:

  1. Add the dressing ingredients to a bowl or a jar. Whisk or shake until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings.

For the salad:

  1. Remove and discard the hearty stems and tear or chop the kale leaves into thin piece and place in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil & a pinch of salt and use your hands to massage until the leaves start to soften and wilt.
  2. Add the remaining salad ingredients to the bowl. Drizzle with dressing, black pepper and toss lightly to coat.

https://lifemadesweeter.com/winter-salad/#wprm-recipe-container-43183

Stuffing 

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons ghee or avocado oil or refined coconut oil
  • 3 cups onion, diced
  • 2 cups celery, diced
  • 1 cup mushrooms, diced
  • 1 cup apple, cored and diced
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries or dates, chopped
  • ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 4 teaspoons poultry seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 3 eggs whisked

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
  2. Heat ghee or oil in a large cast-iron or oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery, apple, mushrooms, cranberries or dates, parsley, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Sauté until very soft, about 7 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat. Keep in an oven-proof skillet or transfer to 9×9″ baking dish. Stir in almond flour and mix well. Add the whisked eggs and stir well. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until browned on top.

https://40aprons.com/best-paleo-stuffing/#wprm-recipe-container-10304

Sweet Potato Unstuffing

Ingredients 

  • 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed (1 ½–2 cups, ¼–½ inch cubes)
  • 1 1/2 cups halved or quartered Brussels sprouts
  • 2 medium carrots, chopped (3/4–1 cup)
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped (3/4–1 cup)
  • 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
  • ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium apple, cored and diced
  • 2 tsp. fresh thyme (1 tsp. dried)
  • 2 tsp. fresh rosemary or sage (1 tsp. dried)
  • 1/2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 3 Tbsp. avocado oil or oil of choice
  • 1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries, unsweetened if possible
  • 1/3 cup pecans, chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Combine all of the ingredients (except for dried cherries and pecans) in a large bowl. Toss with oil
  3. Transfer to a baking dish and cover with foil.
  4. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, add the dried cherries and pecans, toss and then bake for an additional 10-20 minutes longer or until sweet potatoes are cooked through.
  5. Remove from oven and serve.

https://therealfoodrds.com/sweet-potato-unstuffing/#tasty-recipes-9908

Green Bean Side Dish

Ingredients 

  • 4 slices bacon, diced (sugar-free and uncured)
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 14.5-oz. cans cut green beans, drained
  • 1 tsp salt and freshly cracked pepper

Instructions

  1. Add bacon to a large skillet over medium heat and fry until crisp. Scoop bacon out and reserve in a bowl. Pour bacon grease in a heatproof bowl, reserve 1 tablespoon, and discard or save the rest.
  2. Pour 1 tablespoon bacon grease back into skillet and place over medium-low heat. When hot, add garlic and sauté, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in drained green beans and half of cooked bacon; cook until heated through, stirring to coat in garlic and bacon grease. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

https://40aprons.com/whole30-green-beans-whole30-side-dish/#wprm-recipe-container-14157

Green Bean Casserole 

Ingredients

  • 1 yellow onion halved and sliced into 1/2″ slices
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 cup tapioca flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 dash dash black pepper
  • 1 egg whisked
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil or avocado oil for frying
  • 2 tbsp ghee 
  • 8 ounces mushrooms diced
  • 1/2 onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth 
  • 1 cup coconut cream
  • 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
  • 20 ounces green beans (about 6-7 cups), fresh or frozen, trimmed

Instructions

  1. Make the cream of mushroom soup: In a large saucepan, melt ghee. Sauté mushrooms and onion for 5-10 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, or until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup chicken broth  and bring to boil. Add in remaining 1/2 cup broth and salt and return to a boil. Boil for 3-5 minutes then sprinkle in arrowroot, whisking vigorously to combine. Continue cooking until reduced by about 1/3 or 1/2. Use an immersion blender (or transfer about 2/3 to a regular blender and blend until mostly smooth) to blend until mostly smooth. Add in coconut cream and whisk until smooth.
  2. Make the fried onions: In a shallow dish, add your egg. In a second dish, place your tapioca flour. In a third dish, combine your almond flour, garlic powder, salt, paprika, and black pepper and whisk to combine well. Dip onions into eggs, then shake off excess. Working in batches, add onions to tapioca flour and toss to lightly coat, shaking off excess. Then coat onions in almond flour mixture. Heat a skillet over medium to slightly medium-high heat and cover the bottom of the skillet with oil. Fry onions in batches for 2-3 minutes per side, being careful when turning so as not to disrupt any coating. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels, then sprinkle with a bit of salt.
  3. Make the green bean casserole: Steam the green beans until bright green and crisp-tender. Transfer to a 3 quart baking dish and stir in cream of mushroom soup and 1 cup of fried onions, stirring gently to combine. Bake at 350º for 25 minutes then remove from oven, top with remaining fried onions and bake another 10 minutes.

https://40aprons.com/whole30-green-bean-casserole-paleo/#wprm-recipe-container-13347

Sweet Potato Casserole 

Ingredients 

Filling

  • 3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons ghee
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla powder, optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 ripe banana mashed
  • 1 spray coconut oil 

Topping

  • 1/4 cup ghee
  • 1 cup pecans, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 pinch pumpkin spice
  • 1/4 dates, diced
  • 2 tablespoons coconut sugar

Instructions

  1. Stir together all sweet potato casserole ingredients. In a small bowl, combine all pecan-date topping ingredients until well combined and coated.
  2. Spray 9×9″ pan with coconut oil spray. Spoon sweet potato casserole into pan and spread topping evenly over surface. Bake at 350º F for 30 minutes.

https://40aprons.com/whole30-sweet-potato-casserole/#wprm-recipe-container-13426

Mashed Potatoes 

Ingredients

  • 8 medium potatoes, yellow or gold
  • water
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons ghee
  • salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat a pot of water to boil. You’ll want enough to cover your potatoes completely.
  2. Peel your potatoes and slice in half.
  3. Add potatoes to the boiling water.
  4. Boil until you can easily pierce the largest potato with a fork.
  5. Drain water from pot.
  6. Add 1 cup of your chicken stock.
  7. Using an electric beater slowly blend your potatoes with the chicken stock.
  8. Add a little more chicken stock. Beat again. Continue until your potatoes are smooth and you’re happy with the texture. You may not require the full 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock or you may want to add a bit extra. The amount needed varies based on the size of the potatoes used.
  9. Add ghee, salt, and pepper to taste.
  10. Optional: Stir in finely chopped herbs or top with an extra dollop of ghee.

https://thewholecook.com/light-creamy-mashed-potatoes/#wprm-recipe-container-7731

Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients

  • 1 head garlic, unpeeled
  • Avocado oil and sea salt for roasting
  • 1 large head cauliflower or 2 smaller ones (2 1/2-3 lbs) cut into florets
  • 5 slices bacon – uncured and sugar free 
  • 3 Tbsp ghee
  • 1/4 cupcoconut cream or full fat coconut milk from a can
  • 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 3-4 scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400° F. Place the garlic, unpeeled, on a sheet aluminum foil topped with a piece of parchment paper (so as to prevent aluminum from touching garlic) on a small baking sheet. Drizzle with about 1 tsp of oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Wrap in parchement paper and foil. 
  2. Roast in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes or until very soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
  3. Meanwhile, steam the cauliflower: Bring a couple of inches of water to a boil in a stockpot, and place the florets in a steamer basket set in the pot. Cover the florets and steam about 8-10 minutes or until very soft. Drain the cauliflower on paper towels to remove excess water.
  4. While the cauliflower steams, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-hi heat until crisp. Remove to drain on paper towels, then crumble.
  5. Squeeze the cauliflower between the paper towels to remove as much water as possible, then place in a food processor. When the garlic is done and partially cooled, pinch the ends of the cloves to remove and add to the food processor, along with the ghee, coconut cream or milk, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides periodically to get everything in.
  6. Once smooth transfer to a bowl and stir in the crumbled bacon, and scallions, leaving some to sprinkle on top for garnish. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired. To serve, drizzle with a little melted ghee and sprinkle with remaining scallions and bacon. Enjoy! Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/roasted-garlic-mashed-cauliflower-with-bacon/

Gravy

Ingredients 

  • 3 tablespoons ghee 
  • 4 tablespoons tapioca starch or arrowroot powder
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken stock – hot, but not boiling
  • ½ – 1 tablespoon coconut aminos, optional
  • ¼ – ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning

Instructions

  1. Heat ghee in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Sprinkle tapioca starch or arrowroot powder over the fat and whisk vigorously until smooth.
  2. Cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly. The mixture should be golden and bubbling.
  3.  Slowly pour in the warm stock while whisking constantly. The mixture will become a bit grainy and clumpy. Keep whisking until very smooth.
  4. Cook the gravy for a couple of minutes or until thickened, whisking regularly. Add the coconut aminos and poultry seasoning. If necessary, season the gravy with more salt and pepper to taste. 

https://40aprons.com/paleo-gravy-easy-whole30/#wprm-recipe-container-16867

Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

  • 4 cups fresh cranberries
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the cranberries, maple syrup, water, orange zest, and salt. Bring to a simmer, stirring often so that the maple syrup doesn’t burn.
  2. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until the cranberries burst and the sauce has thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if desired, and serve.

https://www.loveandlemons.com/cranberry-sauce/

Last but not least…Pumpkin Pie and Pie Crust!

Ingredients

1 pie crust, homemade (see reicpe below) or store-bought

For the pumpkin filling:

  • 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
  • 3 eggs
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar (or organic cane sugar)
  • ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk (any milk will work)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Make pie crust as directed.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  3. Make the filling: in a large bowl, add the pumpkin puree, eggs, pure maple syrup, coconut sugar, almond milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, allspice and salt. Mix until well combined and completely smooth. Pour into pie pan.
  4. Bake for 50-60 minutes until filling is no longer jiggly. Check pie after every 20 minutes to make sure crust isn’t burning. If it is getting a little too golden brown, simply cover pie edges with foil or a pie shield.
  5. Allow pie to cool for at least an hour before serving. Pie should be kept in fridge once completely cool. Store pie in fridge. Serves 9.

*You can absolutely make this pumpkin pie without any crust. Just pour it into a greased pie pan and bake as directed. This is a great option if you don’t want to make a crust or if you just prefer a crustless pie.

https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/best-ever-healthy-pumpkin-pie/

Pie Crust

Ingredients

  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 large egg

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, using a fork, mix together almond flour, coconut flour, and coconut oil until combined and reaches a sand-like consistency. Add the egg and mix to form a dough. Form into a 2 inch thick disc, then wrap and place in the fridge to set for 10 minutes.
  2. Once set, place the dough onto a sheet of parchment large enough to roll the dough on. Top the dough with another sheet of parchment and roll it out to a 1/4 inch thickness. Fix and cracks and breaks as you roll it out, if necessary.
  3. Remove the top piece of parchment and carefully turn the dough into the pie dish. Don’t worry if it breaks as you can repair it as required. Form the dough in the pie dish to your liking ensuring there are no cracks or breaks in it. Poke the dough all over with a fork so it doesn’t puff up while baking. Place the crust in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, until golden brown.

https://www.chefsouschef.com/thanksgiving-pumpkin-pie/