It’s Thanksgiving yet again, and there are famous Thanksgiving staples that must make an appearance on Thanksgiving dinner, like turkey stuffing and sweet potato casserole.
This year, you can try to switch things up by choosing recipes that will leave your guests happy and satisfied. Don’t forget to pair with cocktails! The last thing you want to get into is picking any random recipe that will take too much of your time. Try out these 7 creative Thanksgiving recipes ranging from the main course to dessert.
1. Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Shallots
Tip: Mash the potatoes by pressing them through a ricer or a food mill or a fine sieve or mash them by hand.
Ingredients
- 6 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and sliced into quarters
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 cups of canola oil
- 6 large thinly sliced shallots
- 1 cup half and half
- 12 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- Kosher salt
Method
- Cover the sliced potatoes and garlic in cold water. Boil them in moderate heat and simmer them until they become tender.
- Using a small skillet, heat the canola oil, and add the shallots in a single layer. Stir frequently until golden. Transfer them to a paper towel.
- Drain excess water from the potatoes, then add butter, and half and half. Press them through a ricer before seasoning. Transfer the mashed potatoes inside a bowl.
Serving
Sprinkle the shallots with salt and use them to garnish the mashed potatoes.
2. Sautéed Kale with Lemon, Currants, and Olive
Tip: Remove the stems and the veins of the kale if they are tough. Boil the kale first before sautéing.
Ingredients
- ½ cup of dried currants
- 4 pounds of kale
- 3 tablespoon of unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons of virgin olive oil
- 1 medium-size onion
- ½ a cup chicken broth
- ½ cup pitted olives
- 1 grated lemon and a tablespoon of lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Cover the dried currants in hot water for five minutes to soften. Then drain.
- Blanche the kale for 5 minutes in boiling water till tender, then drain, and chop them in big chunks.
- Melt the butter in olive oil in a large skillet. Add the broth, kale, and toss. Cook in moderate heat, add in the remaining ingredients, and stir — season with salt and pepper.
3. Spinach Dip Muffin
The combination of spinach dip and corn muffins is delicious. You can’t have enough of it.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of flour
- 1 cup of cornmeal
- 1-½ cup of milk
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 1-cup white cheddar cheese
- 1 can of artichoke hearts
- 2-3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon of melted butter
- ¼ cup low-fat mayonnaise
- 1-cup spinach
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Mix the wet ingredients in a different bowl, then add to the dry mix.
- Chop the spinach and artichokes, or use a food processor.
- Add vegetables to the wet-dry mixture and stir.
- Grease a muffin pan and fill with batter. Bake for 15 minutes
4. Kale Puffs and Sweet Potato
This is a creative Thanksgiving recipe that also favors beginner cooks. It is simply mashed sweet potatoes and sautéed kale leaves.
Ingredients
- 2 sheets thawed puff pastry
- 1-teaspoon olive oil
- 3 cups of shredded kale
- 2 large peeled and boiled sweet potatoes
- 1 ½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese
- Pinch of pepper and salt
- 3 cloves of garlic
Method
- Boil the sweet potatoes then mash in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper.
- In a pan with olive oil, saute the kale and garlic for about five minutes. Remove the garlic.
- Cut the pastry sheets into three rows, and cut each row into squares. Bake the pastry for 10 minutes in a muffin tin after molding them into little pastry cups.
- Spoon the mashed potato and kale mixture and put it in each pastry cup.
- Sprinkle cheese over each cup then return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
5. The Classic Pie
This is one of the creative Thanksgiving recipes that your family will enjoy. To have a crispy crust, bake the pie shell before adding the filling.
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- Butter pie dough
- ¾-cup sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1-tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon of cloves
- ½-cup cream
- 15-ounce pumpkin puree
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Roll the dough and make a round shape. Fit the dough on a 9-inch pie plate and trim the outer dough. Fold the dough under itself and refrigerate the shell for 10 minutes.
- Fill the pie shell. Bake until nearly set for about 25 minutes.
- Whisk the eggs as you add sugar, cloves, cinnamon, salt, and cornstarch until smooth. Pour the mixture into the crust.
- Bake for 45 minutes.
6. Broccoli Soup
We all need starters for a proper Thanksgiving dinner. Broccoli soup can be made in advance and reheated when needed.
Ingredients
- 2 large broccoli heads with no stems
- 3 tablespoons of virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 large chopped onion
- ½ a cup of milk
- Salt and pepper
- ½-cup cream
- 4 cups of water
- 1-quart vegetable broth
Method
- Separate the broccoli heads from stems. Reserve 3 cups of florets and chop the rest.
- Melt the butter in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fry the onions. Add the chopped broccoli alongside the broth and water, let the mixture boil for 20 minutes. Add 2 cups of florets then simmer for five more minutes.
- Heat the other two tablespoons of olive oil. Add salt and pepper and the remaining cup of florets. Cover and cook on moderate heat for 6 minutes.
- Pour the soup in a blender to make it smooth and pour it to a saucepan. Add cream and milk and simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
- Then serve the broccoli soup and garnish with the sauteed florets.
7. Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Roasted garlic cauliflower is a vegan, low-carb, keto, and a paleo dish. The creative Thanksgiving recipe will get you into the Thanksgiving mood. The taste is almost similar to mashed potatoes but is healthier and low in carbs and calories.
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
- ¼ cup milk, almond or cashew milk
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 ½ tsp. rosemary
- 1 ½ tsp. thyme
- 3-4 cloves roasted garlic
- ¾ – 1 tsp. salt, to taste
- 1 pinch black pepper
Method
- Roast a head of garlic in the oven. You can do this up to 3 days in advance and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil cauliflower for 10-12 minutes.
- Drain water and place cauliflower on a towel and dry cauliflower completely before proceeding.
- In the bowl of a food processor combine cauliflower, milk, olive oil, rosemary, thyme, roasted garlic cloves, salt, to taste, and a pinch of black pepper.
- Puree for 1-2 minutes or until mashed cauliflower is completely smooth. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl every 20-30 seconds to ensure even pureeing.
- If mashed cauliflower has cooled too much, return it to the pot and heat it to your desired temperature.
- Serve mashed cauliflower with a drizzle of olive oil and a few sprigs of rosemary or thyme and enjoy!
Try these 7 creative thanksgiving recipes with your family this Thanksgiving day and let us know which ones made it to the Thanksgiving table. Head over to Mother Earth Products for your cauliflower, broccoli, apples and sweet potatoes now.
