A Thanksgiving Meal Capsule

 

                I’m not a huge fan of traditional Thanksgiving food. (Gulp!! I’m sorry!) It actually works out well, because I’m rarely tempted to overeat on the day that seems to sabotage most people. But it does make it awkward when trying to enjoy (in community) a holiday centered around food!

                In November 2020, Ryan and I were newly employed at WillowBridge, and we had to work Thanksgiving Day. We only had one resident staying in town for Thanksgiving, and she was quarantined, so we were completely on our own. For the first time ever, I planned and prepared an entire Thanksgiving meal for the two of us, and guess what? I loved it. I tried to keep it traditional enough for Ryan to enjoy while also providing some things I could like too!

                Now that my parents are at Swiss Village, we have the luxury of having a Thanksgiving meal there with them, which means no prep or days of leftovers here! (Also – sometimes we’re traveling on Thanksgiving, if it falls near our anniversary.) Even so, I spent some time putting together a “Thanksgiving menu capsule” that I am going to print out and keep on hand for future years when I might need to prepare a meal for the two of us. I thought I’d share it with you today! It includes healthier spins on the classics and also includes things I might enjoy more than the traditional menu offerings.

                Are you ready?

Thanksgiving Meal Capsule

Breakfast: We don’t eat a huge breakfast on Thanksgiving (and I probably don’t need to explain why), but it is fun to have a little holiday-themed breakfast something or other to munch on while prepping all the rest of the food! So I would make these:

Petite Pumpkin Scones – They are small, healthier, and pumpkin-flavored, so they’re a win for Thanksgiving morning! Plus, you can make them ahead and eat them as you move around the house, so that helps.

Appetizers: I might not make both of these if it’s just the two of us, but I did grab a couple of recipes in case we’re ever hosting. Everyone needs snack foods ahead of the meal. Waiting is so hard!

Spinach Artichoke Cups – Is this traditional? Not at all. Is it fun and cute? Absolutely! These little cups are made with a wonton wrapper base – tucked into a muffin tin. Filled with spinach, artichokes, cottage cheese, Feta, Parmesan, and Greek Yogurt, they look so tasty, and yet they offer protein instead of lots of heavy calories and fat.

High Protein Ranch Dip with Fresh Veggies  - I’ve made this ranch dip before, and it’s really good! It has a cottage cheese base (blended, so the texture is more traditional) and offers protein and flavor. I’d make a little tray of peppers/carrots/cucumbers/celery, etc. to munch on with this.

Main Meal: Here are the things I’d make for the main meal, and I’d probably also do a batch of dinner rolls using our freshly milled wheat. That recipe isn’t reflected here, because it’s not online, but I feel like you can’t have a proper Thanksgiving dinner without a batch of dinner rolls!

Fall Salad – Our family never did a traditional salad on Thanksgiving. Not a lettuce/spinach salad, anyway. Broccoli salad usually made an appearance! But I like this fall salad, which features Romaine, Brussels Sprouts, apples, nuts, cheese, and bacon – with a homemade vinaigrette.

Crock Pot Stuffing – Right out of college, a friend of mine shared with me her stuffing recipe, and I loved it. (It’s in my recipe tab, actually.) It’s a buttery, dry stuffing with celery and all kinds of herbs. I’ve taken it to Thanksgiving many times over the years. I still love it, but it is a lottttttttttttttttt of butter. So this recipe is really similar, but lighter. I’d use cubed bread (leftover) instead of the boxed stuffing mix, but otherwise, I’d stick to the recipe.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese – For me, Thanksgiving isn’t complete without macaroni and cheese. I like this version that also includes cubed butternut squash, in addition the pasta (I’d use chickpea pasta).

Roasted Fall Vegetables – Rather than mashed potatoes, I’d do these roasted veggies: carrots, onions, sweet potatoes, and parsnips (which are not as bad as you might think) with a seasoning covering them.

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Gravy – Despite not really being a turkey girl on Thanksgiving, I would do this turkey breast with gravy recipe. Our family was never one to actually present a whole turkey on a platter at the table – and then carve it. I don’t (personally) have a need for that tradition, so a little slow cooker turkey breast like this one would be plenty and fine for us.

Dessert: If it was just the two of us, I’d pick one and not do both. But it was fun to pick out a couple of spins on the classic dessert recipes!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Gingerbread Trifle – I love the flavor of pumpkin but not the texture of pumpkin pie. I also love the forgiving nature of a trifle. This is easy to make a day ahead, looks pretty, and gives the flavor without the texture I can’t handle!

Pecan Pie Bars – Pecan pie was ALWAYS a staple at our house growing up, but it’s really terrible for you, and also, I can’t make a pretty pie. So this lightened, corn-syrup-free version of a pumpkin pie in bar form is a win all the way around for me!

                Again, I would not make all this food for just the two of us. But this is the capsule I plan to keep to pull from when planning Thanksgiving meals. I’ll pick and choose what fits us best on that day and make those dishes!