Tasty & Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes!

As we roll into the holiday season this year, we’re all focusing a bit more on keeping ourselves and our families healthy, safe, and well-fueled. One great place to start is with our nutrition, and with Thanksgiving fast approaching, we thought it would be the perfect time to bring you a few of our favorite healthy Thanksgiving recipes that are full of flavor AND immune-boosting nutrients. If you’re looking to boost the nutrition content of your big feast without compromising any of the flavor, this healthy Thanksgiving menu is just the ticket!

Healthy Thanksgiving Menu

Appetizers & Sides

Plant-Based Green Bean Casserole (Vegan)

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE ONION TOPPING

• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. Panko bread crumbs

FOR CASSEROLE

• 1 lb. green beans, trimmed
• 6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
• 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 3 c. almond milk

DIRECTIONS

1. Make onion topping: Preheat oven to broil on medium and line a medium baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a medium bowl, toss onion with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add flour and Panko and toss to coat onions. Broil, tossing every 2 to 3 minutes, until onions are crisp and golden, about 6 to 8 minutes in total. Turn oven down to 375°.
2. Prepare an ice bath. In a large pot of boiling water, add green beans and cook until bright green, about 6 minutes. With a slotted spoon or tongs, quickly transfer green beans to ice bath to cool, then drain and transfer to a large bowl. 
3. In a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are golden, about 5 minutes more. Stir in garlic then transfer mixture to the bowl with the green beans. 
4. Heat remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in almond milk and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat then add green bean mixture and toss until even combined. Transfer mixture to a medium casserole dish. 
5. Bake until warmed through and bubbling around the edges, about 20 minutes. Top with “fried” onions and bake 5 minutes more. 

Cauliflower Stuffing

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tbsp. butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped or thinly sliced
• 1 small head cauliflower, chopped
• 1 c. (8-oz.) package baby bella mushrooms, chopped
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 c. freshly chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp. freshly chopped rosemary
• 1 tbsp. freshly chopped sage (or 1 tsp. ground sage)
• 1/2 c. low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until soft, 7 to 8 minutes.

Add cauliflower and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. 2.Cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes more.

Add parsley, rosemary, and sage and stir until combined. Pour over broth and cook until totally tender and liquid is absorbed, 10 minutes. 

Main Attraction

Air Fried Garlic-Spiced Turkey Breast

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lb. turkey breast, skin on
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tbsp. butter, melted
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. freshly chopped thyme
• 1 tsp. freshly chopped rosemary

DIRECTIONS

1. Pat turkey breast dry and season on both sides with salt and pepper. 
2. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Brush butter all over turkey breast. 
3. Place in basket of air fryer, skin side up and cook at 375° for 40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160°, flipping halfway through.
4. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. 

Thanksgiving Cauliflower Roast (Vegan)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large head of cauliflower
• 4 tbsp. Vegan melted butter, divided
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 whole cloves garlic (skin-on)
• 4 leaves fresh sage
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary

FOR THE GRAVY

• 4 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 4 oz. cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. freshly chopped sage
• 1 tsp. freshly chopped rosemary
• 1 tsp. freshly chopped thyme
• 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 to 4 c. low-sodium vegetable broth

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Put cauliflower in a large oven-safe skillet, rub all over with 2 tablespoons of melted butter, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange garlic and herbs around cauliflower. 
2. Bake until cauliflower is tender and slightly charred, brushing with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter halfway through, 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes. (Pierce cauliflower with a paring knife to check if it’s ready.)

MAKE GRAVY

1. 1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and cook, stirring until soft, 5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and herbs and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms are soft and golden, about 4 minutes.
2. Add 1 or 2 cloves of the roasted garlic (skins removed), breaking up cloves with a wooden spoon.
3. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute, then whisk in 2 cups of broth and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until mixture has thickened to your desired consistency, 5 minutes. (Add more broth if desired.) Serve cauliflower with gravy. 

Sweets & Treats

Sweet Potato Casserole with a Pecan Crumble

INGREDIENTS

Maple Pecan Topping:

• 3 tablespoons maple syrup or agave nectar
• 8 tablespoons almond flour or any flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons melted vegan butter
• 1 1/2 cups pecans coarsely chopped, or walnuts

Sweet Potato Casserole:

• 3.3 pounds sweet potato peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons sugar any kind works, brown sugar, cane or coconut sugar
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup or agave nectar
• 1/4 cup vegan milk any kind works
• 6 tablespoons oil any kind works such as olive oil or unrefined coconut oil
• 6 tablespoons vegan butter softened
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

DIRECTIONS

Casserole

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and prepare a 8×11 or 9×13 casserole dish. Set aside.
2. In a 4 QT pot of boiling water, boil the sweet potatoes for 15-20 minutes, until fork soft.
3. When the sweet potato is finished boiling, drain and mash.
4. Add the sugar, maple syrup, vegan milk, oil, vegan butter, cinnamon and sea salt, on top of the mashed sweet potato. Using the same potato masher or fork, mix all the ingredients together until they are incorporated, for about 2 minutes of mashing. 
5. Spoon sweet potato mix into the casserole dish. 
6. Top with Maple Pecan Topping (below)
7. Bake for 30 minutes (check that nuts don’t burn – if they are browning too quickly, cover with foil) then remove from oven.
8. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then serve. Enjoy!

Maple Pecan Topping

1. Add the maple syrup, flour, melted vegan butter, and pecans to a bowl. Stir it all together until combined. 
2. Sprinkle it on top of the casserole. Feel free to double or even triple the topping.  

Perfect Pumpkin Bars

INGREDIENTS

CRUST

• 2 1/2 c. Gluten Free Honey Nut Cheerios cereal
• 3 tbsp. sugar or firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/3 c. butter, melted

FILLING

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• can Pumpkin
• can evaporated milk
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

DIRECTIONS

1. Make crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9”-x-9” square baking pan.
2. Crush Cheerios into fine crumbs inside a large resealable plastic bag using a rolling pin. (Alternatively, pulse the cereal into fine crumbs with a food processor.) Combine Cheerios crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt and blend until combined.Press crumb mixture into the bottom of the greased baking pan. Bake until beginning to turn golden, about 7-8 minutes. Let cool while you make filling. Turn the oven temperature up to 425 degrees.
3. Make filling. Beat all filling ingredients together until smooth. 
4. Pour filling into crust and bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake about 35 minutes longer or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool to room temperature then refrigerate until chilled.
5. Sift powdered sugar over sliced squares before serving

Wishing you & your loved ones a safe and healthy Thanksgiving!