A wholesome thanksgiving feast

All my healthy Thanksgiving recipes in one blogpost; from buns, to salads, to THE TURKEY! All simple, easy, and delicious.

The holidays are coming up! I have gathered all my festive recipes together for you; appetizers, sides, mains and of course dessert! Pick and choose or make a feast all by yourself, I’ve got you covered with my wholesome Thanksgiving feast!

These are all my favorite Thanksgiving recipes. I have made them many times over the past 17 years. Before that I hadn’t even heard of Thanksgiving (I am Dutch for all of you that didn’t know already). We owned a small eco lodge back in the day and my first Thanksgiving feast I prepared for our guests. They asked me a couple of days before the actual date if I was preparing a turkey for Thanksgiving (you should know, I cooked for our guests every night). ‘Sure!’ I said and started researching. My brine, turkey preparation and stuffing recipes date back to first TG! I only changed it a bit since that first time. Over the years I created new sides, but even those go back a couple of years. I am all about the classics (with a healthy twist).

What’s on the menu of our wholesome Thanksgiving feast?

Appetizers

Of course these appetizers, can easily be sides as well (so you will find them below as well), but sometimes you need a snack before the big feast:

–Pumpkin hummus

Serve this pumpkin hummus with naan bread, nuts and seeds crackers (go heavy on the pumpkin seeds!) and veggie sticks. To make it extra festive, cut the top of a small pumpkin and hollow it out, then serve the pumpkin hummus in it (like this) and the veggie sticks in another one. Here’s your Thanksgiving appetizer!

–Garlic herb bread wreath

This garlic wreath is great on its own, but you can also serve it with the pumpkin hummus! A great addition to your Thanksgiving feast.

Sides

I am all about the sides! I could just eat sides on Thanksgiving and be the happiest girl (and maybe a few pieces of pie).

–Maple glazed carrots

If you are in search of a simple side that will blow everyone’s mind, look no further!

Simple and easy to make, delicious to eat! My kids devour them. They are not overly sweet and not too buttery. They are incredibly tasty though. And the pecan/herb crumble just creates extra depth of flavor. It think these are the ultimate wholesome Thanksgiving side!

-Candied almonds & greens beans

Here is another simple vegetable dish. So easy that I don’t even have a blogpost for it. All you do is blanch green beans (so cooked but still super crispy) and then heat up a skillet and add a thin layer of (coconut) sugar. Once the sugar has melted immediately add sliced almonds (and/or chopped pecans) and green beans and stir to coat. And that is it! To add more ‘holiday flavor, you could add a pinch of pumpkin spice when you mix the sugar and nuts/green beans.

–Herb sweet potato mash

My kids love to help out in the kitchen. This mashed sweet potato dish is a great one to have them help out with; they help peel the sweet potatoes, mash them and add the herbs and other add-ins to the stock pot while mashing it all together. Another simple, easy and delicious Thanksgiving dish!

-Sweet potato fries

Not into mash? Try sweet potato fries! Your kids will thank you. These crispy fries are oven baked, so healthier and once they are in the oven, you have one less thing to worry about.

You will need 2 pounds of sweet potatoes, a tablespoon of cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a bit of sea salt. You can add a sprinkle of cayenne and pumpkin spice after baking, but that is optional.

Ok, what to do? Preheat the oven to 220C/425F and line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper so the fries don’t get stuck to the pans.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into thin fry-shaped sticks (to ensure crispiness). Divide evenly over the lined baking sheets (again, for crispiness).

Sprinkle the sweet potato fries with the cornstarch (for that crunch!) and salt. Toss until the fries are lightly coated in powder. Drizzle the olive oil over the fries and toss until the fries are lightly and evenly coated in oil.

Arrange your fries in a single layer and don’t overcrowd the pan; otherwise they will never crisp up. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip the fries with a metal spatula so they can cook on all sides. Bake for another 10 to 18 minutes, or until the fries are crispy.

If desired, toss the baked fries with seasoning, to taste. Now your sweet potato fries are ready!

-Cauliflower mash

For all my vegan and carb disliking friends out there, cauliflower mash is SO good, SO easy to make and such a great replacement for mashed potatoes and/or sweet potato mash!

Here’s what you need: 1 large head of cauliflower, 4 oz. of (vegan) cream cheese, 1/4-1/3 cup of almond or oat milk, salt & pepper and a pinch of curry powder and maybe some chives to sprinkle on top.

Here’s what you do: Cook the cauliflower florets in boiling water for 10 minutes until they are soft. Drain and press in a kitchen towel to remove all the excess water. Mash the cauliflower, stir in the cream cheese and milk and season with salt, pepper and curry powder. Garnish with chives or rosemary. Your cauliflower mash is ready to be put on your Thanksgiving feast’s table!

Dinner rolls

I usually either make an herb garlic bread wreath (see appetizers) or these adorable soft whole wheat pumpkin buns. Both require a bit more work than, let’s say, sweet potato mash, but I truly love making both with my kids. You should see the smiles on their faces when these come out of the oven. Like magic happened!

-Pumpkin apple sauce

I added this to my Thanksgiving recipes for my kids (and, who am I kidding, myself). Apple sauce is easy to make and kids love it. I think it’s actually better than cranberry sauce… shhhh don’t tell anyone.

What you need? Apples, pumpkin spice and optionally (dried) cranberries. How to make it? Cut apples in chunks, add 3/4 of them to a saucepan with a splash of water and pumpkin spice to taste. Simmer until the apples are soft. Mash, but keep it chunky rather than totally smooth. Now add the rest of the apples and optionally some cranberries and cook for another 5 minutes until the other apple pieces are somewhat soft. And your Thanksgiving apple sauce is ready!

–Vegan pumpkin risotto with mushrooms

Not very traditional, but a great addition to Thanksgiving dinner especially if there are vegetarians or vegans among the guests. So tasty, super creamy and still totally vegan!

–Wild rice, roasted sweet potato and kale salad with balsamic mustard dressing

A festive and nutritious salad to impress your family with. This Thanksgiving salad has it all; nuts and dried fruit that provide fiber and antioxidants, nutrient-dense kale and wild rice, a great plant based protein source. And the roasted sweet potato makes it totally Thanksgiving-worthy. Also this salad comes together quite easy; all you have to do is wait for the wild rice to cook and the sweet potato to roast in the oven, toss everything together in a bowl, add dressing and TA-DA!

–Broccoli salad

Where veggie-side and salad meet.. this broccoli salad has lots of flavor and texture even though it only has a few ingredients. It’s as nutritious as it is yummy.

(Turkey) stuffing (including vegan and gluten free option)

Let’s talk (turkey) stuffing. Like the word implies you stuff it in something, but we all know stuffing has become a separate dish by itself and can be prepared outside of a turkey. And that is why I have a vegan stuffing as well!

What’s in this stuffing? Both the original as the vegan option contain almost the same ingredients; they only differ a tiny little bit; green apples, dried cranberries, a pinch of pumpkin spice, toasted pecans, onions, celery, garlic, (gluten free) bread cubes, sage, thyme, oregano, orange zest and juice are in both recipes. The original also has sausage which I replace with quinoa and small white beans in the vegan version. I sprinkle almond meal is on the stuffing that is prepared outside of the turkey in a casserole. And (optionally) I sprinkle nutritional yeast on the vegan stuffing for more depth of flavor.

I have made these two version for over a decade and never changed it, because… never change a winning team, right?

Main

I am a Turkey girl. I have never served anything else for Thanksgiving. The full detailed recipe you will find below; brine, everything that goes under and on the turkey. And the stuffing of course; in this blogpost you will find two different stuffing recipes. A in-the-bird, meat stuffing and a vegan, prepared-in-a-casserole stuffing.

Like I said before, Thanksgiving dinner sides are so good (and plenty) already, you don’t even need the turkey, so vegetarians and vegan won’t go starving. Having said that, serving something special that is vegan is always a nice thing. I mention it as a side already, but this pumpkin risotto with portobello mushrooms is a great vegan main. And to make it even look more special you could serve it in a large, hollowed out pumpkin with the top on it as a lid. How festive is that!?

Dessert

This Thanksgiving feast isn’t complete without (a couple of) pies, am I right!? Well I’ve got a few of those…

–Dutch apple pie

My favorite dessert (of course), Dutch apple pie. This recipe includes 3 different styles; my grandma’s OG apple pie recipe, a healthier version of it and a gluten free and vegan apple pie recipe. Pick your favorite. If you need a another apple dessert (for kids), these healthy apple pie bites are amazing too!

–Vegan + gluten free pecan pie (and you wouldn’t even know it)!

I have learned over the years that many (most?) Thanksgiving recipes aren’t at all healthy; heavy on butter, sugar and lots of starch. All very yummy, but I like to challenge myself and come up with something delicious yet healthy. I worked on this healthy pecan pie for a long time, and I think I nailed it! This pecan pie is solely sweetened with dates and you wouldn’t even know it if I hadn’t told you! The crust is made with 100% nuts, no flour is added. And I kept it totally vegan. SWOON! This recipe totally deserves to be part of this wholesome Thanksgiving feast.

–Pumpkin carrot cake with orange & pumpkin spice cream cheese frosting

Carrot cake might be my favorite dessert and now I have made it into a Thanksgiving cake!

(Click on the blue link and scroll down to find the pumpkin version of this healthy carrot cake.)

–Mini pumpkin spice rolls

A Thanksgiving twist on my mini cinnamon rolls. Just use pumpkin spice in stead of cinnamon. These pumpkin spice rolls are great for kids on Thanksgiving. As a dessert or as a snack during the day before the big feast begins.

I make my cinnamon rolls in a mini muffin thin. Less messy, individual servings.

THE BIG BIRD, THE TURKEY, THE CENTER PIECE…

So I saved the big bird for last… here’s my turkey recipe for you. Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving turkey

The all-in-one recipe; brine, under and on the bird ingredients. Together with my stuffing recipe this how I have been making my turkey for over 15 years!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Min. roasting time (depending on turkey size) 4 hours hrs

Total Time 5 hours hrs

Course Main Course

Servings 1 whole turkey

Equipment

• a large turkey roasting pan
• a large soup pot just big enough to put the turkey in (to brine)
• an internal (meat/turkey) thermometer

Ingredients

  

Turkey brine (enough for a large 24 lbs turkey!)

• 1½ cup coarse salt
• 1½ lbs coconut sugar (or use brown sugar)
• 6 black tea bags
• 8 cans apple juice
• 2 inch fresh ginger (sliced lenghtwise)
• 10 whole all spice
• 15 whole peppercorns
• 5 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 12 cloves garlic
• 5 cups water (or enough to cover the whole turkey)
• 1 turkey (frozen) (calculate 1-1½ lbs per person)

Under the turkey ingredients

• 2 medium onions (diced)
• 2 large carrots (diced)
• 3 stalks celery (diced)
• 5 cloves garlic (peeled, whole)
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 6 sprigs fresh parsley
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs sage (optional)

On the turkey ingredients

• ½-1 stick butter (depending on the size of your bird)(thinly sliced)
• 3-6 cloves garlic (depending on the size of your bird)(sliced)
• 5 cups chicken stock or broth

Instructions

 

Turkey brine

• The day before preparing your turkey, take the turkey out of the freezer in the morning and put it in a cooler (the cooler should be large enough to fit the pot you make the brine in (and the pot should fit your turkey snugly)). Don't take the turkey out of the packaging yet.
• That same night (f.e. right after dinner) bring all brine ingredients to boil in a large pasta/soup pot (the pot should fit your turkey snugly.) Then lower the heat to simmer. After 5 minutes remove the tea bags.
• Take the turkey out of the packaging, remove the giblets (you won't be using them), rinse it and pat it dry with paper towel. Add the turkey to the brine in the pot and place the pot (with the turkey in it) in the cooler. Add ice cubes (a large bag) to the cooler and place the pot (with the turkey in it) back in the cooler.

  If you don't have a large enough pot, here is what you can do (and I have done this for many years before I had a large enough pot): prepare the brine, take turkey out of it packaging, place turkey in a clean cooler (cooler shouldn't be too big), pour brine over the turkey and add a bag of ice cubes to the brine to cool it off.
• Leave the turkey in the brine (in the cooler) overnight.
• Check the weight of your turkey. A stuffed 10-18lbs turkey needs 3½-4½ hours in a 325F/160C oven, a stuffed 18-22lbs turkey: 4½-5hrs, 22-24lbs: 5-5½hrs and 24-30lbs: 5½-6¼hrs. The turkey needs to rest for 15-30 minutes after taking it out of the oven. So calculate back to know when to start roasting your turkey. For example, a 18lbs turkey needs to go into the oven at 11am if you want to eat around 4pm.
• Remove the turkey from the brine when your are ready to cook it. Discard the brine. Rinse the turkey and pat it dry with paper towel inside and out. You are ready to stuff and prepare your turkey for roasting.

Stuff the turkey

• Prepare the stuffing following this recipe, and fill the inside of your dried turkey with it. Whatever you have left, can be prepared in a separate casserole.
• Once the turkey is stuffed, tie the legs together so the stuffing is secured inside.

'Under the turkey'

• Arrange all the 'under the turkey' ingredients in the roasting pan. I don't have a roasting pan with a rack so I place these ingredients directly in the roasting pan. If you do have a rack, place the herbs in the rack with the turkey directly on top of it (so the herbs are in between the turkey and the metal of the rack) and the vegetables in the pan below it. Both methods work.

On the turkey (skin)

• Preheat the oven to 325F/165C so the oven is hot once you place the turkey in it.
• Make small incisions in the turkey's skin and stuff each incision with a slice of butter and garlic.
• (If you don't have a rack in your roasting pan): cut 4 large pieces of kitchen twine( double the size of the length of the roasting pan). On top of the 'under the turkey ingredients', place 2 pieces of string over the length of the pan a few inches apart from each other. And the other 2 over the width (creating a 'hashtag symbol'). The turkey will be placed on top of this for easy removal after roasting.
• So place the turkey on top of the pieces of twine inside the roasting pan with the breast side up. Loosely tie the 8 pieces of string on top of the turkey or just tie every set of 2 strings (on each side) and let them hang over the edge of the roasting pan. Both methods work; letting them hang outside the roasting pan keeps them clean though (if you don't want your finger to get greasy when lifting the turkey out after roasting).

Roasting the turkey

• Place the roasting pan in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Now pour half of the chicken broth/stock over the turkey. Slide it back into the oven and roast for 45 minutes. Now pour the remaining chicken broth/stock over it and roast for another 45 minutes. Your turkey will already start to turn golden brown.
• After another 45 minutes, baste with pan juices and keep repeating this until your turkey is done (so baste – roast for 45 minutes – baste – roast for 45 minutes etc). Once the turkey becomes (too) golden brown, cover loosely with aluminum foil.
• The turkey is ready when it has reached an internal temperature of 170F/76C in the breast or 180F/82C in the thigh. To check for doneness, stick a meat thermometer in the breast or thigh. Make sure to not enter the cavity. Best reading results are in the middle of the breast or thigh. Another way is check the temperature of the stuffing by moving the thermometer all the way into the center of the stuffing. It should read 165F/74C.
• Take the turkey out of the oven. If you used a rack, you can probably just slide the turkey off the rack onto a large serving platter. If you used a regular roasting pan, take the turkey out of the roasting pan by lifting it up and out by the strings you spread out before putting the turkey on it.

  Let the turkey rest for 15-30 minutes before craving it. In the meantime make a gravy out of the pan juices.
• All you have to do is scoop (some of) the pan juices and the roasted vegetables into your blender bowl and pulse until you have a smooth sauce/gravy. That is if you use a rack in your roasting pan. If not, scoop around the twigs of herbs. I wouldn't necessarily blend them in the gravy.
• Crave the turkey so you can serve pre sliced turkey meat or bring to the table whole and crave after everyone has seen your beautiful roasted turkey!

Keyword Christmas, Thanksgiving

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