Thanksgiving Recipes

I've been sharing a few of my favorite recipes with friends over the past few days. We've been hosting Thanksgiving for many years now and have several tried and true favorites. I always like to try something new each year too. This year will be a small Thanksgiving for us - now that my parents are in Florida, it's just Thad and me, and we're having Vern and her mom over as well. I don't really know how to cook a 'small' Thanksgiving, so we will have a lot of leftovers (I don't think I'll hear any complaints!). We did get a small Turkey this year though, and luckily Thad is the one that cooks it! I probably won't be eating any of it since I don't eat meat anymore, but I have tons of delicious sides to enjoy!

Thanksgiving Recipes:

• Turkey with Herbes de Provence and Citrus by Giada De Laurentiis - in years past we've tried brining with Williams Sonoma's mix, and while excellent, this recipe by Giada got more rave reviews AND was easier too! Amazing aroma with the fresh herbs and citrus.
• Creamy Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes by Pioneer Woman - full of creamy high fat deliciousness, these are worthy of a once a year holiday - and trust me, make them the day before, put in a casserole and just reheat the big day with some more butter on top - heaven!
• Best Ever Green Bean Casserole by Alton Brown - I made this one a couple years ago and everyone loved it. It's pretty quick to make yet no soup is involved. I do sub French's fried onions for the panko bread crumbs in the topping though because everyone expects them. My favorite recipe ever for green bean casserole though would actually be Pioneer Woman's Green Bean Casserole - but it takes a bit more work, and uses bacon which I'm no longer eating. If you have the time and want to go all out, definitely give it a try, you won't regret it!
• Cranberry-Pomegranate Sauce by Pioneer Woman - I'm using her recipe as a base, but adding in 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/8tsp ground cloves and 1/8tsp ground allspice and a pinch of kosher salt, from a recipe I used last year from thegalleygourmet.net.
• Quinoa Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Kale by Two Peas and Their Pod - this is a NEW recipe I'm trying this year and I have high hopes for it - it has all my favorites - quinoa, sweet potatoes, kale - so it has to be delicious! It's also a healthy recipe which I feel good about having on the table. I'm a savory sweet potato fan and never liked the overly sweetened versions of sweet potato recipes.
• Mushroom Stuffing with Shallots and Fresh Herbs by Whole Foods Market - this is another new recipe I'm trying, but Whole Foods hasn't failed me yet! I wanted something vegetarian that didn't use bacon or sausage, and I love mushrooms and hearty bread. I'm using some fresh whole grain bread cube/croutons I bought at Whole Foods along with some sourdough bread I got at a local bakery (Blue Apron).
• Healthy Mashed Potatoes by fANNEtastic food - I wanted to have a healthier alternative, even if I'm the only one that eats them! I have not been a fan of cauliflower in the past, so this is a 'new' thing for me, I'm willing to try!
• Brown Sugar Pumpkin Pie by Martha Stewart - I've been making this recipe for a few years now and  it is absolutely delicious - and super easy too! I shortcut and buy whole wheat frozen pie crust shells at Whole Foods, but have also made the crust from scratch before too. 
• Pecan Pie aka The Pie That'll Make You Cry by Pioneer Woman - truly, it's so good it might bring tears to your eyes. This pie is the reason for healthy mashed potatoes being on my menu!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!