Thanksgiving 2016 is just around the corner, so you’re probably wondering what your Thanksgiving dinner will look like this year. We’re sure you want some healthy recipes to serve up to your friends and family, and if that’s the case, we have some options for you.
Whether you’re looking for vegetarian, gluten free, turkey, or dessert options, these recipes will definitely be a hit at this years Thanksgiving celebrations – and may also offer you energy to get through your Black Friday shopping.
Thanksgiving 2016 Menu Ideas
So what will you be serving on your table this Thanksgiving? The below list will give you some great options to choose from to feed your family and friends.
To start, you may want to pick up some shrimp and sriracha sauce, or gougères. Gougères are a crisp, fluffy pastry and can be an alternative to dinner rolls. To make them, you will need one cup of water, eight tablespoons of unsalted butter, cut up into pieces, 1.2 teaspoon of salt, one cup of all-purpose flour, four large eggs lightly beaten, and one-and-a-half cup of grated cheese—gruyere or cheddar works best.
Boil the water and butter in a saucepan, and once the butter is melted, add the flour by removing the saucepan from the heat. Stir vigorously until the mixture looks like mashed potatoes.
Now that you have dough, cook it in the pan for three to five minutes to dry it out. When the dough is thick enough to hold up a spoon, you’ll know it’s ready.
Transfer the dough to a bowl and mix in the eggs—mix it until the dough stops steaming. Add the eggs one at a time and add each one in until it is well absorbed.
Scoop tablespoons of the dough onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper and cook them at 450 degrees for five minutes. Lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until puffy and golden brown.
Transfer your fresh gougères to cool and serve.
Now that your appetizer is out of the way, here are some dinner options: Roast turkey with gravy. Mashed potatoes. Spiced cranberry sauce. Shaved Brussels sprouts salad with apples, hazelnuts, and brown butter dressing. Sweet potato dinner rolls. American Pinot Noir wine.
For dessert, you have numerous options, but why not try either pumpkin pie crème brulee, gingerbread cake, quince and vanilla sorbet, and you can wash it down with hot cranberry punch with sage and peppercorn.
To make the dessert beverage, you will need two teaspoons of peppercorns, two cups of frozen cranberries, one-fourth cup of honey, one bottle of dry Riesling wine, divided, one-fourth cup of fresh sage, and one cup of Benedictine liqueur.
Place the peppercorns in a saucepan and heat until fragrant. Add the cranberries, honey, and one cup of Riesling and allow to simmer until thickened.
Smash the cranberries with a fork and add the remaining wine and sage and allow simmering for an additional five minutes. Strain your mixture and its ready to serve.
When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, there are so many different options. Sticking with local and holiday flavors will kick up your Thanksgiving dinner up a notch so all your guests will be satisfied.
Sources:
Durand, F., “A small and swanky Thanksgiving menu,” The Splendid Table web site, http://www.splendidtable.org/story/a-small-swanky-thanksgiving-dinner-menu, last accessed November 8, 2016.
Sacasa, M., “Hot cranberry punch with sage and peppercorns,” The Splendid Table web site, http://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/hot-cranberry-punch-with-sage-and-peppercorns, last accessed November 8, 2016.
Christensen, E., “Gougères,” The Splendid Table web site, http://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/gougères, last accessed November 8, 2016.
