Healthy Meals for Busy People and Parenting for the Anxious
On to the last recipe in this year’s Easy Thanksgiving Side series here on Flurries of Flour! This recipe is classic Thanksgiving, but instead of doing anything on the stove, I let the oven take care of all the work (minus a bit of chopping!). Savory Brussels sprouts with crisped edges are mixed with creamy sweet potatoes and crispy, flavorful bacon! It’s the perfect accompaniment to all your Thanksgiving favorites like turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes!…
Can you believe Thanksgiving is only a week away? I can’t. It seems like just October was just last week. It’s getting to be crunch time, and if you’re still not sure what’s going to be on your Thanksgiving table, let me introduce the third recipe in this year’s Easy Thanksgiving Sides series here on Flurries of Flour, Stuffed Acorn Squash! Seasoned turkey and sausage is mixed with greens, wild rice, and pine nuts, all nestled in a nest of roasted acorn squash. And, as with all the dishes in this series, there are only a handful of ingredients that don’t require much prep, giving you more time to focus on other aspects of your Thanksgiving feast!…
Here is recipe two in the Simple Side Dishes here on Flurries of Flour! Sweet potatoes and, to a lesser extent, butternut squash are synonymous with Thanksgiving. This dish takes the two and adds a delicious, Mediterranean twist on Thanksgiving with herbs, feta cheese, and pomegranate seeds! This dish has sweet from the butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and roasted onions, salty creaminess from the feta cheese, a delicious savory layer from the Greek herbs, and a sweet tang from the pomegranate seeds!
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If you’re looking for a simple, easy-to-make Thanksgiving side dish, you won’t find a better one than these herbed smashed potatoes! And you will definitely not be missing out on taste just because you’re going for simplicity instead of slaving for hours over the stove or using a gazillion ingredients (which is sometimes what it feels like).
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Yes, Thanksgiving and turkey season may be over, but pumpkin season isn’t! December (can you believe it’s December?!) is the month of desserts! My husband created this recipe and made it for Thanksgiving, but it’s the dessert perfect for any holiday or dinner party. No-bake means it’s simple to make and it incorporates the sweet, comforting tastes of the season with pumpkin cookie butter, all in a silky, luscious, cheesecake!
The holidays are stressful enough, which is what makes this such a wonderful dessert. You can easily make it a day or three ahead of time, leaving you plenty of time to cook or do any of the hundreds of other things you have to do at this time of year. And because it’s no-bake, there are no eggs, no need to use the oven or a pan of water that leaks through. Just beat all the ingredients into submission, put them into a crust, and you’re done!
The Recipe
You only need a handful of ingredients for this recipe, one of which is Cool Whip® or another type of non-dairy whip. It adds the light creaminess needed for cheesecake and takes the places of the eggs (which keep everything together).
Another note: honestly, the only place I can find this pumpkin cookie butter is Trader Joe’s, and it’s a seasonal item. I’m not entirely sure where else to find this type of cookie butter, but please let me know if you find one! However, if you can’t find cookie butter, increase the pumpkin by half a cup and the pumpkin pie spice by a teaspoon.
‘Till next time!
I love Thanksgiving! It’s definitely one of my favorite holidays. I love planning, shopping, and cooking. I even love trying different recipes, including the turkey. The turkey, the biggest part of most Thanksgiving meals, can be tricky to get. While I’m waiting until next year for a how-to on cooking turkey, I thought I’d cover the different types of turkeys you’ll find at the store. There are so many different types it can get confusing, so I hope this gives you a better idea of what you’re starting with.
The type of turkey determines the taste and end result. Heritage turkeys will taste gamier than a Butterball and have crisper skin, and a free range bird will usually have more flavor than a regular grocery store turkey, although a large turkey from the grocery store will have more meat.
There are different types of turkeys you’ll find in stores. Some you’ll find in some stores, some you’ll find in others. Some you even have to special order.
These are the commercial turkeys you find in most stores, like Butterball®. They are usually sold frozen, so you’ll have to make sure you take enough time to defrost it.
According to USDA, to be labeled “natural” a turkey must have been minimally processed and contain no artificial additives or colors. They’re usually sold in the refrigerated section.
Free-range turkeys are required by the USDA to have spent at least part of their life in an outside enclosure. This may be a long time, it may be short time. It may also be a small enclosure or large enclosure. The producers aren’t required to say. Related are…
Turkeys that are allowed to roam and peck around. Because of their exercise and diet, the turkeys are flavorful.
Organic turkeys aren’t allowed to be given antibiotics and must have organic feed (which can can cost up to 3x more than “regular” feed, which is why organic turkeys are so expensive).
Heritage birds have been cultivated from historical turkeys. They are rare indigenous breeds that include Broad Breasted Bronze and Bourbon Red. They are smaller, take longer to grow, and taste gamier. Heritage breeds are usually bred by small farms that raise them completely free-range. You usually have to special order them direct from the farm or from local butchers. Our Whole Foods offered them this year as well. They’re expensive because of the care that goes into raising them.
The type of turkey you buy depends entirely on your tastes and your budget. My grandmother used to order turkeys from Keller’s, a local butcher, and for the past few years we’ve bought free-range turkeys from Trader Joe’s. I’d love to try a heritage turkey someday, though.
I’ll be taking the rest of the week off. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
‘Till next time!
I can’t believe Thanksgiving is next week! This recipe for cranberry coulis is full of the flavors of the season: cranberry, cinnamon, mulling spices. It’s tart, sweet, and a perfect accompaniment to any dish on your Thanksgiving table!
From the turkey to the stuffing to desserts like pie and pumpkin panna cotta and even stirred into oatmeal, this coulis’ flavor makes it perfect for everything. It’s also quick and easy to cook and can be made days (or weeks) ahead of time!
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