Get Inspired This Thanksgiving With These Bold Culinary Options
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When prompted, “What’s your favorite food?” What comes to mind? The usual suspects include french fries, pizza, donuts, fried chicken, steak, chocolate. No matter your choice, these foods have gumption. They are bold, crunchy, salty, spicy — you name it! They are forces to be reckoned with.
On the flip side, you have the Thanksgiving classics. A sea of beige, devoid of any texture and flavor. Each dish is indistinguishable from the next. If you have to cover all your food in gravy, was it even good to begin with?
To some, this means comfort. It’s tradition, they say. OK, well, tradition is fine — until it hinders progress. Reminder: We only walked until we found horses, rode horses until we had cars, and now we can fly across oceans.
Why, on what is arguably the biggest food holiday in America, are we ignoring all the culinary progress we’ve made in favor of monotony? We can do better, people! It’s time to embrace new flavors, textures, ingredients and dishes. We’re here for the uprising and have the recipes to back it up.
Below is your antidote to a boring Thanksgiving meal, one course at a time. No holiday fatigue at this table.
APPS
First, why do we need appetizers on the one day where our main meal is guaranteed to be a calorie overload? That’s a topic for another day. But if you’re set on noshing before the feast, we suggest these veggie-forward options:
TURKEY
Traditional Thanksgiving turkeys require thawing, brining and cooking (endlessly!), and more often than not they still turn out dry and rubbery. If you’re set on poultry, swap your time-consuming standby for these versions that deliver a bird bursting with flavor and moisture:
- Spatchcocked + Braise-Roasted Herb Butter Turkey
- Deep Fried Sriracha Turkey
- Red Wine Lacquered Turkey With Cinnamon Orange Butter
- For the vegetarian crew, try this whole-roasted cauliflower with unexpected, Middle Eastern spices to really kick things up a notch.
- If you’re looking for a plant-based option with more protein punch, try this mushroom-stuffed tofurkey.
- And if you want want to go really rogue (gasp!), here’s roast pork shoulder sure to delight all your meat-eating guests.
SIDES
We all know sides are the real star of Thanksgiving. But the traditional options leave a lot to be desired.
Potatoes
The easiest way to ruin this perfect spudis to mash it — IMHO. Step away from the hand mixer and give these versions a try instead. Or skip the potatoes altogether and opt for a less common corn pudding substitute.
- Shingled Sweet Potatoes With Harissa
- Fried Mashed Potato Balls
- If you insist on mashing your potatoes, at least add gruyere and caramelized onions to keep things interesting.
- Cheesy Chive Spoonbread
- Hatch Chili Corn Pudding
Green Bean Casserole
Vegetables drenched in canned mystery cream? Not in this house. We have the antidote, though.
- Kaddo (Afghan Pumpkin With Yogurt and Tomato Sauces)
- Carrot Salad With Charred Pineapple, Avocado & Cumin-Lime Dressing
- Bitter Greens Salad With Melted Cheese
- Crispy Fried Brussels Sprouts With Honey and Sriracha
- Need green beans on your Thanksgiving table? Try them with walnuts and balsamic.
Stuffing
What is this strange food, anyway? Is it bread, a casserole, something inside a bird? No one really knows. But these recipes made our mouths water.
- Butternut Squash, Brussels Sprout, and Bread Stuffing With Apples
- Rye, Kale, Mushroom and Pumpkin Seed Stuffing
- Please all your gluten-free counterparts with this wild rice dressing, no wheat in sight.
Cranberry Sauce
Give this tangy condiment the attention it deserves with a boost, zest, kick and twist of new flavors.
Rolls
Because what’s a holiday without a carb overload?
DESSERT
The reason we try to save room.
Pumpkin Pie
Did you know sweet potatoes are shockingly similar to pumpkin when you add the right spices? Try this twist: Sweet Potato-Miso Pie with Chocolate-Sesame Crust. Say no more. We’re making it.
Apple Pie
OK this is one we’re still in love with. Even still, let’s try something new. This Caramel Pear Pie hits all the right notes.
Pecan Pie
If you’re still dying for something sticky sweet, remember that chocolate is perfect for every holiday — and every day, period. Plus, this no-bake version saves some coveted oven space that day.
This is just the tip of the iceberg of all the amazing recipes waiting out there for you to try. People say you shouldn’t try a new recipe on company. We disagree. Holidays and guests are the perfect occasion to try something new you’ve been eyeing for a while.
If you don’t like our list, there are tons of tools out there to help build your own unique Thanksgiving menu. Try a break from the classics and let us know what you’re serving.
