Since we moved to Pennsylvania a few years ago, we’ve had every holiday meal catered, or we’ve gone out to eat.
But this year, we figured that having a brand new baby (nine days old) wasn’t hard enough. So we decided to cook our Thanksgiving meal ourselves.
Did I mention we’ve never cooked a whole turkey before? Ya.
Please look for our upcoming cookbook, “I swear I made this myself.” Coming to a discount liquor store near you next month.
For Starters:
Sweet Potato Rounds with Goat Cheese
Is an appetizer really necessary when your Thanksgiving Dinner is only for two people? Don’t answer that.
TBH, I pinned this recipe ages ago, and was desperate for an excuse to make these, so, ya.
All I have to say is that I’ll be finding an excuse to make these again. And again. And probs a few more times after that.
They were unreal. A sprinkle of sweetness from the candied pecans and honey drizzle is all that’s needed to take these sweet potatoes from health food to dessert – the kind of dessert that is completely satisfying and doesn’t leave you feeling shitty about yourself for eating said dessert.
Please just go make these. You can thank me later.
The Turkey:
I self identity as a Turketarian.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, peep this little vid before reading on: https://youtu.be/quHAeL35fkg
So, naturally, the turkey was of great importance to me. Like, the whole success of this meal was dependent upon the bird.
I wanted a turkey that would be moist and full of flavor, and THANKFULLY, that’s exactly what we ended up with.
We used lots of fruits – oranges, apples and limes – and slathered the bird in butter mixed with fresh herbs. Oh and we stuffed a whole bunch of garlic and fruit inside the cavity of the turkey (sounds weird, I know).
We used this awesome recipe from The Suburban Soapbox Blog.
Not only was the recipe super easy to follow, but the turkey was divine!
And yes, we obviously went the extra mile and copied her garnish of greens and cranberries. Go big or go home.
The Sides:
Green Beans with Crumbled Feta and Walnuts
This side is a staple in our house.
Why? Um…it has cheese in it. Need I say more?
It’s also super quick and easy to make.
Simply steam your green beans, toss them in a tablespoon of olive oil, salt, pepper, and crumble some feta on top. Add a handful of walnuts and you’re basically a chef now.
Stuffed Acorn Squash
I realize that mashed potatoes and green bean casserole are kind of a Thanksgiving tradition.
But so is that hungover, bloated feeling you get after the meal.
We really wanted to keep things light and healthy for our meal, so we tossed the traditional sides out the window, and started from scratch.
We came across this recipe, and figured, “why the hell not?”
And now I’m pretty sure that this side is our new Thanksgiving tradition. It was that good.
Maple-Glazed Brussels Sprouts
I was doing the pre-Thanksgiving grocery shop when all of the sudden, I spotted these giant stalks of Brussels sprouts. I instantly thought to myself, “Those would look dope in an Instagram pic!”
And so I bought them, because, Instagram.
My husband, at the very last minute, decided to get fancy and drizzle them with a maple glaze. It was a fucking mess.
It literally took me three days of constant soaking to even make a dent in the maple residue left behind on the pan. And then I decided to just trash the pan.
And ultimately, I was not a fan of this dish. Like at all. Probably because my husband just winged it, maybe because it was sticky and annoying. Either way, here’s a recipe for them (we did not use this recipe) in case you’re feeling adventurous.
the northeast ginger 