Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Vegan Alternatives to Famous Thanksgiving Dishes

vegan Thanksgiving recipe

These vegan Thanksgiving recipes can sneak onto a conventional table or make up their own plant-based feast.

No one likes to hear the words “dietary restrictions” around the time of a holiday that’s literally centered on food, but when setting the table for a mixed crowd, it can be helpful to whip up options that everyone can enjoy.

Thanksgiving has never been the vegan-friendliest celebration—the pilgrims were not carving up a tofurkey, for instance—but a little bit of ingenuity can not only make every mouth happy at dinner but also lighten up the meal to leave plenty of room for seconds or dessert (and then seconds of dessert).

If you’ve got a fully vegan crew, then consider your menu planned. If you’re hosting both vegan and non-vegan guests, consider offering some of these plant-based versions of classic Thanksgiving dishes side-by-side. If you’re simply interested in cutting back on dairy, eggs, and meat to make dinner a healthier or more earth-conscious affair, you probably don’t even need to say the word “vegan” when you put these dishes out to share—they’re so good, they don’t need any introduction.

The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook, $19.31 on Amazon

Get even more recipes for the holiday season.
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Pumpkin Protein Platter

vegan Thanksgiving recipe

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This recipe is a bit labor-intensive, but hey, so is turkey—all that defrosting and brining and roasting and basting and resting and carving, who wants to go through that trouble? Instead, take the time, energy, and enthusiasm you normally reserve for the bird into mixing up this protein platter of pumpkin-crusted tempeh, quinoa, roasted chestnuts, and roasted pumpkin for a seasonal sensation that will quickly have you thinking, “Turkey? What turkey?” (Bonus: totally guilt-free leftovers for sandwiches the next day.) Get the Pumpkin Protein Platter recipe.

Hasselback Butternut Squash

For an easier but no less impressive vegan main, hasselback butternut squash is absolutely perfect. This recipe glazes the roasted, scored squash halves with honey, olive oil, Dijon mustard, fresh sage, and thyme and tops them off with chopped pecans. Obviously the honey is not vegan, but there’s an easy, totally autumn-appropriate fix: Swap in maple syrup instead. Simple and stunning. Get the Hasselback Butternut Squash recipe.

Vegan Thanksgiving Box, $65 at Purple Carrot

Even easier: order a full vegan Thanksgiving feast that serves 4, with hasselback butternut squash as the star and all the trimmings, plus dessert.
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Green Beans with Garlic Mushroom Sauce

herbed fresh green bean caserole recipe

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This garlicky-good side dish will make everybody forget the old-fashioned limp green beans with slivered almonds that passes as a “healthy” side at these get-togethers. A creamy mushroom sauce made from non-dairy milk, non-dairy butter, and a tiny bit of flour subs in for a heavy béchamel without sacrificing any of the flavor, and the beans stay crisp enough to remind you that yes, you are in fact eating real vegetables. Get the Green Beans with Garlic Mushroom Sauce recipe.

No-Cream Creamed Spinach

Another easy way to add some green to the plate is with a heaping helpful of coconut-cream spinach, comfort food at the ultimate. Frozen spinach not only makes this dish a cinch to slap together, but it also gives it that perfect kind of gloopy texture you remember from holidays (and cafeterias) past. Get the No-Cream Creamed Spinach recipe.

Aquafaba Topped Sweet Potato Casserole

There are two types of people in this world: Those who like their sweet potatoes with marshmallow, and those who don’t. Thankfully we’ve got both covered: This dish calls for a spiced topping of aquafaba—chickpea-can liquid or pot liquor whipped up into a cream-like foam—that is fluffy, sweet, and as heaven-pillow light as roasted marshmallows, without the icky gelatin. If you like your side dishes to straddle the border between dinner and dessert, this recipe is your ticket to paradise. Get the Aquafaba Topped Sweet Potato Casserole recipe.

Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble

Not into the marshmallow thing? No problem: This nutty, maple-syrup-kissed casserole has the perfect balance of warm homey flavors, slight crunch, and sweet, comforting decadence—no ‘mallows (or substitutes) to be seen. Get the Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble recipe.

Cranberry Sauce

easy cranberry sauce recipe

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You can’t have Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce, and this easy homemade version is naturally vegan, as long as you make sure to buy beet sugar (which is never processed with bone char). Fresh orange juice and zest help brighten it up. Get our Cranberry Sauce recipe.

Cornbread Stuffing

Jiffy cornbread mix is the secret ingredient to this vegetarian classic, combining the sweetness of corn with the depth of flavor added by the Scarborough Fair flavors of parsley, sage, and thyme. (See below for rosemary, to complete the tune.) Onion and celery add texture, and a bit of imitation-chicken flavor rounds out the “Wait, this is vegan?” surprise. Get the Cornbread Stuffing recipe.

Vegan Cranberry Stuffing

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Reality check is when you realize you haven't posted for more than a week even though it feels like yesterday and when Thanksgiving is less than a week away 😱⠀ ⠀ I've been busy and posted 3 new recipes in one week. The recipe for this Cornbread and Cranberry Vegetarian Stuffing is on the blog now and the link is in my profile @megiswell ⠀ ⠀ Something about doing a mix of cornbread and bread in a stuffing gives the best moist/crisp combo. You bite into pockets of stuffing that are steaming hot with moisture. But one or two bigger chunks of crisped bread or a large chunk of toasty cornbread is there too. The pops of cranberry are the icing on the cake.⠀ ⠀ Now onwards to more roll testing!⠀ ⠀ #feedfeed @thefeedfeed #foodblogfeed @foodblogfeed #heresmyfood @food #buzzfeast #thekitchn #cookCL #f52grams #eattheworld #huffposttaste #foodwinewomen #lifeandthyme #beautifulcuisines #hautecuisines #wprecipemaker #foodstyling #foodphotography #bhgfood #saveurmag #marthafood #mycommontable #onmytable #tastemade #bareaders #theartofslowliving #Thanksgiving #vegetarianrecipes #cornbread #stuffing #megiswell #cranberries ⠀

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Look, why not have two stuffings on the table? Heaven knows everybody loves stuffing. This sweet-and-savory version combines the tart pop of cranberries with the earthy, herbaceous note of sage and umami-rich mushrooms for a more complex flavor profile that is so good it can almost anchor the plate as a main. Smash leftovers into patties and pan fry them for the perfect griddle cake, topped with poached or fried eggs for your non-vegan morning gang. Get the Vegan Cranberry Stuffing recipe.

Pumpkin-Cheesecake Pie

Creamy, sweet, luxurious, and the perfect way to end an evening of plant-based indulgence, this show-stopping pie builds on a date-nut crust with a creamy layer of tangy cashew-cheesecake and a classic top of silky pumpkin goodness. Serve with a scoop of vanilla soy or coconut-milk iced cream and a steaming cup of hot coffee, and you’ve simply outdone yourself this year, my friend. Get the Pumpkin-Cheesecake Pie recipe.

Vegan Pecan Pie

But okay, one more, because pecan pie has its diehard fans too. This corn syrup-free pecan pie combines vegan butter, coconut sugar, maple syrup, creamy coconut milk, vanilla, and lots of pecans with a bit of cornstarch to help bind the filling. Top with a dollop of coconut whipped cream. Get the Vegan Pecan Pie recipe.

For more Thanksgiving tips, hacks, and recipes, check out our Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide and our Ultimate Friendsgiving Guide.​

And for more vegan menu ideas, check out The Best YouTube Cooking Shows for Vegans.

Related Video: Delicious Vegan Friendsgiving Cookies with CBD Oil



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The Ultimate Guide to Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

The best way to cook a stress-free dinner is to think ahead, which is why we’ve created this comprehensive Thanksgiving guide with tips, techniques, and game plans that will help you host your best turkey day yet. For more holiday tips, check out our Guide to Friendsgiving as well.

When you host Thanksgiving, you’re in charge of creating the menu. Whether you’re cooking one dish or the whole feast, you need a solid plan.

1. Think About Oven Space

If you’re responsible for roasting the turkey and only have one oven, be sure you have a solid plan for how and when that oven will be used. And don’t discount a toaster oven, some of which are large enough to bake easy Thanksgiving desserts and casseroles, or at least reheat them. Check out our guide to Thanksgiving recipes you can make ahead.

And consider mixing in some no-cook sides, like our Kale-Apple Slaw with Poppy Seed Dressing recipe.

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2. Make It a Potluck

Even the story of the first Thanksgiving describes a potluck, so there’s no shame in sharing the work with your guests. Ask people to volunteer to make sides or give out assignments. If your crowd is open to trying new dishes, consider making this Roasted and Raw Brussels Sprouts Salad with Pecorino and Pomegranate or a Healthy Root Vegetable Grain with Buttery Walnuts, both recipes from the “Modern Potluck” cookbook. Or elevate a classic, as with our Herbed Fresh Green Bean Casserole recipe below.

herbed fresh green bean caserole recipe

Chowhound

Related Reading: The Best Products for Safely Transporting Your Thanksgiving Food

3. Supplement Your Thanksgiving Menu with High-Quality Store-Bought Items

Friends or family members can’t cook? Or don’t want to? To spare your own sanity, choose the Thanksgiving recipes you most want to make and outsource the rest to a local store or chef. Besides, what does Ina always say? Store. Bought. Is. Fine.

Harry and David deep dish pumpkin pie

Harry and David

We rounded up some of the best cookies, cakes, and pies to have delivered if you want to outsource dessert, but we also collected the best Thanksgiving meal kits and delivery options, from heritage turkeys to entire feasts, including a vegan Thanksgiving box that can serve as a full meal for a small group, or be incorporated into a larger omnivorous spread if you’re hosting vegan guests.

4. Be Sure to Include Some Lighter and Brighter Dishes

With mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and turkey with gravy, Thanksgiving dinner can be a bit mushy, heavy, and fairly sweet. To counteract those flavors and textures, be sure to serve a crisp, tangy salad, like our Bitter Greens with Caper Vinaigrette recipe.

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5. Don’t be Afraid to Compromise

If your crowd insists on a classic Thanksgiving menu but you like to cook more adventurously, pick your battles. For example, ask your aunt to make her famous buttery mashed potatoes for the purists. Then you can sauté Jerusalem artichokes to introduce your guests to something new.  Try our Jerusalem Artichokes with Crispy Prosciutto recipe below.

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If you’re willing to subvert even the most entrenched traditions (and don’t think your guests will riot), try these unique Thanksgiving turkey recipes and updated pumpkin pie recipes for your table.

Tips for the Thanksgiving Turkey

While you can rub your turkey with herb butter and make an elaborate sherry-cream gravy, sometimes, the best Thanksgiving turkey recipes are the simplest, requiring little more than a good quality bird, butter, and salt.

how to thaw turkey (best way and how long) and how to cook turkey

GMVozd / Royal / Getty Images

1. To Start, Buy the Right Size Turkey

When choosing the bird, a good rule of thumb is 1 pound per person, which gives you enough meat for Thanksgiving dinner plus a little bit of leftovers. If you love tons of leftovers, either to keep for yourself or give to your guests, go with 1 ½ pounds per person.

Whole Turkey for 12 People, $120 at Porter Road

This pasture-raised turkey free of antibiotics and added hormones is far better than your average grocery store bird, but they do ship frozen, so factor in defrost time.
Buy Now

2. Defrost Well in Advance

If your turkey is frozen and you plan to thaw it in the refrigerator, assume it will take at least three days. The quicker way to go is to submerge a well-wrapped turkey in cold water—this will take about 30 minutes per pound, so you’ll still want to thaw one day ahead or very early in the day.

Related Reading: How to Thaw a Turkey & How Long It Takes

3. Dry Brine, If There’s Time

For the most flavorful, crisp-skinned, and juicy bird, rub the thawed turkey with salt and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours before drying the skin, rubbing with butter and roasting. Try our Dry-Brined Roast Turkey recipe.

For more tips, see our How to Cook a Turkey guide.

Tips for Making and Rolling a Flaky Pie Crust

Pumpkin or pecan, pies are almost as important, if not more so, than the turkey, and all-butter pie crusts have the best flavor, so it’s worth making your own from scratch. If you’re too intimidated and flakiness isn’t a huge concern, you can always opt for a basic pumpkin pie with a press-in crust. This Graham Cracker Crust recipe is also great for pastry novices.

Chowhound

Otherwise, try these tips:

1. Keep the Butter Cold and Use Ice Water

The pockets of cold butter in the dough release steam, pushing up on the flour to create flaky layers. If your butter gets too warm, the crust will be tasty but not flaky.

2. Let the Dough Rest

After you make the dough, refrigerate it for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. Resting is crucial because it chills the dough, allows it to fully hydrate, and gives the flour’s gluten a chance relax, resulting in a more tender crust.

3. Generously Dust the Work Surface and Rolling Pin

Before you roll out the dough, flour your surface and rolling pin to prevent sticking and add more flour if necessary as you work. Another trick to keep the dough from sticking: Give it a quarter turn after each roll.

Related Reading: Are Glass Pie Pans Best for Browned Bottom Crusts?

Thanksgiving Game Plan

Preparation is key when cooking a meal for so many people with so many dishes. This Thanksgiving timeline list will help you stay organized.

  • Make pie dough and freeze: Be sure to wrap the crusts in double layers of plastic so they don’t absorb flavors from the freezer.
  • Order turkey. If you plan to cook a turkey from a local farm or specialty market, order your bird before they run out.
  • Buy drinks and pantry ingredients. Avoid the last minute rush on canned pumpkin, canned cranberry sauce, and booze. If you end up with more pumpkin than you need, use it in other baked goods, like this Chocolate Swirl Pumpkin Bread.
  • Make your gravy. That’s right. There’s no need to wait until the few minutes before you serve Thanksgiving dinner to make the gravy. You can do it before Halloween even hits and keep it frozen until the big day. Try this make-ahead gravy recipe—and see what other to Thanksgiving recipes you can make ahead (and how best to freeze, thaw, and reheat them).
  • Plan out the side dishes. Whether you’re making the whole meal, hosting potluck style, or buying pre-made sides, now’s the time to create that list so nothing gets forgotten.
  • Be sure you have enough cooking and serving dishes and the right tools. If it’s your first time hosting Thanksgiving dinner, you might need to invest in a few platters and oven-to-table baking dishes. While a large stainless steel roasting pan is a great piece of equipment to own, you can always use disposable aluminum baking pans from the grocery store in a pinch. If you don’t already own a long pair of tongs, you won’t regret investing in a pair: They’re immensely helpful when trying to maneuver the turkey. And it’s nice to have enough serving utensils for every dish.

Related Reading: 11 Kitchen Gadgets to Make Thanksgiving Dinner Less Stressful | Special Occasion Dishes & Linens for Every Budget

  • Pick up fresh turkey or defrost frozen turkey. As mentioned above, frozen turkeys take days to thaw so plan ahead.
  • Buy fresh ingredients for Thanksgiving side dishes. This is when you’ll do the bulk of your shopping for your Thanksgiving side dishes. If you can shop at a farmers’ market, even better. In-season fall vegetables, like Brussels sprouts, kale, winter squash, onions, and other root vegetables are usually fresher and tastier than those at the supermarket. Be sure to pick up some extra butter and cream as well—you can never have too much on Thanksgiving.
  • Think about your ice situation. Buy bags if you need extra and have room to keep them frozen. Otherwise, assign someone with ice duty.
  • Dry-brine your turkey. Be sure to keep the bird on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, away from other ingredients.
  • Defrost pie dough and gravy. Transfer dough and gravy to the refrigerator so it’s ready to use over the next couple of days.

Thanksgiving Day

  • Bake fruit pies. If you’re doing apple or pear pies, you’ll want to get these in the oven before the turkey and cooled before guests arrive.
  • Bring turkey to room temperature. This will help the turkey cook more quickly and evenly and free up refrigerator space as well.
  • Prepare side dishes to serve at room temperature. Roast vegetables, mix together salads (but don’t dress anything delicate yet), and make homemade cranberry sauce if you haven’t already (or open up the can, slide it onto a serving dish, and cover with plastic wrap ’til it’s time to eat).
  • Prepare snacks or starters. Wash and slice up vegetables for crudités; assemble any cheese board components that don’t need to be refrigerated; make dips.
  • Set the table. No need to leave this task until the last minute. If you’re serving buffet style, arrange empty platters on your serving area to make sure you have enough room for everything.
  • Arrange the drinks area. If you’re hosting a lot of people, set up a self-serve bar away from the kitchen.
  • Roast turkey: Assume you need about 20 minutes per pound in a 350°F oven for an unstuffed turkey and about 1 hour longer for one that’s stuffed. In the end, you want to cook the turkey until it reaches 160°F on an instant-read thermometer (and at least 165°F as it rests.)
  • Peel and chop potatoes for mashed potatoes. Keep them refrigerated covered in water so they don’t discolor.

When people arrive:

  • Set out starters. Put these with the drinks, away from the kitchen.
  • Recruit one or two helpers. No need to shoulder all the work yourself. Get their help with last-minute reheats.
  • Warm side dishes. Let the turkey rest while you reheat the stuffing and other casseroles in the oven.
  • Make mashed potatoes. While you can make them a few hours ahead and keep them warm over low heat (or in a slow cooker), this is one dish that’s often easiest to make just before serving. See our guide to the best mashed potatoes for more pointers.
  • Warm the gravy. Since you made it ahead, you can easily do this on the stovetop or in the microwave.
  • Carve turkey. For a primer, watch this video.
  • Dress salads. And now it’s finally time to feast!


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Air Fryer Bacon-Wrapped Figs

Looking for a fantastic holiday party appetizer that everyone will love? Try these Bacon-Wrapped Figs, cooked in an air fryer. Easy to make and totally delicious.

Continue reading "Air Fryer Bacon-Wrapped Figs" »



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We Found a Well-Reviewed Air Fryer on Sale for $30, Today Only

While science is still trying to figure out my medical addiction to french fries, there’s a machine that makes all their hard work obsolete. That’s the air fryer which delivers healthier “fried” foods using just the tiniest bit of oil (or none) and hot air convection to mimic the crispy, flavorful results you get from deep- or pan-frying. 

Right now a well-rated Insignia 3.4-quart air fryer is on sale for a measly $29.99 (normally $79.99), so if you’ve been looking to try this hot (pun!) new method for making quick and delicious wings, fries, chips and more you can scoop one up and have it shipped (for free) by Monday, Nov 11.

More deals: A 10-Piece All-Clad Cookware Set Is More than 50% Off

The catch? There isn’t one, except that it’s a one day sale as Best Buy’s Deal of the Day, so you’ll need to make your move soon. While you’re at it check out these 15 unexpected air fryer recipes because this thing may be famous for its work with french fries and wings, but it’s got plenty of tricks up its sleeve. 

Insignia 3.4-Quart Air Fryer, $29.99 on Best Buy

Best Buy

Easy and clean the Insignia air fryer has simple analog controls to nail your recipes, and is fully dishwasher safe with no messy oil reservoir to deal with like a traditional fryer.Buy Now



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