This year, I thought it would be fun to share with you all exactly what I will be cooking up on Thursday for our Thanksgiving dinner. Every recipe is delicious and uses only real food ingredients. Each dish is nutrient-packed, metabolism boosting, and will make you feel GOOD after a big dinner.
It is the time of year to be thankful and I am beyond thankful for all of you!
My Thanksgiving Menu
Rosemary Roasted Cashews
Creamy Pumpkin Soup
Coconut Oil-Basted Roasted Turkey
Herb Gravy
Tart Cranberry Sauce
Sourdough Bread Stuffing
Brussels Sprouts with Sweet Potatoes and Bacon
Pumpkin Bars with Ice Cream or Coconut Whipped Cream
If you’d like the recipes, keep reading!
ROSEMARY ROASTED CASHEWS
- 1 1/4 pounds cashew nuts
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 tablespoon melted butter, ghee, or coconut oil
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the nuts on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes until they are warmed through. Meanwhile, combine the rosemary, pepper, sugar, salt and butter in a large bowl. Toss the warm nuts with the rosemary mixture until the nuts are completely coated. Serve warm. Adapted from Ina Garten
CREAMY PUMPKIN SOUP
- 2 sugar pumpkins (~2 1/4 cups pumpkin puree)
- 2 shallots, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups (480 ml) vegetable broth
- 1 cup (240 ml) coconut milk
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp each sea salt, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, cut off the tops of two sugar pumpkins and then halve them. Use a sharp spoon to scrape out all of the seeds and strings. Brush the flesh with oil and place face down on the baking sheet. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the skin. Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, then peel away skin and set pumpkin aside. To a large saucepan over medium heat add 1 Tbsp olive oil, shallot and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly browned and translucent. Turn down heat if cooking too quickly. Add remaining ingredients, including the pumpkin, and bring to a simmer. Transfer soup mixture to a blender or use an emulsion blender to puree the soup. If using a blender, place a towel over the top of the lid before mixing to avoid any accidents. Pour mixture back into pot. Continue cooking over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes and taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Adapted from the Minimalist Baker
COCONUT OIL ROASTED TURKEY
(makes 6 to 8 servings)
- Sea salt and pepper
- 1 fresh, organic 10- to 13-pound turkey, cleaned, washed, and patted dry
- 2 oranges, cut in half
- 1 lemon, cut in half
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 bunches parsley
- 2 bunches thyme
- 2 bunches rosemary
- 2 bunches sage
- 2 large yellow onions, sliced into 2-inch thick pieces
- Coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 4 bunches of carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces
- Turkey bone broth (optional)
Preheat oven to 425F. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with two halves of an orange, ½ lemon, 3 cloves garlic, bunches of parsley, thyme, rosemary, and sage, and 2 slices of onion. Drizzle cavity with coconut oil. Stuff the neck cavity with 2 cloves garlic and ½ lemon. Stuff sage leaves and 2 cloves garlic underneath skin of breast. Brush the outside of the turkey with liberal amounts of coconut oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and thyme leaves. Tie the legs together with cooking twine and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey. Place cut carrots, rest of onion, 4 cloves of garlic, and remaining herbs and orange in the bottom of a large roasting dish. Toss with coconut oil and salt. Set turkey on top. Place turkey in oven for 10 minutes, then without opening the door, turn down the temperature to 325F and roast for 30 minutes more. Baste with juices every 15 minutes, roasting for a total of nearly 3 hours, or until the juices run clear when turkey is cut between the leg and the thigh. If juices run low, baste with turkey bone broth. Remove from oven and cover with aluminum foil to rest for 15 minutes before carving. Reserve drippings and onions for gravy. Recipe courtesy of Thrive Market
HERB GRAVY
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- pan drippings, from roasted turkey
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
In a medium saucepan, heat chicken stock, onions and garlic to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until onions and garlic are soft, about 30 minutes. Pour pan drippings into saucepan. Blend stock-onion-drippings mixture in a vitamix until smooth. Place mixture back in saucepan and reheat, then season with salt and thyme. Recipe from Elana’s Pantry
SOURDOUGH BREAD STUFFING
- 1 pound loaf sourdough bread
- 8 tablespoons butter, ghee, olive oil, or coconut oil
- 10 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/2-inch thick in both directions
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 to 4 stalks celery with leaves, halved lengthwise and sliced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- About 10 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped from the stems
- 10 to 12 fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley leaves
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish and set aside. Cut or tear the bread into 1-inch cubes and spread it evenly on 2 baking sheets. Toast the bread in the oven until completely dry and beginning to crisp and brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Melt 2 tablespoons of the fat in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and a few pinches of salt and saute, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add celery, onion, 2 tablespoons fat, and thyme. Once the fat has melted, cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add sage and remaining 4 tablespoons fat. Add chicken broth to skillet and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl. Pour the chicken broth mixture over the bread cubes and toss to combine until the bread cubes absorb the liquid. Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish, and sprinkle with parsley. Bake in the center of the oven until heated through and the top is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Remove the stuffing from the oven and allow to cool about 15 minutes before serving. Recipe from Dave Lieberman
TART CRANBERRY SAUCE
- 1 lb fresh raw cranberries
- 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Place the cranberries and orange juice in a pot and slowly bring to a boil, making sure to stir from time to time. As the cranberries cook, they will eventually pop. When all the cranberries have popped, the sauce is ready. Cool in the refrigerator and serve with your Thanksgiving turkey. Recipe from PaleoLeap
MAPLE ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS, SWEET POTATOES AND BACON
- 2 lbs sweet potatos cut into 1 inch cubes (about 2 large sweet potatoes)
- 1 1/2 lbs Brussels sprouts trimmed and halved (weight is before trimming)
- 1 1/2 cups onion roughly chopped
- 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup
- Sea salt and pepper
- 4 Strips thick-cut sugar free bacon
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and rub two large rimmed baking sheets with olive oil. Additionally, cover another rimmed baking sheet with tinfoil and lay a wire rack on top of it.
Place the cubed sweet potatoes, halved Brussels sprouts and chopped onion in a very large bowl and toss with the Olive oil and maple syrup. Really make sure to mix well so all the vegetables are coated. Divide the veggies between the two oiled baking sheets, spreading out in a single layer, and trying not overcrowd the veggies. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place the bacon on top the wire rack. Place all the sheets in the baking tray (you’ll need to put one of the trays on the bottom rack of the oven) and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, stir around the veggies and swap the tray from the bottom rack with one of the top racks, for even cooking. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes until the veggies are fork tender and the bacon is crispy. Transfer all the veggies into a large bowl and crumble the bacon over top. Recipe from Food Faith Fitness
PUMPKIN BARS
- ⅓ cup coconut flour
- ¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup fresh roasted pumpkin, or winter squash (will not work with canned pumpkin)
- ⅓ cup honey or maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ½ cup chocolate chips
In a food processor, combine coconut flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Pulse in eggs, pumpkin, honey, and oil until well combined. Stir in half of the chocolate chips by hand. Transfer batter to an 8 x 8 inch baking dish, sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over top. Bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes. Cool and serve with ice cream, whipped cream, or coconut cream. Recipe from Elana’s Pantry