Paleo Thanksgiving

It’s time to start planning that Thanksgiving dinner. Would you like to “clean up” the menu a bit? (Looking at you mashed potatoes and corn!)  Need to do it in a way that won’t disappoint your family and friends? Give some thought to a Paleo Thanksgiving dinner menu.

By offering flavorful and nutrient dense foods, your family won’t even miss the old school Thanksgiving dishes. Traditional recipes can be revamped to be healthier, and yes, even tastier than the old ones! Look through some of the recipe ideas below and see if one or two might just be the healthy upgrade you have been looking for!

Food groups featured in a Paleo Diet:

  • Meat(grass fed)and fish (wild caught)
  • Eggs (pasture raised)
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Fruits
  • Vegetables (except corn )
  • Certain fats and oils—olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, lard, tallow, ghee/butter
  • Minimally processed sweeteners like maple syrup, raw honey, stevia, coconut sugar

* No-Fuss Turkey

For a mouth watering turkey, you can simply rub a sage and parsley butter mixture on/under the skin. Feel free to throw in some chopped lemons and apples to flavor the pan juices. Roast it at high heat (425 degrees) for first 15 minutes then reduce to 325 degrees.

To get that golden- brown effect on all sides of the turkey the trick is to roast it upside down.  Roast the turkey for an hour breast-side down, then flip it and roast it upright until it’s done.  Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, without touching the bone. It should read 175° to 180°F, and the juices should run clear. The breast meat will cook more quickly. (This is for an UNstuffed bird.) Let the turkey rest for at least 15-30 minutes to let the juices redistribute before slicing.

In lieu of potatoes or as a tasty side dish:

*Maple Bacon Roasted Butternut Squash {Paleo}

This easy and delicious, sweet and savory maple bacon roasted butternut squash is everything you’re craving!  Golden roasted butternut with crisp savory bacon and sweet maple cinnamon make this cozy side dish downright addicting and perfect to go with any meal. Paleo and refined sugar free.

Author: Michele Rosen https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/maple-bacon-roasted-butternut-squash-paleo/

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (I double lined mine)
  2. If using bacon fat to roast the squash (optional) cook the bacon first: heat a large heavy skillet over medium high heat and cook bacon until 2/3 of the way done, then remove to drain on paper towels and set aside.
  3. Toss butternut squash with 1 1/2 Tbsp of bacon fat (or other cooking fat) and the sea salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on the parchment lined baking sheet, and roast for about 25 minutes – until softened but not yet browning.
  4. Meanwhile, cut or break the partially cooked bacon into pieces, then whisk together the maple syrup and cinnamon in a small bowl.
  5. After roasting squash 25 minutes, remove from oven and sprinkle the bacon over the top. Drizzle the maple syrup/cinnamon mixture evenly over squash and bacon, then, very gently stir to combine and rearrange squash and bacon in a single layer.
  6. Return to oven and roast for another 10-15 minutes, checking after 10 to make sure the bacon and maple syrup aren’t burning.
  7. Once the bacon is crisp and squash is golden brown, remove from oven. Serve warm and enjoy!

Or, if the above seems a bit too complicated or time consuming, just mash sweet potatoes in same manner as white potatoes.

 

*Mashed Sweet Potatoes:

  • Cut up sweet potatoes and boil 30 minutes (or until done).
  • With an electric mixer on low, blend potatoes, slowly adding turkey broth (instead of milk if desired), about 1/2 a cup at a time. Use more or less to achieve desired texture. Add ghee (or butter) and maple syrup to taste. Blend until smooth. Serve warm.

*Best Paleo Stuffing (Gluten-Free, Grain-Free) / Author: Cheryl Malik https://40aprons.com/wprm_print/10304

 Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons ghee or avocado oil or refined coconut oil
  • 3 cups onion diced
  • 2 cups celery diced
  • 1 cup mushrooms diced
  • 1 cup apple cored and diced
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries or dates, chopped
  • ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley chopped
  • 4 teaspoons poultry seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 3 eggs whisked

 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Heat ghee or oil in a large cast-iron or oven-proof skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, celery, apple, mushrooms, cranberries or dates, parsley, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Sauté until very soft, about 7 minutes.

Remove from heat. Keep in an oven-proof skillet or transfer to 9×9″ baking dish. Stir in almond flour and mix well. Add the whisked eggs and stir well. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until browned on top. Enjoy!

Paleo dessert options:

Instead of regular flour in pie crusts, try almond or arrowroot, or forgo flour altogether and use pecans as the crust instead.

Or, forget the pie and opt for a decadent chocolate dessert!

*Chocolate Mousse

https://www.foodsforbetterhealth.com/how-to-have-a-paleo-thanksgiving

Prep Time: 15 minutes          Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes          Serves: 2

Ingredients:

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 3/4 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup keto-friendly chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup raw organic honey
  • 3 tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
  • Chocolate curls, for garnish

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients in a blender; blend until smooth.
  2. Transfer to serving glasses and refrigerate 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Top with curls before serving.

Create new family favorites by trying some new recipes and that are both tasty and healthy. There are a number of paleo recipe websites out there, so take a look and try something fresh and new!

 

Have a HEALTHY and HAPPY Thanksgiving!!!