Thanksgiving Menu Ideas

I can’t believe it is already time to post this. I’m a little nervous about the holidays this year. This will be the first year for a gluten-free Thanksgiving. Last year I was on a pretty strict diet, but I cheated a little and suffered the consequences. This year – none of that! I’m not nervous about the food. I’m nervous about the interactions during meal time. I definitely don’t want to hurt feelings or step on toes about not eating what the family cooks. However – I simply can’t afford to have a bad day due to poor diet choices. So here goes nothing (wish me luck!) As I’m sure many of you are doing, we are traveling some. We aren’t traveling far but we do have several dinners to go to or make. One thing I will miss this year – my mom’s pumpkin pie and my mother-in-law’s ham. Oh gosh… my mom always makes an extra pumpkin pie, just for me! I take it home; eat it again that night, for breakfast the next day, etc. We will have to work on an alternative but for now, no “Mom’s Famous” pumpkin pie for this girl. I’ve learned that you shouldn’t have to suffer or feel guilty about not eating holiday meals. There are many options out there; you just have to find what’s best for you. What we have decided to do is to just make our own “traveling” Thanksgiving dinner. I will make our own meal and take it to the dinners we are going to. For those coming to our house to eat, they can eat what we cook. If they don’t want to, they can bring their own. It’s not the best solution I’m sure, but it’s the best one we’ve come up with. I can’t touch, eat, or be around gluten. If anyone has other suggestions – I’m all for hearing about them! Anyway – I wanted to present some options to any of you having this same problem. Or if any of you are just wanting to try something new this holiday season, try one of the recipes below! Either way, it’s Thanksgiving and it’s a great time of year to be thankful for what we have. Whether you are doing a typical family tradition, or like us – trying something new, just remember how fortunate we all are. I sometimes find myself wondering why this happened to me, but at the end of the day I have to be thankful. I’m thankful God put me in this position to help me learn and challenge me. I have learned so much about taking care of my body and my health. My situation has also made me realize how fortunate it is to enjoy a meal with family. Something as simple as dinner can be taken away so quickly. Some may not be able to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner due to food allergies or illnesses. Others may simply not be able to afford it. Regardless, I am so very thankful for the opportunity to create a tasty, healthy meal on this wonderful day and I hope you all are too. Of course, I’m thankful for millions of other things but this is a food blog after all! Check out the full day’s menu options below and try some of the recipes – they should all be linked to the original posts complete with pictures. Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!

    

Breakfast:

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls (Maple or Original)
Banana Oatmeal Pancakes – my most popular! (for extra energy if you have having a late lunch)
Cinnamon Scones
Appetizers
Shrimp Dip
Veggie Pizza
Watermelon Mint Jam – served with crackers/chips
Smoked Chicken Antipasto
Lunch/Dinner:
Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts - for an alternative to turkey
Made Over Mashed Potatoes
Balsamic Green Beans
Roasted Fall Veggies
Deceptive Mac & Cheese
Stuffed Acorn Squash (or stuffing)
Mushrooms, Onions & Swiss Chard
Butternut Pumpkin Biscuits
Red Wine Cranberry Sauce
Desserts
Upside Down Apple Cake
Cranberry Pear Crisp with Lavender – my favorite!
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies – for the kids!
Pumpkin Pie with Almond Crust – if you want to get real fancy
Beverages
Apple Cider
Pumpkin Spiced Chai Latte
Strawberry Lemonade  - for the kids

Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash

Try these turkey meatballs and I’ll bet you won’t miss the beef. These are moist and flavorful without a lot of fat. We serve these meatballs over spaghetti squash and top with homemade pasta sauce. These are a huge hit at our house! Plus they are quick and easy to make!

1 lb ground turkey, lean

1 egg
¼ cup gluten-free bread crumbs
1 tsp fresh sage, chopped
1 tsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
¼ cup roasted red pepper, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
Olive oil for greasing pan
1 spaghetti squash
2 cups pasta sauce (my homemade version is found here!)

• In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, pepper, garlic and seasonings.
• Form into 2” meatballs and put into a greased muffin pan. This makes the baking process really easy and helps the meatballs stay together.
• Bake at 375°F for about 20 minutes or until cooked completely through.
• While the meatballs are baking, cook the spaghetti squash. I find the easiest way is to cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Place one half of the squash, cut side down in a glass baking dish. Add in ¼ cup water, cover and microwave for about 10 minutes. Cook the other half of squash the same way.
• Using a fork, scrape out the squash “pasta” and put onto serving plates.
• Once the meatballs are done, place two or three onto the squash pasta and top with pasta sauce. If desired, throw on some parmesan cheese and some parsley.  

Grilled Summer Squash

As I’ve mentioned before, we have a ridiculous amount of summer produce. I’m talking yellow squash, zucchini, tomatoes, etc. We love it. This is probably my absolute favorite way to cook and eat yellow squash. Since we are grilling all of the time, it is so easy to just throw it in a foil pack and let it cook outside. I won’t lie – my husband cooks it better. He has perfected the temperature and cooking time so it is still a little crispy but cooked just right.

1 small yellow squash, sliced into small slices

1 small zucchini, sliced into small slices
½ onion, sliced into rings or strips
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
½ tsp garlic salt
1 Tbsp olive oil

• Get a long strip of foil, enough that will hold all of the squash.
• In a bowl, combine the squash slices, onion, seasonings and oil. Mix together until all vegetables are coated. Pour the mixture on the foil.
• Gather up to foil sides to make a little packet. Throw the packet on the grill at about 400°F and cook for about 10 minutes.
• You may want to check it periodically to make sure it isn’t burning. Leaving a little opening at the top of your packet will allow some steam to help cook the squash also.