By Allison Watling
Thanksgiving is the time of year where you spend time with your family and friends and celebrate the holiday. The holiday at my house consists of cooking all day long, and everyone joining at the dinner table for an afternoon feast. No matter what your day consists of, it's surely going to include some traditional Thanksgiving foods.
Traditional Thanksgiving foods consist of: turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, gravy, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and apple pie. There are some twists on these traditional foods that may be worth a try this year or the next to add a little diversity to your plate.
Why is turkey the main meat for Thanksgiving? In 1621, American colonists hunted wild turkeys and since the bird is native to the Americas, it became the meal of choice for Thanksgiving. Some people deep fry their turkeys, while other people oven bake them. A turkey usually has the flavors of onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and sage. For a twist on this classic main dish, you could replace the turkey with ham. If you don't like turkey or you just don't want it, then try another meat. Ham is a good substitute; you can put all of the same flavors into the ham as you would a turkey.
A very popular side dish is mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes are personally my favorite. Usually mashed potatoes include butter and salt. A twist on this dish that I use every year is making the mashed potatoes into a casserole dish and adding cheese and breadcrumbs. It's an interesting twist on the classic side, providing new flavors and texture to the dish. This side dish recipe is Baked Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese and Bread Crumbs.
A popular vegetable dish for Thanksgiving is green bean casserole. This dish usually consists of green beans in sauce and onions. A twist on this dish could be adding other components into the dish, like bacon and cheddar cheese. This popular dish is made better just by adding two ingredients. This vegetable side dish recipe is Bacon and Cheddar Green Bean Casserole.
And finally for dessert we get to the pies. Traditional pies are amazing to make, but if you are looking for a twist, I would suggest a different dessert, but it still is seasonal. Traditional pumpkin pie is an actual pie with the seasonal flavors. Pumpkin cheesecake is a good Thanksgiving twist because it still offers the seasonal flavors while making it into something new and unique. The cheesecake has a custard-like filling and differs from a pie because it is not topped with a pastry. This dessert recipe is Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake.
So if you want a twist on classic Thanksgiving dishes, then try out these recipe suggestions this year. Good luck with your meal and have a great holiday!
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