Thanksgiving is already next week! Can you believe it? We’ve been planning our Thanksgiving menu for weeks now, and we wanted to make sure you’re prepared with the best side dishes you can have. We’ve got everything from stuffing muffins to sweet potato soufflé cups and all the goodness that comes between. And because everyone always has a ton of leftovers (what’s Thanksgiving without leftovers to enjoy the whole weekend?) we’ve also included two of our favorite Thanksgiving leftover recipes that aren’t your plain ol’ turkey sandwich. So make your shopping list right now, and stop by your local Crazy Fresh retailer for all the freshly-cut veggies you’ll need to make these amazing Thanksgiving recipes the whole family will love!
1. Squash Apple Bruschetta
Up first in our list of Thanksgiving favorites is our Butternut Squash Apple Bruschetta recipe. Bruschetta is always a great appetizer, but we’ve put our fall twist on it to make it the star of your pre-Thanksgiving meal.
Start by tossing our precut butternut squash chunks with our seasonal Honeycrisp Apple Salsa with olive oil and the deep flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and all-spice. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes.
Then comes the aromatics. You’re going to sauté garlic cloves (the recipe calls for 4, but we say you can never have too much garlic, so measure with your heart!) with sage leaves. If your kitchen doesn’t smell heavenly after this step, there’s something wrong! Mix this together with your squash and apple mixture, and set aside.
Next, grab a loaf of your favorite bread. We used French bread, but whatever you have on hand that can be cut a little thicker works just fine. Brush them with oil, sprinkle some garlic salt on there (again, measure with your heart) and toast for 4-5 minutes. You’re looking for golden brown, slightly crunchy slices. Some people like their bruschetta extra crispy, and some like it a little softer, so it’s up to you how long you’ll toast it.
The last ingredient you’ll need to mix up is your ricotta cheese. Season it with salt and pepper, then spread it on top of each of your bread slices. Top each slice with your squash and apple mixture, then drizzle with a nice balsamic vinaigrette and fresh sage leaves.
Like we said, this appetizer is going to the be the star that keeps your guests satisfied until the big turkey dinner is ready!
2. Crispy Smashed Brussels Sprouts
Did you know that Brussels sprouts are slowly becoming a new favorite vegetable? There are a million and one ways to make them, whether it’s air frying, roasting, sautéing, deep frying, or in this case, smashing!
Yes, you read that right. We use our freshly-cut Brussels sprouts to create a smashed veggie recipe that’s sure to impress. The best part? It’s SO easy!
First, bring salted water to a boil. Add your Brussels, reduce the heat, and cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Drain them, then plunge the veggies into a bowl full of ice water. This is going to shock the Brussels, allowing them to keep their yummy crunch.
Pat dry, then spread them out on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with some oil, and toss to coat. Now comes the fun part! Take the bottom of a glass, and flatten each one. This is a great way to get some of that pent of stress of the holidays out!
Roast the Brussels for 10 minutes, then flip, sprinkle with Parmesan, lemon zest and some Everything But The Bagel seasoning (because yes, we’re basic). Bake for 5 more minutes, and you’ll have a delicious, cheesy side dish that even the kids table will devour!
3. Parmesan Mashed Spuds
Would it even be Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes? They’re the side that holds the whole Thanksgiving meal together! We know everyone probably already has their favorite mashed potato recipe, but it never hurts to add another one to your arsenal, right?
Our mashed spuds are rich, creamy and full of grated Parmesan cheese. And just like all of our recipes, they’re simple to make. Bring your pot containing your potato chunks to a boil, reduce heat, and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until fork-tender.
Drain, then coarsely mash the potatoes, gradually adding butter, sour cream, cheese, seasonings and warmed milk. Add however much milk you’d like to reach your desired consistency. Stir in chopped parsley, and you’re good to go! We like to enjoy our mashed potatoes with a little turkey gravy and corn, but they’re also mouth-watering just on their own!
4. Bite-Size Stuffing Muffins
Stuffing, also known to some as dressing, is a little more of a controversial side dish. Either you make it on its own or you stuff it inside of the bird. You can make it with or without meat (yes, some make it with sausage for some extra protein) and with or without fruit (we’re looking at your cranberries and apples…). Heck, you can even make it on the stove or in the oven. But our recipe adds another layer of controversy – we make ours as bite-size muffins instead of serving it by the spoonful.
We personal think our stuffing muffins are the perfect way to enjoy this side: they’re perfect for the little hands at the kids table, they are the perfect serving size, and they just look cute! What are your thoughts?
Take your favorite white bread, cut it into cubes, and let them dry out for a couple of days. Then, cook some pancetta until crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Add butter, our precut Stuffing Mix (freshly-cut onions and celery), parsley, sage and poultry seasoning. Let cool, then mix together with your dried bread cubes.
In a separate bowl, combine chicken broth and a beaten egg. Add to the bread mixture, fill an oiled muffin tin with the stuffing mixture and cook for 25 minutes. Like we said, your guests will be impressed with this take on an old favorite!
5. Sweet Potato Soufflé Cups
How cute are these little sweet potato soufflé cups?! Again, a bite-sized recipe that’s perfectly portioned and great for the little ones. This is a mini take on the traditional sweet potato casserole, and don’t you worry, we still include marshmallows in this one, albeit the mini ones.
You’re going to want to purchase two containers of our Sweet Potato Chunks and bake them for about 45 minutes or until fork-tender. Let them cool, then mash until smooth.
Combine your mashed taters with brown sugar, evaporated milk, butter, Crazy Fresh Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice, vanilla, salt, orange zest, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour into a prepared baking dish, and bake about 40-45 minutes.
You may be wondering, “why would I pour it into a baking dish and not the phyllo dough cups I just bought?”, but that comes next. Once your mixture is cooked through, preheat your oven to broil. Scoop out your mixture to fill your phyllo dough cups, then top with mini marshmallows and broil until golden. All we can say is yum!
6. Leftover Thanksgiving Quesadillas
We told you we had a couple non-traditional Thanksgiving leftover recipes, and here’s the first of them – a Leftover Thanksgiving Quesadilla. Tortillas are the perfect vessel for all the goodness of the leftovers, and they’re more tasty than your boring old sandwich. This recipe is also easily customizable – use what you have, add what you like, make it your own!
Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Spread a thin layer of mayo on a tortilla, and place in the hot skillet. If you don’t like mayo (what?!?!) feel free to use ranch or even gravy.
Take 1/2 cup of shredded leftover turkey, and spread evenly on half of the tortilla. Top with 1/2 cup of stuffing and add two ounces of mozzarella. Fold the tortilla onto itself, and cook 2-3 minutes. Flip, and repeat until crispy.
Serve with our Cranberry Salsa and gravy for dipping. Who wouldn’t love having this as a second dinner while watching the game or as lunch on Friday?
7. Thanksgiving Leftovers Pizza
Last, but not least, our Thanksgiving Leftovers Pizza. Now this is what we’re talkin’ about! Who doesn’t love a good pizza, especially when it’s full of the delicious flavors of Thanksgiving?
Pick up a ready-to-bake pizza crust, unless of course you want to make your dough from scratch. But considering the fact you just cooked a huge Thanksgiving dinner, you probably don’t feel like making anything else for awhile, which is completely understandable.
Spread gravy evenly over your pizza crust. Spread diced turkey around the pizza and cover with shredded mozzarella. Spoon small amounts of mashed potatoes and stuffing around the pizza, and drizzle with our Cranberry Salsa.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Again, a way better way to enjoy your Thanksgiving leftovers. Sandwich who?
And there you have it, seven of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes you and yours can enjoy! So which ones will you be trying next week?
