Every year the holiday season comes around, I get stressed out over what I’m making this year for Thanksgiving. So, to make it easier for myself, my this year goal is to make simple, healthy recipes for our family’s parties.
So, I dug through our pantry and fridge to see what we already had. (Minimize costs while simplifying healthy recipes is a win in our household!)
Here’s what I already had in my pantry or fridge:
- Almonds
- Sweet potatoes
- Sourdough and baking ingredients
- Einkorn berries
- Kombucha
Once I made a list of what we had at home, I began searching for healthy recipes with these ingredients. Here are the recipes I found…
Cocoa Almonds
I am a sucker for chocolate. Recently, switched out dark chocolate for milk chocolate. Dark chocolate typically has more nutrients in it and less sugar than milk chocolate. Plus, dark chocolate helps with my chocolate and sweet cravings.
Side-note: if you don’t like dark chocolate, I included a recipe below for regular chocolate too.
Apple (Peach) Tart / Spiced Apple and Cranberry Tart
Since I love baking, fruit tarts are one of my favorite goods to make for special events. There is nothing like a fresh tart baked from fresh sourdough and fruit! The best part is that if you find your favorite puff pastry recipe, you can fill it with whatever fruit you have on hand. Also, if you don’t have a sourdough starter, you can still make a puff pastry without it.
Below I listed recipes for a simple apple tart, a puff pastry without sourdough, and a spiced apple and cranberry tart I’m trying out this year using fresh einkorn.
Side-note, if you don’t have time to make a puff pastry, you can buy one from the store. However, keep in mind that store-bought puff pastries don’t taste as good and they have food additives in them.
Einkorn Biscuits
I bought some einkorn several months ago to experiment making bread for friends of mine that are sensitive to gluten. Einkorn is, supposedly, the oldest version of wheat that we have today. So, it may actually be tolerated by those who have trouble with the wheat we have today.
All this to say, I’ve had some einkorn in my freezer that I need to use. So, I found a recipe that can be made dairy-free and free from processed sugar. It’s a perfect recipe for parties with those who have a lot of food sensitivities.
Smashed Sweet Potatoes
These sweet potatoes are a favorite of my family’s and easy to make. No matter what holiday, this recipe is full of flavor and nutrients and have been a hit at every gathering I’ve made them for.
Kombucha
I know not everyone has access to homemade kombucha, but if you do then you know how great of a drink it is for any party. I’ve been making our own kombucha for several months now, and I love how easy it is and how much money you can save by making your own.
This holiday season, I’m changing it up with our kombucha. I’m going to try using cranberries and orange to spice it up a bit. I haven’t done this before, so we’ll see how it goes!
Side-note: if you want to start making your own kombucha, check out this article.
What I’m Making This Year for Thanksgiving
This year for Thanksgiving, I have almost all the bases covered: snacks, side dishes, and drinks. Just add the turkey and it’s a complete meal!
I would love to hear what you’re making for your Thanksgiving parties. Leave me a comment and any links to recipes below so I can check them out!