10 Tricks For Changing Up Your Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is typically associated with classic dishes made from recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. While these dishes are traditional for every Thanksgiving table, they can be a bit overdone and boring. Though our traditional Thanksgiving foods were not what the Pilgrims ate at the first Thanksgiving dinner, certain dishes, like cranberry sauce and roasted turkey, have become associated with the holiday.

Crispy bacon adds an unexpected element to any Thanksgiving dinner, and pairs perfectly with classic Thanksgiving dishes. Lay strips of bacon across your roasting turkey to create crunchy "turkey" bacon to serve for Thanksgiving. You can also crumble some bacon bits on top of your mashed potatoes or whip up some bacon gravy.

Click here for the Bacon Wrapped Turkey Recipe.

Mashed potatoes are usually packed with cream and butter, making them a filling and unhealthy side dish. Swap out boring mashed potatoes for cauliflower mashed potatoes this year. The incredibly creamy puréed vegetable is garnished with chives and has a surprisingly sweet aftertaste.

Click here for the Cauliflower Mashed Recipe.

Every year, you plop unappetizing canned cranberry sauce on a plate, and serve it alongside your turkey. This year, make your cranberry sauce from scratch and add other berries, like blueberries and raspberries, for a sweeter, tangier flavor. Add these when the sauce has just finished cooking, so you have big, full berries in your warm cranberry sauce. It's a perfect sweet topping for turkey or some homemade cobbler.

Who doesn't love a crispy, deep-fried turkey leg? This year, cook your turkey this way, which takes about half the time as roasting your turkey, and makes it incredibly juicy.

Click here for the Deep-Fried Turkey Recipe.

While everyone anxiously waits for Thanksgiving dinner, serve something healthy for them to snack on. Replace your calorie-filled spinach dip with a Greek yogurt dip with kale, chard, spinach, and artichokes and serve pumpkin fries instead of French fries while your guests watch the parade.

Click here for the Baby Kale, Chard, Spinach, and Artichoke Dip Recipe.

Green bean casserole usually combines cream of mushroom soup, French fried onions, and green beans. Try changing up this tired recipe by adding in water chestnuts and Cheddar cheese for a creamier, crunchier casserole, or replace it all together with a winter vegetable casserole. 

Click here for the Winter Vegetable Casserole and Herby Stuffing Bites Recipe.

You're usually anxiously waiting for your turkey to be done on Thanksgiving Day, but serving an appetizer allows everyone to start eating before the turkey is ready. Make the dinner last longer, and incorporate more squash into your meal by serving a rich squash soup that everyone will love.

Click here for Acorn Squash Soup with Pistachios, Black Bread, and Apples Recipe.

Baking individual muffin-sized servings of stuffing allows everyone to have his or her own savory side of stuffing for their plate. This also ensures that everyone's stuffing cup will have a crunchy topping, so no one is left with the bottom of the dish's mushy, picked-over stuffing. These look super cute if you dollop some mashed potatoes or cauliflower mashed on top for the "frosting" for these little muffins.

Butternut squash and pumpkin usually make an appearance on your Thanksgiving Day table, but have you considered the possibilities of working with acorn, buttercup, or banana squash? Serve an unexpected side dish, like Agave and Balsamic Glazed and Roasted Buttercup Squash, or Roasted Pink Banana Squash with Farfalle and Wild Mushrooms, to add more colorful vegetables to this holiday dinner.

Making these classic Thanksgiving pies is expected, but there are usually plenty of of leftovers. Combine your sweet potato pie with a can of pumpkin and top it off with pecans for a three-in-one pie! The sweet pumpkin combines perfectly with the creamy sweet potato and crunchy pecans to make this dessert the star of Thanksgiving dinner.