As our bags of Halloween candy get lighter, and as the weather starts getting cooler, every food lover gives thanks for the food-filled holiday ofThanksgiving. For us foodies, Thanksgiving means stuffing our faces with turkey, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, and anything else that is present at the holiday dinner table.
Many would claim that the most important part of any Thanksgiving feast is, of course, the turkey. Turkey is the ultimate symbol of the Thanksgiving season. While many families eat the traditional braised turkey with seasonal vegetables, and others choose to deep fry theirs, or use herb crusts. No matter how their family chooses to eat its turkey, most will agree that the gravy can make or break the meal. Nuts, chicken stock, and turkey fat are among the common ingredients used to make up this special Thanksgiving sauce. However, different families add their own flare to the turkey dressing.
The next ingredient for the perfect Thanksgiving dinner is stuffing. Stuffing can give your dinner extra flavor and spice up your turkey. Any type of stuffing is great, but try something new and add in some peaches, hazelnut, sausage, and herbs, or maybe incorporate cornbread or challah bread instead of the bread you usually use. The stuffing can make your turkey taste unique and memorable.
Sides such as cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes are also important for making your dinner flavorful and special. The sweet taste of cranberry sauce mixes incredibly well with the savory taste of turkey. Combining mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables, and butternut squash flavoring is a delicious and easy way to make your dinner really stand out!
The best way to end the perfect Thanksgiving meal is with anything pumpkin. Drop your pumpkin spice latte for a day, and enjoy the other things pumpkin flavoring has to offer! Your typical pumpkin pie is a Thanksgiving essential. But who says you should stop there? Get creative by making pumpkin crème brulée or pumpkin-flavored chocolate chip cookies.
Sticking to the category of fall’s harvests, we could not leave out one of the most important Thanksgiving delicacies: sweet potatoes. There are countless ways to enjoy this Thanksgiving treat. You can eat them mashed and mixed into your turkey, or even in French fry form. However, arguably, the best way to enjoy sweet potatoes is baked and topped with marshmallows. No matter what manner you choose to eat sweet potatoes, the vegetable is seen as essential at any Thanksgiving feast or dinner.
Whether you are hosting a huge family feast, or eating a smaller dinner at a local restaurant, Thanksgiving dinner is one of the best meals of the year. We tend to think this: don’t feel guilty about eating whatever you want, because calories don’t count on this Thanksgiving!
Getting together with distant family and giving thanks to everything you have is fun and all, but let’s be real here—the best part of Thanksgiving has to be the spectacular food.