Hosting Thanksgiving is no simple feat. If you’ve entertained Thanksgiving meals before, you know that it can take tons of planning. You make your invites, get your RSVP list, reserve your turkey, and plan your décor weeks before (that’s just the beginning!). In the days leading up to the feast, it is all about planning your menu, picking up groceries, and getting down to business in the kitchen. Don’t get us wrong–it’s a joy to plan a Thanksgiving event, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a lot of work. And that’s why Stokes is here to help all the excited hosts out there—whether you are a rookie or a seasonal expert! This week, we’ve got great menu ideas that are sure to wow your guests and help you host the best Thanksgiving yet!
In the mood to stray away from the classic mash, the traditional beans or roasted rainbow carrots? Thanksgiving side dishes should be exceptional, especially plated next to a turkey, and when it makes its big debut, you want to make sure you have the right accompaniments to do it justice! This Thanksgiving, trying something new is in, and we have just the things to impress your guests (and their palates). While your turkey has been slowly roasting to perfection, you have the perfect opportunity to give it the side dishes it deserves. Our recipes are anything but ordinary, and they’ve been devised especially for you by blogger, dietitian and recipe developer Caroline Doucet of the blog Unsweetened Caroline. Her Pumpkin Risotto and Roasted Spiralized Vegetables will play the perfect supporting role to your quintessential main. In addition to being something new and different for you and your guests to try, pumpkin, and the wide variety of vegetables Caroline spiralizes (such as beets, parsnips, rutabaga and squash) are filled with more nutrients, such as fiber, magnesium, potassium and vitamin C, that your classic white potato mash is lacking. So on top of breaking out of our comfort zones, we’re benefiting from these delicious new side dishes. What’s not to love about that? Better tasting and better for you, these recipes will have you well on your way to delicious and nutritious new side dishes for your Thanksgiving meal.
For this recipe, you need a casserole dish—and not just any! Caroline uses the Remy Olivier Oval Cast Iron Casserole for this mouth-watering creation. It’s designed specifically with cast iron to enhance slow-cooking and it ensures even heat distribution to cook your food uniformly. The textured lid allows your meal to remain extremely moist, as well as makes sure flavours are well distributed. For best results, you’ll want to cook with this impeccable and stylish casserole! What’s more, it’s chic enough to bring from the oven to the table (but make sure you have a trivet to absorb the heat and protect your table!) which will thrill the guests who are guaranteed to want seconds.
So, dot the I’s and cross the T’s on your best Thanksgiving menu yet, throw on your apron, and let’s get cooking!
- 1 medium yellow onion , spiralized and chopped
- 1 tbsp salted butter or margarine
- 1 ½ cups Arborio rice
- 5 cups vegetable broth , no added salt
- ½ cup parmesan cheese , grated
- 1 cup pumpkin purée , canned
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 ½ tsp fine grain sea salt (plus more to taste)
- 12 leaves fresh sage
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Pepper , to taste
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Preheat your oven to 350˚
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Heat butter or margarine in a cast-iron casserole over medium heat.
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Spiralize your onion, then roughly chop into small pieces. Add to the cast iron casserole and cook for 5-8 minutes until fragrant, stirring often.
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Stir in your rice and cook for a few seconds before pouring in 4 cups of your vegetable broth.
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Add the cover to the casserole dish and transfer to the oven. Cook for 45 minutes.
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When getting close to the 45 minutes, heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and cook 30 seconds before flipping. Cook for another 30 seconds. The leaves should darken. Set aside.
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When the risotto is done cooking, remove from the oven and stir in the remaining 1 cup of broth, parmesan cheese, pumpkin purée, wine, salt and pepper.
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Stir vigorously for 2-3 minutes until the rice is creamy. Stir over low heat if desired to keep the risotto warm.
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Serve warm and top with crispy sage alongside your favourite Thanksgiving recipes.
- Beets
- Potatoes or sweet potatoes
- Onions
- Carrots
- Parsnips
- Rutabaga
- Squash
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Spiralize your desired vegetables.
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Place on a baking sheet and toss with avocado oil or oil of choice. Sprinkle with salt to taste.
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Roast for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and lightly golden. Roast longer if you want crispier vegetables.
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Serve as a side dish along with the pumpkin risotto. Perfect complements to a turkey dinner!
Here to help you make every mouthful of Thanksgiving a delight,
Caroline is the photographer, writer and recipe developer behind Unsweetened Caroline, a food blog that features healthy, sugar-free recipes. In addition to being sugar-free, most of her recipes are vegetarian and can be made allergy-friendly. She created Unsweetened Caroline when recovering from a sugar addiction, in hopes of inspiring others. When she’s not cooking, she’s either hiking, practicing yoga or dreaming about new recipes.
Caroline is a soon-to-be dietitian living in Saint John, New Brunswick. You can follow her on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or on her blog for more recipes!