It’s almost time for the big day! I don’t know about you, but I have yet to even get my turkey. However, I DO have our menu planned out and it’s almost all from Paleo Plan. That’s not because I’m contractually required to eat mostly Paleo Plan foods (because I’m not); it’s because I think these recipes are delicious.
Amazing. The best.
So unlike last year, we won’t be giving you another downloadable Turkey Day meal plan, but here it is if you want that. It’s pretty handy.
I will tell you what my family and I will be eating, though, in case you’re looking for some Paleo ideas. Here goes!
Turkey and Gravy
There’s no recipe on Paleo Plan for the turkey, although there is one in the meal plan from last year. We’ll just be brining it and smoking it in our giant Traeger. Maybe we’ll slap some bacon on it for good measure. By the way, if you don’t own a smoker, you should. It makes everything taste better.
And the gravy is a recipe from my father-in-law, which is also in the meal plan from last year. Check it out if you want to do something tasty and nutritious with those turkey innards besides give them to your cat.
Sweet Potatoes with Coconut, Pomegranate, and Lime
This dish is sweet without adding any sweetener, which I’m a fan of. The pomegranate seeds provide a little pop of sweetness, the lime makes the flavor more complex, the coconut flakes give it some depth of texture, and the coconut milk makes it creamy and fluffy. Perfect.
Apple Coleslaw
This coleslaw will be a sweet and bitter palate cleanser. It’s an easy-to-eat salad, as opposed to the often bulky kale-leaf salad we usually end up with on Thanksgiving.
Its flavors are mild and pleasant, and it’ll add a bit of crunch to the plate. It’s one of my most favorite recipes on the site.
Steamed Brussels Sprouts with Ginger and Almonds
If we’re going for a rainbow spread on the table, these brussels sprouts will be our dark green.
The ginger and almond sauce makes a savory/sweet contrast with the bitterness of the brussels. We might actually put these in the smoker, too…
Cauliflower Mashers
Since we’ll already be having the sweet potato dish, there’s no need to overflow our glycogen stores by eating carby potatoes, too. I have nothing against potatoes, but a girl needs to keep her figure, especially during the holidays.
Plus we’ll be having dessert…
Paleo Ice Cream
It’s just canned coconut milk, raw honey, and whatever other ingredients you want to add. We’re thinking carob and mint (chopped carob chips and mint extract) for the big day.
You’ll need an ice cream maker, but it’s well worth the investment (around $70).
PaleOMG’s Thanksgiving Pumpkin Cheesecake
Because oh. my. god. It’s cheesecake without cheese.
Thank you, Juli Bauer of www.paleomg.com, for the recipe and this photo. And for potentially changing my life.
That’s it! Ok… we MIGHT also make some cookies. Because when you spend two days cooking, you may as well have some cookies to show for it right? I’m thinking our Grain Free Chocolate Chip Cookies will do the trick, but we’ll see how much we feel like splurging.
What are you having for Thanksgiving?