In honor of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, here are some of my favorites–some I’ll be making this year, some I won’t–in hopes you might try them, too.

Brussels Sprouts Lardons

Want your man–or your fam–to eat their greens?  Throw in some bacon!  I’ve been making this recipe for years to rave reviews and plan on bringing it to our family’s Thanksgiving table this year.

Marshmallow Sweet Potatoes

Just like everyone else, I grew up on this sugar-coated vegetable dish and still love it just as much.  For the grown-ups (or health nuts), give this variation a try.

Green Beans

Remember this famous dish with the crunchy onions on top?  Up until a year or so ago, I completely swore by it at Thanksgiving, but now that I’m a bit more grown-up and health-conscious, I’ve begun to look for an alternative.  Last year, I made these balsamic green beans, and then there is always this variation that’s more like the original.

Pumpkin + Cheesecake

I don’t know if cheesecake is a traditional Thanksgiving dessert, but pumpkin sure is!  Obviously, this recreated version of The Cheesecake Factory’s famous dessert caught my eye years ago and I’ve been making it ever since.  I even slashed the butter in half and use low-fat cream cheese and it still comes out well.  I’ll be making this for our feast this year as well.

Cranberry-Ginger Relish

I made this one year and, while it wasn’t the most popular dish, I thoroughly enjoyed it.  It would also work well with a pork tenderloin roast any other time this fall and winter.

I think that’s about it for my favs…  I have my work cut out for me this year; in addition to the brussels sprouts and pumpkin cheesecake above, I’ll also be bringing an apple pie and my husband’s college roommate’s grandmother’s stuffing.  Whew!

 

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Holly R. Layer received a B. A. in Journalism from Penn State and served four years in the U. S. Air Force before deciding to go back to school to become a Registered Dietician.  She loves running, reading, fine stationery, colorful kitchen gadgets and ALL things food-related.  An avid cook and baker, you can find her in the kitchen most days whipping up something yummy.  Too bad her husband, Andrew (an East Aurora native) is the pickiest man alive!  You can find her at www.thefrozenpineapple.com.