Inspire New Recipes for Thanksgiving 2018

Planning a Thanksgiving menu can often be an overwhelming task. We all have our favorite recipes, like mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, homemade rolls, stuffing, pumpkin pie, and, of course, the signature turkey. We prepare these recipes year after year, and that's how they become family traditions.

But it's also fun to shake up your holiday tables with new recipes, with unexpected ingredients, and surprise your family with a little something new. After all, Thanksgiving doesn't have to be associated with pumpkin pie.

Try these five Thanksgiving recipes and you'll be sure to have a very satisfying holiday meal.

Turkey, roasted red potatoes, corn, carrots, and gravy (photo/Kasy Long).

1. Turkey, Roasted Red Potatoes, and Gravy 

I have to start with the basics, right? Turkey is an essential part of any Thanksgiving meal. But, there are ways to add variation to your holiday meal. For example, instead of preparing mashed potatoes, I tried roasted red potatoes. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't miss the mashed potatoes. After all, I'm still eating potatoes, which always makes me happy. Finally, how can you go wrong with gravy? It's often the star of your Thanksgiving meal. It adds more flavor to your turkey. But if you're like me, you might want to pour this gravy recipe onto your potatoes, too. It's that good.

To prepare your Thanksgiving turkey, roast a 6-8 lb. turkey breast in a roasting pan at 350 degrees for approximately three hours, or until the turkey reaches the temperature of 180 degrees.

Turkey with roasted red potatoes and gravy
(photo/Kasy Long).

Then, to prepare the roasted potatoes, cut small red potatoes (approximately a 3 lb. bag) in quarter pieces. Put the potatoes on a 9x13 baking sheet, and lightly coat with olive oil. Then, add parsley, salt, and pepper, and bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are slightly tender.

Finally, to prepare the gravy, you first need your turkey drippings. Strain the drippings and remove the fat. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in 1/4 cup of flour and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about two minutes.

Then, gradually whisk in the turkey drippings (or turkey stock, if you prefer), in a steady stream. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the gravy is reduced to about three cups. This should take about 10 minutes to complete.

Finally, remove the gravy from the heat and serve immediately with your roasted turkey and potatoes. You'll have a delicious, classic Thanksgiving meal.

2. Pineapple Salad 

Pineapple salad is a family tradition in our household. My mom only cooks the dish twice a year--once at Thanksgiving, and the other time at Christmas. It's not that the dish is super complicated to prepare. It's actually very easy to cook, but it's one of those dishes that is best reserved for special occasions.

Pineapple salad (photo/Kasy Long)

If you have never had pineapple salad, you're in for a real treat. It's definitely sweet, but it's not a dessert. The sweet pineapple flavors combine with marshmallows, and it's all mixed together with crunchy saltine crackers. While the dish is called a salad, it's served hot out of the oven.

To prepare this side dish for your Thanksgiving meal, you will need the following ingredients:

• 1 can of crushed pineapple 
• 8 saltine crackers
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup of miniature marshmallows 

To begin, drain the pineapple juice and put the pineapples in a lightly buttered baking dish. Crush the saltine crackers and add them to the pineapples. Stir in the sugar. 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Add the marshmallows on top of the warm salad and bake for approximately five minutes, until the marshmallows are slightly melted. Serve warm from the oven. Your guests will love this simple, yet deliciously sweet, side dish! 

3. Pocketbook Rolls 

These rolls have been a family tradition since my grandma first introduced it. Now, this is her recipe, so I didn't dare change anything about it. After all, you can't change perfection, and these warm homemade dinner rolls are definitely perfect. 

To bake these homemade pocketbook rolls, you will need the following ingredients: 

My grandmother's pocketbook rolls recipe
(photo/Kasy Long).

• 1 package of active dry yeast 
• 1 cup of lukewarm water
• 1/3 cup of melted shortening (Crisco)
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten 
• 4 cups of flour
• 2 teaspoons of salt 

To begin, put the yeast and 1/4 cup of the water in a large mixing bowl. Stir and let stand for five minutes. Then, add the remaining water, shortening, salt, sugar, eggs, and two cups of flour to the bowl. Mix until smooth and add the remaining flour and mix once again. 

Cover and set in a warm place to allow the dough to rise. After the dough has risen, punch it down and remove it from the bowl. Place the dough on a floured bread board and knead for a few minutes.

Then, take half of the dough and roll it out on a floured board once again. Use a biscuit cutter to make rolls into 1/4 inch thickness. Brush the rolls with melted butter, fold in half, and put the rolls on a sprayed cooking sheet, or line the sheet with parchment paper. Repeat with the other half of the dough. 

Bake the rolls for about 10 to 12 minutes at 375 degrees. Yes, this dish requires a bit of work. But trust me, it's well worth it once you bite into those warm, comforting rolls that always seem to remind me why we need bread in our lives. 

4. Roasted Cauliflower 

Roasted cauliflower (photo/Kasy Long)

Again, this is a non-traditional Thanksgiving side dish, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try it. Cauliflower is mild to taste, but with all the right seasonings, it's absolutely delicious. Who knew vegetables could taste so good? Well, with this dish, it's the right amount of crispy on the outside and the perfect amount of tender flavors on the inside. 

To prepare this side dish, you will need the following ingredients: 

• 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 5 tablespoons of butter, melted 
• 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
• 2/3 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated 

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Spray two half-sheet baking pans lightly with olive oil, or line it with parchment paper. Stir in the melted butter and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Then, add the cauliflower florets and toss until each floret is completely coated with butter. Toss in the Parmesan cheese. 

Transfer the florets to the prepared baking sheets and space them evenly apart. You don't want the cauliflowers to steam each other. Bake for about 20 minutes, turning once halfway through. Remove from the oven when they're fork tender and golden brown. Enjoy! 

5. Cinnamon Coffee Cake 

Cinnamon coffee cake (photo/Kasy Long)

I discovered this recipe in Nicole Gulotta's cookbook, Eat This Poem. I featured Gulotta's recipes once before on my blog (her cauliflower soup recipe, for example), and I decided to try a variation of her ginger coffee cake. Now, I'm not a fan of ginger...At all. My tastebuds just don't get along with ginger, but I love cinnamon. So, I decided to change Gulotta's recipe (Sorry, Nicole!), and I made a delicious coffee cake that you will want to devour this Thanksgiving.

If you're a fan of dessert (and who isn't?) and you want to try something different than the traditional pumpkin pie, this recipe is the perfect match for you.

To bake the coffee cake, you will need the following ingredients:

• 1 cup of whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour 
• 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon (but you will need a bit more)
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda 
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups of milk (I used skim milk, but you can use your preference.)
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of butter, room temperature 
• 1/4 cup of granulated sugar 
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar 

Then, for the topping, you will need the following ingredients: 

• 1 cup of whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon 
• 6 tablespoons of butter, melted

To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch round or square cake pan. Then, sift the whole-wheat and all-purpose flours, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda into a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and add two teaspoons of cinnamon. 

Cinnamon coffee cake (photo/Kasy Long)

Place the butter and white and brown sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on high speed for about three minutes, until it's light and creamy. Reduce the mixing speed to low. Add half of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the wet ingredients, and repeat. Mix until everything is incorporated. 

Turn off the mixer and add 1/3 cup of cinnamon (because you can never have too much cinnamon for a cinnamon coffee cake). Mix by hand until everything is well distributed. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it evenly. 

For the topping, add all the ingredients (whole-wheat flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon) except the butter into a small mixing bowl. Slowly pour the melted butter and use a fork to incorporate until large clumps form. No traces of flour should remain. Keep in mind that the topping should look damp but not overly wet. 

Lightly press the topping into the cake to form an even layer. Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top is slightly puffed. Use the toothpick trick (stick a toothpick into the cake) and if the toothpick comes out clean, you're good to go. Eat this warm, delicious dessert after a Thanksgiving feast, and you'll be so happy. 

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(photo/Festival Collections)

Thanksgiving is a time to remember what you're thankful for as you gather with friends and family. Yes, you can enjoy delicious food, especially the recipes provided in this blog post. Yes, I happily encourage you to try something new. You're allowed to change things up and explore new options for the Thanksgiving feast. If you don't want to cook mashed potatoes, try the roasted red potatoes. Or, if you want a sweet side dish, try the pineapple salad. Bake warm, fresh bread and end the feast with dessert (cinnamon coffee cake, pumpkin pie, or whatever your heart desires). 

At the end of the day, Thanksgiving is a time to gather and remember what you're grateful for in your life. I hope all of you have a lovely Thanksgiving. If you prepare any of these dishes, let me see what you're cooking. Tag me on social media on Facebook (@kjlsdiary), Twitter (@kjlwriter), and Instagram (@kjlsdiary). 

Eat delicious food that's good for your soul. 

-KJL-