Whether you are on a fixed income or not, there are many vegetarian-friendly recipes you can make for this upcoming Thanksgiving.
As someone who grew up a vegetarian and remains one, it is important for me to know many vegetarian dishes to have for the holidays. While vegetarianism has grown in popularity over the years, it wasn't super popular when I was a kid. There were a few vegetarian brands; however, on a fixed income, we weren't able to buy them often. Whether you are on a fixed income or not, there are many vegetarian-friendly recipes you can make for this upcoming Thanksgiving.
Here are five vegetarian-friendly Thanksgiving recipes you should try:
1. Homemade Mashed Potatoes
One vegetarian-friendly recipe you can try this Thanksgiving is homemade mashed potatoes. Box mix or premade mashed potatoes are always convenient, but how about mixing things up this year? Try making your own homemade mashed potatoes from scratch! This can sound like quite the task, yet all the hard work you put into this recipe will pay off in the flavor and texture of the finished recipe.
When you make homemade mashed potatoes, it is important to buy enough potatoes in order for everyone else to be able to try some of your recipe. Depending on how many people will be at your Thanksgiving celebration will determine how many potatoes you will need to purchase. After you have purchased your potatoes, you will have to wash them, dry them, and then bake them. Once they have been cooked thoroughly, you will have to mash them and add in seasonings, butter, and salt.
My mom used to add sour cream and cheese to her homemade mashed potatoes, so that might be an addition you want to include. You can also choose other vegetarian toppings, such as veggie ground, veggie grilled chicken, or beans. Whatever you choose, this recipe will make everyone happy. After all, who doesn't love mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving?
2. Sweet Potato Casserole
A second vegetarian-friendly recipe is sweet potato casserole. My mom made this for my family and me when we were kids, but I never actually tried it until I was a teenager. Once I tried it, I couldn't believe it was a main dish and not an actual dessert! If you have a sweet tooth and enjoy having dessert with dinner, this is definitely a recipe you need to try this Thanksgiving that will be vegetarian-friendly.
The way my mom used to make sweet potato casserole was getting sweet potatoes, cooking them, peeling the skin, mashing them, and then adding in her special ingredients. I'm not sure if all people make their sweet potato casserole the same as my mom did, but she added maple syrup, marshmallows, and pecans. She would mix all these ingredients together and then add extra marshmallows on top before baking. Maybe this is how you have always had sweet potato casserole or maybe this is the perfect dish to try this Thanksgiving.
Even if you don't enjoy having sweets at dinner, you can always make this as a dessert. You can also be unique and creative in how you make this dish as you don't have to add in all the extra sweets if you don't want to. It's your own recipe; feel free to add in or take out what you're not interested in. A simple sweet potato casserole can be made by just using canned yams and raisins and mashing them together before cooking. It doesn't have to be complicated or time-consuming to make these dishes!
3. Homemade Cornbread
A third vegetarian-friendly recipe for this Thanksgiving is homemade cornbread. In the south, cornbread is often served at Thanksgiving. As a kid, I was never a fan of cornbread because it sounded a bit odd. As an adult, I have tried cornbread and still find it to be a bit odd; however, for many people, this is a favorite dish to bring to the Thanksgiving table.
For this recipe, you can either make cornbread from scratch, or you can buy a box of cornbread from the store for a quick recipe. Maybe you are short on time or you don't feel up to making it from scratch—that is completely okay and up to you. You don't have to make everything from scratch in order for it to be good or deemed a "family recipe." My mom would typically make cornbread from a mix she bought at the store because it was easier than having to make it from scratch.
Whether you want to make the cornbread or another bread from scratch is completely up to you. However, if you decide to just buy a mix, don't beat yourself up over it. It is perfectly okay not to make everything from scratch each year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Life happens, and you won't always have the time or energy each year to make every recipe from scratch.
4. Broccoli Casserole
A fourth vegetarian-friendly recipe for Thanksgiving is broccoli casserole. Growing up, my mom used to always make green bean casserole because my dad loved green beans. My sisters and I weren't big fans of green beans. Not many kids are fond of green beans because one, they are green and two, they don't taste the best. Despite not many kids loving green beans, a lot of kids will eat broccoli. Broccoli casserole is a great dish to introduce your family to vegetarian eating at the Thanksgiving table.
To make broccoli casserole, you need to cook the broccoli and mix it with a can of cheddar cheese soup. After you have mixed it, you top the casserole with panko crumbs and shredded cheese. Some families replace the panko crumbs with french fried onions, and that is perfectly okay too. After you have added the topping, you will bake it in the oven for 40-45 minutes.
If you are short on time, you can always microwave the dish. The key is to make sure the broccoli and panko crumbs are absorbing the cheddar cheese soup in order for it to not be too soupy. Nonetheless, this is a great recipe to try this year for Thanksgiving, which is completely vegetarian. If your family doesn't like broccoli, you can try a green bean casserole or try your own unique vegetable casserole.
5. Thanksgiving-themed Desserts
A fifth vegetarian-friendly recipe for Thanksgiving is Thanksgiving-themed desserts. Most people love desserts, and Thanksgiving is known for pumpkin pie and pecan pie. While these pies are great to have for Thanksgiving, there are also other desserts you can make for this holiday. Maybe you are not a pumpkin person or a pecan person and you want to try something different. That is completely understandable and this can be the perfect time to try a new recipe for Thanksgiving dessert.
Maybe cooking some gingerbread cookies, having a flavored pudding, or making your own peanut brittle could be a great idea for you to try this year. Just because pumpkin pie and pecan pie are traditional doesn't mean you have to have it every year. Especially if this is the first Thanksgiving you are hosting at your home, you should be able to pick some new dishes you want to make. If a few family members really want to have pumpkin pie or pecan pie, you can have those too but don't neglect to try a few new recipes if that's what you really want to do to make this year special.
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