Thanksgiving dinners are all about mounds of creamy mashed potatoes or cheesy potatoes, stuffing made with cubes of bread and casseroles with crunchy breadcrumb or cracker toppings. Those dishes are Thanksgiving classics after all.
But for many, those traditional Thanksgiving dishes present carb overload and break the carb bank. For most people who follow a low-carb or keto diet — one that aims to reduce refined carbohydrates — Thanksgiving is not a low-carb-friendly meal.
Creamy Keto cauliflower.
But you can reduce the carb load in many traditional dishes, making the meal more manageable.
If you want to try cutting back during the holidays, today’s recipes are our three favorites. While they are not completely free of carbohydrates, they will help get you started.
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: [email protected]. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press.
Cauliflower Mash
Serves: 6-8 / Prep time: 20 minutes / Total time: 45 minutesThis recipe can be made at least 2 hours or longer in advance and reheated.
1 large head cauliflower, core removed and broken into florets
¾ to 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
⅓ cup heavy whipping cream or half-and-half
3 tablespoons butter, divided
½ teaspoon garlic powder or to taste
Salt and black pepper to taste
Fresh sliced chives or green onions
Place 2 inches of water into a large pot fitted with a vegetable steamer. Add cauliflower florets and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, cover and cook 10 to 12 minutes or until cauliflower is soft. Drain. When cauliflower is cool enough to handle, wrap cauliflower in a clean tea (or non-terrycloth) dish towel. Squeeze the cauliflower in the towel to rid of as much moisture as possible. Transfer to a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until cauliflower is smooth. Or mash until desired consistency. Stir in the whipping cream, 2 tablespoons butter, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in ¾ cup cheese, cream, butter and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl. If desired, sprinkle the top with the remaining ¼ cup cheese, top with a pat of butter and sprinkle with chives.
Adapted from several recipes.
Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.
Kale, fennel and butternut squash salad.
Kale and Shaved Butternut Squash Salad
Serves: 8 / Prep time: 20 minutes / Total time: 30 minutesThis salad can be made and dressed at least 2 hours in advance.
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, shredded or shaved using a vegetable peeler
2 small bunches curly kale, washed, patted dry, torn into bite size pieces (about 6 cups)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
⅓ cup toasted walnuts
⅓ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, minced fine
1 teaspoon (or to taste) Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a large bowl, toss the squash, kale, red onion and walnuts. In a small bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and garlic. Season with salt and black pepper. Toss to coat again. Serve.
Adapted from Food Network magazine, November 2018 issue.
Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.
Cauliflower Stuffing with Sage and Italian Sausage
You can cut the carbs in many traditional Thanksgiving recipes.
Serves: 8 / Prep time: 20 minutes / Total time: 45 minutes
1 pound favorite Italian sausage (mild or hot)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup thinly sliced celery
2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
1 large head cauliflower (cut into small florets), about 6 cups
½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon rubbed sage or more to taste
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. If the sausage is in a casing, remove the casing. Add the sausage to the skillet and cook until browned. Remove sausage from skillet and set aside. Add the onion, celery and garlic to the skillet and cook until tender. Stir in the cauliflower and saute until it’s tender. Season with the poultry seasoning and sage. Return the sausage to the skillet and saute until it’s cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
From and tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.
Pumpkin Pie with Almond Flour Crust
Pumpkin pie with almond crust.
Serves: 8 / Prep time: 30 minutes / Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
CRUST
2 cups blanched almond flour
¼ teaspoon sea or kosher salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons well-chilled unsalted butter cut into pieces
1 egg
FILLING
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
¾ teaspoon stevia (about 1 small packet) concentrated powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 egg yolks
1 large egg
⅔ cup heavy whipping cream
To make crust: Butter a 9-inch pie plate and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Place the flour, baking soda, butter and salt in a food processor and pulse several times.Add the egg. Pulse until the mixture forms a ball.Press (this is a wet dough and doesn’t roll out) the dough evenly into a 9-inch pie dish. Work it all the way up the sides and flute to create a decorative edge. With a fork, prick the crust several times over the bottom and sides, then line with foil and add pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights. Bake another 10 minutes or until the bottom is just dry. Remove from oven while preparing the filling.
To make the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, stevia, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Whisk in the egg yolks, egg and heavy whipping cream. Spoon filling into prepared crust. Bake about 30 minutes or until filling is set. If fluted edges brown to quickly, wrap with foil. Remove from oven and cool. Serve pie with a dollop of whipped cream if desired. Adapted from several recipes.
Adapted from several recipes.
Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Keto Thanksgiving: 4 low-carb recipes for classic side dishes
