Paleo Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup

(OTHERWISE KNOWN AS MY DREAM HOLIDAY TABLE)

I think that people with common dietetic needs dream of a holiday table full of food they can eat. My family is strictly gluten free. We make an effort to be dairy free as well, but are a little more lenient on that front in social situations. I prefer my family to be free of processed sugar as I can see so plainly how sugar affects our state of well-being. In children, sugar contributes to hyperactivity. In myself, I find that sugar consumption damages my gut health, contributes to afternoon fatigue, and also leads to a foggy, clouded brain. This Paleo Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup is my dream Thanksgiving spread.

Generally, at Thanksgiving, I’m with family who eat a standard American diet, so there are plenty of things on the table that I choose to avoid. This year, I’ve decided to cook a paleo Thanksgiving for my immediate family. It will be early or late, not on the actual day, but it will be good.

(Notes for friends who may be following IBD-AID this holiday season are included in green.)

MY DREAM SPREAD

All of the recipe links in this post are tried and true. They are all favorites of mine. Because I exert too much independence in the kitchen, I often make adaptations to recipes. I’ve included my notes in each description. My photos are real life quick snaps. They’re not the best quality. If you want to see these recipes in all their photogenic glory, click through to each link.

EASY PALEO ROASTED TURKEY

Ironically, the turkey is my least favorite part of a Thanksgiving spread. That said, they’re so much better when made with fresh herbs. Make the investment. It’s worth it. This Easy Paleo Roasted Turkey is where it’s at!

This recipe calls for the use of ghee or a non-dairy butter. If looking for a plant based butter, I like this one. It’s made from coconut oil, cashew milk, sunflower oil, and sea salt. It’s much cleaner than the alternatives that rely on soy products or canola oil.

(IBD-AID: If made with the plant based butter, this recipe is Phase I as longs as you don’t consume any of the onions, celery, or lemons. Dairy butter is discouraged on IBD-AID as it contains large amounts of saturated fat. The cooked turkey will need to be chewed very well in Phase I.)

BUTTERNUT SQUASH PALEO STUFFING WITH APPLES AND CRANBERRIES

This Butternut Squash Paleo Stuffing is my absolute favorite Thanksgiving side. It uses fresh ingredients and is packed full of nutrient density. The flavors blend together so perfectly. It’s the only “stuffing” I put on my dream table. The spices in the sausage and the seasonings as written (rosemary, thyme, and sage) create the essence of a more traditional bread stuffing. I also like to add a bit of poultry seasoning to this recipe. It only increases that “stuffing” flavor. I cannot recommend this one enough. I take it to our family Thanksgiving each year and even the people who eat a standard American diet rave about this one. (It doesn’t replace their traditional stuffing, but is an additional side.)

(IBD-AID: As written, this recipe is Phase III as it includes onions, celery, and cranberries. Pork sausage is also discouraged on IBD-AID as it has a high fat content. If you were to use a chicken or turkey sausage instead of pork and omit the cranberries and celery, you could puree the onion to bring this down to Phase I. It would still have all the flavor of a traditional bread stuffing.)

PALEO GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

This Paleo Green Bean Casserole is traditional Thanksgiving comfort food without the gross additives found in canned cream of mushroom soup. Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup includes canola oil, wheat starch, soy protein, MSG, and the ever mysterious “natural flavoring.” We can do better.

This recipe makes use of fresh green beans. It includes directions to make homemade cream of mushroom soup and even to make gluten free french fried onions. I do make my own soup, but use Aldi’s gluten free french fried onions. They are made from buckwheat and are really quite good. They’re only available in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, so stock up for the year at that time.

Because I like to be creative in the kitchen (and also add diversity to the table), my cream of mushroom soup also has a few parsnips thrown into the mix. I make one other change in that I  use arrowroot rather than the tapioca starch that her recipe calls for. Wether you follow as is or make your own adaptations, this recipe is golden!

(IBD-AID: Without the crispy fried onions, this is probably Phase II. If you were to puree all ingredients or cook the vegetables into a very mushy texture, this could be Phase I. The recommended Aldi French Fried Onions are made with buckwheat, so technically non-compliant. If made from this recipe link, the onions would be compliant to Phase III if you omit the tapioca starch.)

GARLIC SMASHED POTATOES WITH EASY AIOLI

People like to argue about whether potatoes are technically paleo. For the sake of Thanksgiving or any other holiday table, I don’t care. They’re a whole food that can be made in a nutritious manner. I like these Garlic Smashed Potatoes because they bring potatoes to the table in a flavorful way, without the need for dairy. As written, the recipe calls for 3 tbsp of ghee. While ghee (clarified butter) is made from a dairy source, it is considered lactose free. If you’d like to be strictly dairy free, you can sub a good quality olive oil for the ghee.

(IBD-AID: These are non-compliant as potatoes are not included in any phase.)

WARM BRUSSLES SPROUTS-SPINACH SALAD

A standard American Thanksgiving can easily lean toward the side of being very beige. Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing….they’re all in the same color family. I like a Thanksgiving plate to be colorful. This Warm Brussels Sprouts-Spinach Salad really pumps up the green on my dream holiday table. While it calls for Gorgonzola cheese as written, I make this salad without the dairy. It’s still amazing.

(IBD-AID: This salad would be Phase III because of the Brussels sprouts.)

APPLE CRANBERRY SAUCE

I know some people absolutely love the cranberry gel that splats out of a can in the shape of the can. I’m not one of them. I want my cranberries to look like cranberries, not the can they came in. When I make this Apple Cranberry Sauce, I always make sure to purchase fresh organic cranberries. As a crop, cranberries are traditionally sprayed heavily. I squeeze fresh orange juice into this recipe along with the orange zest. I then reduce the water by the amount of juice I collect from the orange.

(IBD-AID: This Apple Cranberry Sauce would be Phase III as cooked cranberries are not introduced until Phase III.)

VEGAN AND PALEO PECAN PIE BARS

Every good Thanksgiving spread includes dessert. My dream table has gluten and dairy free desserts that are also free from processed sugar. These desserts are still plenty sweet. I’ve made these Vegan and Paleo Pecan Pie Bars for several years now. They are excellent and enjoyed by everyone.

I make them as is, except that I prefer baking with chickpea flour over almond flour. I sub out the flours in a one to one ratio and use avocado oil instead of coconut oil. Whether you follow this recipe exactly, or make your own tweaks, I think you will highly enjoy the result.

(IBD-AID: As written, the shortbread crust is compliant to Phase I if you sweeten with honey instead of maple syrup. Some people on IBD-AID choose maple syrup even though it’s not compliant because it’s low FODMAP, and that may suit their personal needs better. The filling is Phase III because of the whole nuts. If you were to blend the pecans into a nut butter, the filling could be considered Phase I.)

GRAIN-FREE PALEO PUMPKIN PIE BARS

Thanksgiving is not complete without some type of pumpkin pie dessert. I like this recipe for Grain-Free Paleo Pumpkin Pie Bars. Again, I prefer to work with chickpea flour over almond flour, so I make that swap, personally. And like the recipe above, I also use avocado oil instead of coconut oil. The swaps are not necessary. They are just my personal preference.

If you’d like to use this filling in a pie form instead of bars, try this gluten free and dairy free pie crust recipe. It uses chickpea flour, which is my favorite flour for crusts and cookies.

(IBD-AID: As written, the crust and filling are compliant to Phase I if you sweeten with honey instead of maple syrup. Some people on IBD-AID choose maple syrup even though it’s not compliant because it’s low FODMAP, and that may suit their personal needs better.)

A HAPPY, HEALTHY TABLE

Whatever you choose to serve at your Thanksgiving table this year, I pray that you and yours enjoy a happy and healthy holiday. I hope that my dream holiday spread has helped you to see that even gluten free, dairy free, and sugar free needs can be met at Thanksgiving or any holiday event.

I also want to thank the creators who made these recipes. Some of these have been staples on my table for years and years. These creators taught me that real food can taste good and provide comfort. Real food is for all people and can be enjoyed by all people.