Thanksgiving Feast Ideas

If you are like most people, planning your Thanksgiving feast can get boring - year after year, with the same ole' food. Why not spice it up a bit and surprise your family by serving at least one new side dish or new dessert this year? 

That is where Suburban Epicurean can help you with some yummy ideas that we have tried and tested in our kitchens and can vouch for! 

We hope you have a WONDERFUL holiday and take time to be thankful for all the blessing we have, no matter how small. 

Aunt Lody's Crockpot Turkey 

This is a great main dish if you don't want to spend a lot of time on making a big turkey. By using a TURKEY BREAST, you get all the lean meat and none of the yucky parts like the neck! 

 Nothing is easier than this recipe - trust us on this. My Aunt Lody made this for years and years and now that she is gone, we keep her memory alive by making this dish year after year!

Recipe here

We highly recommend easy dishes because we understand that being MOM is a hard job! You have to entertain the kids, have the house clean and miraculously put a delicious dish on the table - all at the same time!

Crockpot Cinnamon Almonds

This is one great appetizer to have sitting around on a table or counter for your guests to much on while they wait for the BIG Thanksgiving meal ! BONUS: it will make your house smell Amazeballs.

Recipe here

Roasted Butternut Squash

It's fall and butternut squash is in season.... so ditch the fatty, calorie packed Sweet Potato Casserole and serve something healthy and delicious to your family! 

Recipe here

Fall Kale Salad

Again, ditch the fatty, calorie packed Sweet Potato Casserole and side dishes of the like and serve something healthy and delicious to your family! SERIOUSLY! 

Do you realize that one serving of traditional side dishes have over 500+ calories per serving? 

Now, that really makes you want to serve Fall Kale Salad now - right? It's super yummy, fresh and did we mention healthy? 

Recipe here

Nana's Butterscotch Apple Cake

This was my Nana's recipe. I associate it with Thanksgiving because it was always on the dessert table on Thanksgiving day. This is not as healthy as the above 2 side dishes, but the combination flavors of butterscotch & apple are just perfect. Make this for your dessert table!

Recipe here

Sister Smith's Pumpkin Bread

Last but not least is the Pumpkin Bread - this is a Thanksgiving staple, but why not try a HEALTHY version? This is made with YOGURT instead of oil and is a great appetizer for people to snack on while they are waiting for the meal. 

It's also awesome to eat a slice of pumpkin bread with a cup of coffee after the meal! 

Recipe here

Wishing a very happy holiday to you and yours! 

Thanksgiving Table #1

Setting the table for holidays is almost as important as the meal itself, at least in my opinion. When you sit down to a holiday meal with your friends and loved ones it is a time to let them know you cherish them, and are happy that they have come to celebrate with you and what better way to do that than to make them feel special. You put so much time and effort into making a wonderful meal, don't serve it on flimsy plastic placemats or a paper tablecloth, do it up big, create a beautiful tablescape that they will remember.

Carmelized Brown Sugar Butternut Squash

Find it on Pinterest

Cooks Note: Happy Thanksgiving! If you are anything like me, you know you are having turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes, but what other sides should you make? Should you go with the standard sweet potatoes? Or change it up a bit? I think this is perfect. These have the sweetness of the sweet potatoes, but with a little different look and texture. These are a simple side that won't take too much time to prep so you have more time for the real time sucker, the turkey. GOBBLE GOBBLE!!

Ingredients:

10 Cups Butternut Squash

1/4  Apple Pie Spice

1/4 Brown Sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

6 tsp Butter, melted

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Halve the squash and then halve again and peel skin. Remove the seeds and chop the squash into cubes

3. Place squash cubes on a large baking sheet in a single layer

4. Mix together remaining ingredients and pour over squash and toss, making sure to coat all of the squash evenly

5. Roast at 400 for 35-45 min or until tender, turning every 10-15 min.

Optional: Add chopped pecans during the last 10 minutes of baking if desired.

Super Simple Parmesan Corn

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Cook's Note: If you are in a rush and want a delicious, simple, quick side dish - this is it! 

Sometimes I find it hard to find a yummy, quick side to make to go with my entree at dinner time. I am so focused on making a fabulous main dish, that I forget to make an equally awesome side. Well look no more my friends! I was searching on Pinterest for something quick and easy to make and ran across this GEM of a recipe from Budget Savvy Diva (Love her & her awesome recipes and tips!) I have adapted this recipe only slightly. 

 This is the most SUPER SIMPLE side you will ever make and might I add SUPER DELICIOUS. The entire recipe takes about 5-7 minutes to make and the whole pot was gone before I could even finish my first helping (thanks to my family!)  Next time I make this, I will double the recipe. 

What You Will Need:

1 Bag of Frozen Sweet Corn - 16 oz

3 Tablespoons of Butter

⅓ Cup of Shredded Parmesan Cheese + more for topping

¼ Teaspoon of Garlic Powder

½ Teaspoon of Cracked Black Pepper

¼ Teaspoon of Sea Salt

½ Teaspoon of Paprika

Directions:

Melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Once melted, add bag of frozen corn and stir. Cook for about 5 -7 minutes, stirring often. Next add garlic powder, black pepper, sea salt and paprika until well coated. Turn off the heat and add the Parmesan cheese and stir to mix it in.

Serve and enjoy! 

This "Pinspiration" comes from the Budget Savvy Diva

 Enjoy! 

Thanksgiving Side Dishes

When it comes to Thanksgiving, it can be monotonous with the same side dishes every year. If you are thinking of something new this year - why not "spice it up" with some of our side dish suggestions? We hope you will enjoy.

Just click on each picture to go directly to each yummy recipe.

Fall Kale Salad

Roasted Butternut Squash 

Southern Ambrosia Salad

Homestyle Green Beans & Potatoes

Homestyle Green Beans & Potatoes

Find it On Pinterest

Cook's Note: This is one of the easiest sides you will ever make and a dish that is a staple in the South. There is nothing like yummy green beans and potatoes. This recipe reminds me of my grandmother and well as my Mom

For this recipe -  I threw in some carrots too for good measure. I hope you will enjoy!

What You Will Need: 

1 large can of Green Beans

2-3 Small Russet or White Potatoes (peeled and cubed)

2 Chicken bouillon or Beef bouillon Cubes (your choice)

Sliced carrots (optional)

Cracked Black Pepper to taste

Directions: 

Drain can of green beans and rinse well in a colander. Pour green beans into a large pot and cover with water. Add potatoes, green beans and bouillon cubes. You can also add cracked black pepper to taste (my opinion is that you will not need to add any more salt) Bring to a boil and once water is boiling - cook covered for about 30 minutes.

This "Pinspiration" comes from My family !

Enjoy! 

Super Easy DIY Swiffer Solution

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Note: Buying Swiffer Wet Jet refill solution is EXPENSIVE (upwards of $6+ a bottle these days) and I keep seeing post after post on Pinterest about how to make your own! I kept pinning these posts and finally decided to try it (since that is sort of what our blog is about... testing Pinterest pins so you don't have to!). 

It was SUPER EASY to make my own Swiffer Wet Jet solution, but I have to say that I didn't LOVE the smell of the vinegar for cleaning and even the essential oils didn't hide that terrible vinegar smell. So - I tried it again and added more essential oils to mask the vinegar smell and it was good to go. 

You are saving a TON of money making your own and you can trust that your floors that you walk your precious feet on are super clean and no chemical residue! 

 ~ I used Doterra Essential oils for this because that is all I had and to be honest, Doterra oils are PRECIOUS oils because they are therapeutic grade oils and very expensive. That said, I would not waste them on something like this - just use the more inexpensive drug store brand essential oils, since they are just used in cleaning products! That's just my opinion here! ~

To get off the Swiffer Solution top: use a large good grip set of pliers (as seen in my photo) - otherwise you are screwed because there is no way that sucker is coming off with your hands! Once its' opened - then you are ready to mix! 

What You Will Need: 

Meyer's Clean Day Dish Soap (I used Lavender to add more smell!)

White Distilled Vinegar

Distilled Water

Your favorite smell of Essential Oils

Directions: 

Fill the Swiffer bottle with: 

1/2 full of distilled water

1/2 full of white distilled vinegar

a few drops of the dish soap

a few drops of your favorite essential oils for smell

Now screw the top back on - shake it really good to mix and then put the solution back in your Swiffer Wet Jet Mop and you are ready to clean, 

This "Pinspiration" comes from "Surviving the Stores"

Copy Cat Starbucks Hot Chocolate

 

Find it on Pinterest

 

Cooks Note: It was COLD here in Virginia this weekend. Everyone busted out their big coats and Ugg boots for the chilly winter weather. To me, the end of October marks the official beginning of the Holiday season and what better way to kick it off than a warm and cozy cup of hot chocolate. Try this recipe to keep yourself and your loved ones warm this winter. Happy first weekend of the Holiday Season!

 

Ingredients:

 

2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

2 Tablespoons Sugar

1/4 Cup Water

1 1/2 Cup milk, (I used whole)

1/4 teaspoon of vanilla

 

Directions:

 

Add water, cocoa and sugar in a bowl and heat in the micro for approx. 40 seconds and mix well to create chocolate syrup

 

Add milk and vanilla and stir in well

 

Heat in the microwave about 60 seconds or until hot

 

Serve with whipped cream and mini chocolate chips or marshmallows

 

 

This Pinspiration comes from My Frugal Adventures