Last-minute Thanksgiving things

Desserts! Dips! Salads!

Whether you’re a last-minute Thanksgiving planner altogether or you’re still trying to finalize a few menu details, I’m here to help! The last-minute planning and grocery shopping is where I thrive and in fact, I’ll be shopping today for our own meal and starting a few dishes early tomorrow.

This week’s email is all about the foods that sometimes get overlooked. Things like starters and salads and even desserts. I hope this gives you some helpful inspiration as we head into the Thanksgiving hustle!

Desserts

Keto Pumpkin Pie: I don’t think I’ve ever had a Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie (and homemade whipped cream), and my sugar-free/gluten-free version is a recipe you could easily prep today or tomorrow. Tip: have you ever sautéed your pumpkin purée before making the filling? It caramelizes the pumpkin and gives it a rich depth of flavor, a tip I originally discovered via Food52.

Keto Spice Cake with Chai Cream Cheese Frosting: For my non-pumpkin dessert people! This tasty, frosted snacking cake has shreds of zucchini or apple which gives it an extra tender and moist texture. Ground cinnamon and cardamom creates the chai flavor in the cream cheese frosting and it’s overall an easy dessert to prep.

Keto Tiramisu: A non-traditional dessert for Thanksgiving, but I think it’s a treat for any occasion. A creamy mascarpone filling, espresso-soaked sponge cake layers and a generous dusting of cocoa powder. What’s not to love?

Low-carb French Silk Pie: Fluffy, rich and chocolate-y, this is a dreamy pie that’s also entirely dairy optional. You can’t go wrong with a chocolate dessert, right?

Keto Pumpkin Roll: A tender pumpkin cake served jelly roll style, with a swirl of tangy cream cheese frosting. It’s extra soft and packed with pumpkin spice flavor!

Keto Cranberry Curd Bars: A classic cranberry curd tart is one of my favorite holiday desserts and is the inspiration behind these cranberry curd bars. A sweet, tangy, fruity layer of cranberry curd sits on a pecan-shortbread crust. Each bite is a dream!

Salads

Looking for a festive, impressive salad for your table? Here are a few salad recipes that won’t get passed over!

Fall Kale Salad with Pumpkin Maple Vinaigrette: Spiced, roasted vegetables, sturdy kale, creamy goat cheese and crunchy grain-free granola are all tossed in a light pumpkin vinaigrette for an incredible salad combination!

Pomegranate Feta Salad with Roasted Broccolini: This wintry salad combines crisp greens, salty feta, red onion and sweet pomegranate arils with a hearty, roasted broccolini. Top it with a sweet roasted shallot vinaigrette and crunchy pistachios.

Fall Kale Salad and Pomegranate Feta Salad with Roasted Broccolini.

Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Roasted Butternut Squash: You can prep this salad up to a day ahead of time, since the shaved Brussels sprouts won’t lose their freshness. Roasted butternut squash, crisp apple, spiced pepitas (with a bit of cayenne). This is a favorite in our house and it makes a great base for your toppings of choice.

Raspberry, Arugula and Pecan Salad: I recently created this recipe in partnership with FeedFeed and Driscoll’s Berries and it has such good flavors going on! Sweet raspberries, nutty arugula, pecans and blue cheese are topped with with a fresh Raspberry Citrus Poppy Seed dressing. Tip: an easy way to prep/serve/transport a vinaigrette is by putting your ingredients in a mason jar and using a stick blender to blend it all up right in the jar!

Starters

Everyone loves a good starter. Here are a few to help kick off the day of feasting!

Savory Whipped Cottage Cheese Dip: Think of this as a mix between two classics: French Onion dip and Ranch Dip. Whipped cottage cheese is thick and creamy, blended with fresh herbs and topped with crispy fried shallots. Serve it up with fresh-cut veggies or your favorite crackers. It’s also a fun addition to a charcuterie board.

Keto Stuffed Mushrooms with Sausage and Sage: There’s a reason these are my husband’s repeat request every holiday. A creamy filling packed with sausage and savory herbs is stuffed into earthy crimini mushrooms and baked until roasted and bubbly. If there’s one starter you make, let it be this!

Keto Spinach Dip: Okay, maybe try this one too? You can whip it up tonight and wait to bake it until Thanksgiving. It’s cheesy and rich and creamy in the best way, loaded with fresh spinach and seasonings (but also feel free to add extra jalapeños or chopped artichokes). I’m also convinced a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds on top would add a whole other surprising element of yum here.

Looking ahead

What are your plans for leftover turkey? I just made a double batch of my keto chicken soup last night (with extra ginger, turmeric and garlic to help knock out some sickies that have finally caught up with us). It’s a great recipe that works for leftover turkey, too! So does my keto chicken pot pie with biscuits and this Thai red curry soup.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with good food and good company! My sappy, pregnant self is feeling extra grateful this year for all the big and little blessings: we’re celebrating five years of stable disease for Ian and will soon get to welcome our little miracle baby. Family and friends and good health of course all make the “grateful for” list, too.

And then there’s this community and the fact that I get to create recipes that I hope serve you. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being here and providing feedback and cooking/baking alongside me. I appreciate you.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Abby

p.s. if you missed last week’s newsletter all about low-carb Thanksgiving sides, I’m linking it below for you!