Low-carb sides for your Thanksgiving
And make-ahead tips to keep it stress free!
The other day, someone casually mentioned that Thanksgiving is next week and I had to quickly double-check my calendar because, well, how could that be? But yes, there’s just over a week to go until the Marathon Cooking Day of the year, so I figured I’d pop into your inbox now with a few recipes and tips that I hope will come in handy.
This year, my main goal is to simplify. I have come to the realization that as much as my family loves a good Thanksgiving meal (and leftovers even more), I tend to make this more of a production than it needs to be. Thanksgiving, for as long as I can remember, has been my favorite holiday (even as a kid), and it’s important to me that it’s extra special. But this year, I’ll be cooking just for my immediate family who really couldn’t care less if everything is made from scratch or if I used shortcuts or didn’t make every traditional Thanksgiving dish to be expected on the table.
So I’ll be keeping things simple and prepping as much as I can ahead of time in hopes of enjoying our day and not going into early labor. ;)
For the past six years, we’ve done a *mostly* keto Thanksgiving, with a few exceptions based on individual requests/ favorite traditional dishes. As tricky as it felt that first year, it has become something we really enjoy. It also allows any low-carb/keto eaters to feast on the Turkey Day leftovers too, instead of indulging in Thanksgiving foods for one day only (Ian especially appreciates this).
The turkey is always a must for us (I plan on smoking a turkey on our Traeger, similar to this one by Savor the Best, with a few keto modifications). If you prefer ham, I have a sugar-free ham glaze with maple and citrus flavors that’s a breeze to prep, too.
For a non-traditional Thanksgiving meal this year, Citrus Salmon with Créme Fraîche is special enough for the occasion and won’t require your oven for more than 15 minutes. Which means you can give full attention to the real MVPs of the meal: the side dishes.
Sides
The sides are where it’s at. Our low-carb Thanksgiving side menu always includes dishes like mashed cauliflower, sweet potato casserole, keto cornbread stuffing and this keto green bean casserole. There’s usually a salad of some sort, a sugar-free cranberry sauce, and always turkey gravy.
Sweet Potato Casserole
This recipe is so versatile, I’ve included several variations in the post so you can change it up based on specific diet preferences. The recipe is gluten-free/grain-free and dairy optional. It’s also sweetened with golden monk fruit sweetener (Amazon affiliate link) for a healthy, low-carb version of the traditional dish.
If you find that sweet potatoes are too high in carbs/sugar for you, check out my keto-friendly variation in the recipe notes section. It calls for a mix of roasted butternut squash, pumpkin purée and/or roasted cauliflower- the combination, along with the right spices and sweeter, makes a surprisingly delicious faux sweet potato!
Tips for prepping in advance:
Make the entire casserole a day in advance and refrigerate (without the pecan-coconut topping). An hour before baking, let it sit at room temperature. Top it with the crumble just before baking.
Roast the sweet potatoes (or your butternut squash if choosing the keto option) a day ahead of time so they’re ready to mash the next day. This will save you nearly an hour of oven time so it’s definitely worth doing!
Green Bean Casserole
Green bean casserole is one of my favorites, but only when fresh green beans and mushrooms are involved. This keto recipe calls for a homemade sauce made with a combination of cream cheese and almond milk. I omitted the crispy French fried onion topping (but you can certainly use it if you like!) and instead, swapped in a shallot-bacon-walnut mixture that is crunchy and salty and delicious.
Recipe tips and notes for making ahead:
You can make this entire dish a day in advance and simply store the topping separately. Refrigerate it overnight and let it sit at room temperature before baking. (Tip: if you’re making the topping ahead of time, save the bacon grease and use it to cook the green beans and mushrooms to give the dish extra flavor.)
The recipe is easy to break up into three separate steps: cook the veggies, make the cream sauce and prep the topping. Any of these steps can be done separately, up to two days ahead of time.
This dish is naturally gluten free and low carb. For a dairy-free version, use a dairy-free “cream cheese” (I like the ingredients in Kite Hill, which is almond-based).
Roasted Mashed Cauliflower
With lots of roasted garlic, butter and cream, this recipe makes an excellent low-carb substitute for traditional mashed potatoes (and it’s incredible with turkey gravy, too!). I published the recipe last week on the site. It can be made dairy-free with a few swaps, but if you’re looking for a more simplified dairy-free cauli mash, check out this older post that calls for steamed cauliflower + coconut milk.
Recipe tips and notes for making ahead:
If you wish to make the mash a day ahead of time, you can do that, and simply warm it up in a Crockpot on Thanksgiving Day. If your slow cooker has a “keep warm” setting, you’re set. Otherwise, I recommend heating it up on low and keeping an eye on it, adding a splash of broth or cream if you feel it needs it.
You can also roast the garlic and cauliflower a day ahead of time and then re-heat in the microwave or slow cooker before turning it into a mash (the cauliflower should be hot when processing it with the other ingredients).
See the recipe notes section for dairy-free ingredient swaps!
Keto Stuffing
I have two options for a keto stuffing and we like them both equally! One is a more traditional stuffing (you can even use your favorite store-bought keto bread) while the other is a low-carb “cornbread” stuffing that requires a batch of my keto cornbread, which you can make up to three days in advance.
There are slight differences between the two: my keto cornbread dressing is a little sweeter and features prosciutto and fresh herbs. The texture is less “fluffy” and more dense/coarse since it has a cornbread base.
If you make my Easy Keto Stuffing, it has a rich savory flavor, thanks to mushrooms, onions, crumbled sausage and a medley of herbs.
Recipe tips and notes for making ahead:
For the cornbread stuffing recipe, prepare the keto cornbread ahead of time (I recommend doing this anyway so it has time to dry out a little).
If you are gluten free and low carb and wish to use a store-bought bread, keep in mind that many keto breads still contain gluten. Brands like Carbonaut or Base Culture are good options made without gluten/grain.
What are your Thanksgiving side dish must-haves? In the spirit of simplicity, I will likely narrow down our menu a bit and still need to come up with a plan. We’re looking forward to a Friendsgiving celebration this weekend so I’m sure there will be no shortage of Thanksgiving foods and time with friends and family in the coming days- I can’t wait.
Also, I didn’t forget the dessert! I’ll be sending out another email in a few days with some low-carb and keto-friendly dessert ideas for the holiday.
Let me know if you have any questions about specific recipes. You can leave a comment or email me at abby@stemandspoon.com.
Have a great rest of your week!
Abby
I know what you mean by how much of a production Thanksgiving dinner can be. No matter how much we simplify things, it is still a bit of a production at moms house. But then, mom has to have some things a certain way ;)