Thanksgiving Budget Recipes

Find healthy, delicious Thanksgiving recipes on a budget. Healthier recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Slow-Cooker Cassoulet

Rating: Unrated
1
This classic French stew recipe is typically made with a variety of meats and simmered over the course of multiple days. In this easy, streamlined cassoulet, the slow cooker makes it a breeze to have a healthy dinner on the table when you get home.
By Stacy Fraser

Mini Brie & Apple Quiches

Rating: Unrated
2
We love the way Brie and apples taste together in these mini quiches. Mini phyllo cups make it swift and simple to create an elegant appetizer.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Dill Mustard Sauce

Rating: Unrated
1
This tangy mustard-dill sauce recipe is delicious served with smoked salmon, used as a vegetable dip or spread on a sandwich.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Broccoli Casserole

Rating: Unrated
11
The lightened-up luscious sauce elevates this easy casserole recipe over standard broccoli and cheese side dishes.
By Breana Killeen

Creamy Turnip Soup

Rating: Unrated
2
In this recipe, the humble turnip is transformed into a rich turnip soup made creamy with just 1 tablespoon of butter. Serve it as a starter or side soup. The mini salad on top is optional, but we love the bit of texture from the greens and pop of flavor from the vinaigrette.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sauteed Broccoli & Kale with Toasted Garlic Butter

Rating: Unrated
3
In this easy vegetable side dish, broccoli and kale are drizzled with a butter, garlic and crushed red pepper sauce. Serve this healthy recipe alongside roasted chicken, turkey or ham--or on top of your favorite whole grain, such as quinoa or farro.
By Lia Huber

Sautéed Butternut Squash

Sautéeing butternut squash in olive oil quickly yields perfectly cooked results and slighly caramelizes the squash for extra flavor. This recipe makes a delicious vegetable side dish to pair with roasted meats.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Slow-Cooker Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Rating: Unrated
4
Skip the roasting in this butternut squash soup recipe and let your slow cooker do the work instead. Just load up all the ingredients into the crock pot, set it and forget it for an easy, healthy dinner or packable lunches.
By Carolyn Casner

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Onions

Rating: Unrated
6
Fresh herbs, onion and bacon sauté alongside Brussels sprouts in this easy vegetable side dish recipe. This savory dish is delicious in the fall and winter months, when Brussels sprouts are in season. If you can find them still attached to the stalk, don't be intimidated--buy them, as they're likely more fresh. Recipe adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mini New York Cheesecakes

Rating: Unrated
2
These mini cheesecakes aren't just adorable--baked in a muffin tin, they're quicker to make than traditional cheesecake and perfectly portioned.
By Breana Killeen

Lemon Poppy Seed Chiffon Cake

Beating the egg whites separately and then folding them into the batter gives this chiffon cake recipe great height, while the egg yolks make this healthy cake recipe rich and tender. Be sure to use a completely clean bowl and whisk when beating the whites-if the whites come in contact with any fat they won't whip up airy and light.
By Joanne Chang

Chile-Lime Peanuts

Rating: Unrated
3
These spicy nuts were inspired by ones sold by street vendors across Mexico. If you can only find salted peanuts, omit the added salt. Add the maximum amount of cayenne pepper if you want an extra hit of spice.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Inspiration and Ideas

20 Tasty Ways to Use Up Your Leftover Turkey

20 Tasty Ways to Use Up Your Leftover Turkey

Sautéed Leek Mashed Potatoes

Sautéed Leek Mashed Potatoes

In this healthy mashed potato recipe, we flavor the mashed potatoes with leeks lightly sautéed in butter and tangy buttermilk. These mashed potatoes are an amazing side to grilled steak or chicken.
Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes with Spinach

Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes with Spinach

Rating: Unrated
1
Lemon-Cranberry Muffins

Lemon-Cranberry Muffins

Rating: Unrated
7
Parsley Smashed New Potatoes

Parsley Smashed New Potatoes

Rating: Unrated
4
Simple Roast Chicken

Simple Roast Chicken

Rating: Unrated
2

Cauliflower-Broccoli Gratin

Rating: Unrated
1

This creamy broccoli-and-cauliflower casserole is a hassle-free side dish that just about everyone loves. Our healthier version skips the heavy cream and butter found in most recipes--saving about 160 calories and 12 grams of saturated fat compared to a traditional version.

All Thanksgiving Budget Recipes

Layered Mashed Potato & Mushroom Casserole

Rating: Unrated
3
Fancy up regular mashed potatoes with a layer of mushroom duxelle--a sauté of finely chopped mushrooms and shallots. We omitted the traditional butter in the duxelle and added chard for a nutritional boost. Serve this hearty side in place of mashed potatoes at any holiday feast or enjoy it as a vegetarian main dish.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Carrot-Parsnip Gratin

Make this creamy carrot-and-parsnip casserole for your next holiday meal--everyone will beg you for the recipe! Our healthier version skips the heavy cream and butter found in most recipes--saving about 160 calories and 12 grams of saturated fat compared to a traditional version.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cranberry-Apple Smoothie

Rating: Unrated
1
This riff on a classic fruit juice combines sweet apples with tart cranberries for a healthy, fiber-filled smoothie.
By Devon O'Brien

Hasselback Potatoes with Cheese

Hasselback potatoes are the perfect side dish for people who love crispy potato-chip-like slices as well as the tender interior of a baked potato. Simple to prepare, these hasselback potatoes look impressive and decadent with melted Cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of paprika on top.
By Carolyn Casner

Coconut-Dark Chocolate Truffles

Rating: Unrated
4
Coconut macaroons meet dark chocolate truffles in these little treats. Inside the snap of the dark chocolate shell lies the tender coconut-cocoa filling: a mix of naturally sweet dates, cocoa and coconut flour. Coconut flour is a healthy way to add decadent coconut flavor to this coconut-dark chocolate truffle recipe and other baked goods. It packs a whopping 5 grams of fiber per 2 tablespoons (with only 2 grams of total and saturated fat). Look for coconut flour near other gluten-free flours.
By Katie Webster

"Use a Spoon" Chopped Salad

Rating: Unrated
6
When Paul Newman and Michel Nischan opened their Westport, Connecticut, restaurant Dressing Room, Paul's request was that the menu always include a chopped salad that you could eat with a spoon. This chopped salad recipe is full of great flavors, colors and textures, featuring celery, carrots, red pepper, apple, cucumber, greens, cabbage, goat cheese and almonds. This is great for any holiday meal: you can let it stand and it stays crisp.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Wilted Kale with Warm Shallot Dressing

Rating: Unrated
2
Vinegar is the key to making this sautéed kale recipe special. Look for vinegar that's cloudy--it likely still has some of the mother in the bottle and will give you a sweet acidity rather than a harsh bite. Organic apple cider vinegar is usually your best bet. For the most eye-catching version of this side, use different colored varieties of kale.
By Summer Miller

Dried-Fruit Bars

Rating: Unrated
1
Make a batch of these easy homemade dried-fruit bars to tuck into your kid's lunchbox all week.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Bacon Mashed Potatoes

Rating: Unrated
2
Serve these bacon-studded chunky mashed potatoes with grilled steak or chicken.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Broccoli & Goat Cheese Souffle

Rating: Unrated
4
This elegant broccoli and goat cheese soufflé will wow your family and friends. Soufflés are surprisingly easy to make--the only trick is getting them on the table before they deflate. Serve with: A tomato-and-fennel salad and, for dessert, fresh strawberries drizzled with balsamic vinegar.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Scandinavian Pickled Herring Bites

Rating: Unrated
1
This Scandinavian-style appetizer is a good way to try pickled herring if you've never had it. The potent flavor of the herring is balanced by a dollop of sour cream and the potato slice it's served on.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sweet Potato & Turnip Mash with Sage Butter

Rating: Unrated
1
This sweet potato and turnip mash is fragrant with fresh sage.
By Raghavan Iyer

Moroccan Chickpea-Stuffed Acorn Squash

Rating: Unrated
3
Think of this healthy vegetarian side dish recipe as a meatless tagine served in a squash bowl. Kabocha, sweet dumpling or carnival squash make good alternatives to acorn squash. To make this side a hearty vegetarian meal, serve 2 halves each.
By Raghavan Iyer

Loaded Scalloped Potatoes with Bacon, Cheddar & Chives

Rating: Unrated
1
Imagine a loaded baked potato topped with bacon, Cheddar and chives combined with the creamy goodness of scalloped potatoes, and you have the ultimate comfort food casserole. This scalloped potato recipe is made healthier than original versions by using low-fat milk in place of heavy cream, but it still tastes just as rich and creamy.
By Hilary Meyer

Gluten-Free Banana Bread

Rating: Unrated
1
Time to use up those overripe bananas! Turn a classic quick bread gluten-free with this easy recipe. This banana bread is mouthwatering as is, but stir in some walnuts or chocolate chips to take it to the next level.
By Breana Killeen

Two Simple Herb-Roasted Chickens

We've included a basic herb combination in this recipe for roasting two chickens at once, but season your chicken with whatever herbs you like. Though we like to roast two chickens at once, you can also easily halve all the ingredients and just roast one.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Chard & White Beans

Rating: Unrated
11
Acorn squash's natural shape makes it just right for stuffing. This filling has Mediterranean flair: olives, tomato paste, white beans and Parmesan cheese. Serve with: Mixed green salad with radicchio and red onion and crisp white wine, such as Pinot Grigio.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Savory Chestnut Puree

Rating: Unrated
2
Try this easy, elegant chestnut puree with roasted quail, turkey or chicken.
By Virginia Willis

Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

Rating: Unrated
1
If you're looking for a twist on classic scalloped potatoes, this recipe using roasted sweet potatoes and melty Gruyère has all the creaminess of the original with a new flavor twist. The sweet potatoes and lightened sauce--made with flour and low-fat milk--keep it healthier than butter- and cream-laden versions. Don't cut your sweet potatoes too thin--they'll turn mushy under the sauce.
By Hilary Meyer

Orange Spice Molasses Cookies

Rating: Unrated
6
These spiced molasses cookies have added applesauce to help keep the cookies moist, and whole-wheat flour and oats to incorporate whole grains.
By Shyla Huber

Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Frittata

Rating: Unrated
4
A frittata is a baked omelet that requires no flipping. This one features tangy goat cheese and sweet red bell peppers. Make it a Meal: Serve with home fries and a salad of mesclun greens.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Curried Cashews

Rating: Unrated
4
These curried cashews are impossibly addictive--every time we made them in the Test Kitchen they disappeared in a flash. If you use salted cashews, omit the added salt.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Apple Spice Muffins

Rating: Unrated
1
Think of crème fraîche as sour cream's richer, thicker, less-sour sibling. In this healthy muffin recipe, it's the secret ingredient that gives these muffins a light texture and rich flavor. The batter is made with extra spices and tons of sweet fruit, which means you won't notice the minimal amount of white sugar.
By Joanne Chang

Garlic-Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Rating: Unrated
2
Speed up roasting vegetables, like these lemon-and-thyme-infused Brussels sprouts, by cooking them on two large baking sheets instead of just one. This basic roasting technique also works for other root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips and potatoes.
By Hilary Meyer
Load More
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.eatingwell.com