A Grateful Meal

Thanksgiving

Pumpkin Spice Margarita

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This Pumpkin Spice Margarita is the perfect drink for holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving or any crisp fall day!

I know that liking anything pumpkin spice-related is very basic, cliché, or whatever. But, I do not care one bit. I like what I like, and based on the fact that you are reading this, I think you agree too.

Two glasses of pumpkin spice margaritas with an orange kitchen towel, sliced oranges, a lit candle, and cinnamon sticks next to it. The background is white and there is a tequila bottle in the light gray background.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Spice Margarita

  • Pumpkin puree: I always go with just the plain canned kind. Just make sure you’re getting the 100% pure pumpkin. Libby’s is a go-to brand.
  • Orange juice: I love the taste of oranges with winter squashes like pumpkin or butternut squash, so it’s a perfect choice as a mixer in this margarita.
  • Orange liqueur: There are many types of orange liquors. Some of the most popular orange liqueurs are Grand Marnier and Cointreau.
  • Tequila: I used silver tequila for this recipe. I tend to stick to silver tequilas when I make margaritas. It’s a personal preference, but go with what you like.
  • Ground cinnamon and sugar: There is no added sugar in the actual margarita, but the cinnamon-sugar rim is the perfect hint of sweetness that makes the drink taste well balanced.
  • Garnishes – orange peel or cinnamon stick: Garnishes are always optional, but they make a drink feel extra special even if it is a regular weekday evening.

How to Make a Pumpkin Spice Margarita

First, you’ll wet the rim of the glass with either water or the juicy side of an orange wedge and roll the rim in the ground cinnamon and sugar. You can add ice to the glass if you want it on the rocks, as I did, but you can also serve it straight up. All of the rest of the ingredients except for the garnishes are added to a cocktail shaker with ice. After shaking well, you strain into the cinnamon-sugar rimmed glass. Top with your favorite garnish, and you are good to go.

An overview of the pumpkin spice margaritas in two glasses with a cinnamon sugar rim. There are whole cinnamon sticks, slice oranges, and orange kitchen towel, and springs of rosemary in a white cup - all on a gray background.

How to Serve for a Halloween or Thanksgiving Margarita

This Pumpkin Spice Margarita is so incredibly perfect for the fall holidays – Halloween and Thanksgiving. For Thanksgiving, I usually break out the cocktails while I cook and prep – it makes it a lot more fun. Although be careful you don’t have a kitchen accident because you imbibed a bit too much. I typically go with wine with the actual Thanksgiving dinner,  but this cocktail would be excellent with the meal as well. The recipe can easily be multiplied and put into a pitcher if you have a crowd of people.

For Halloween, since I’m childfree, I tend to enjoy Halloween sitting on my porch passing out candy while drinking a cocktail – and this one would be an excellent option for that. It’s usually still pretty hot outside in the south for Halloween, so I tend to like nice icy and festive drinks instead of warm or hot drinks. But if you’re located in a colder climate, you might want to check out my spiked Apple Cider Hot Toddy. It’ll definitely keep you warm. Fun fact – two years ago, my friends and I passed out candy to the kids and a cocktail to all the parents. It was a super simple one with just juice and vodka. Needless to say, we were pretty popular that night. We had a few repeat trick-or-treaters on the count of parents wanting more of their “treat.” It was really fun and a great way to strike up a conversation with new people.

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Pumpkin Spice Margarita

An close up of the pumpkin spice margarita that has a orange peel and whole cinnamon stick on top. The margaritas have a cinnamon sugar rim. There are whole cinnamon sticks, slice oranges, and orange kitchen towel, and springs of rosemary in a white cup.
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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

This Pumpkin Spice Margarita is the perfect drink for holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving or any crisp fall day!

  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 min
  • Cook Time: 0 min
  • Total Time: 5 min
  • Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
  • Category: cocktails
  • Method: Mixing

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tbsp. pumpkin puree
  • 3 oz. of  orange juice
  • 1 oz. orange liqueur
  • 2 oz. of tequila
  • Ground cinnamon and sugar, to taste for the rim
  • Orange peel and/or cinnamon sticks for garnish

Instructions

  1. For the cinnamon-sugar rim, add your desired amount of ground cinnamon and sugar to a small plate. Wet the rim of the glass with water or the fleshy part of a citrus wedge, if available. Roll the rim in the cinnamon and sugar on the plate. Fill the glass with ice if you want the margarita on the rocks.
  2. Add the pumpkin puree, orange juice, orange liqueur, and tequila with some ice to a cocktail shaker. Pour the margarita mix into the glass and top with an orange peel or cinnamon stick (if using garnishes).

Keywords: Pumpkin spice margarita, thanksgiving margarita

Apple Cider Hot Toddy

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This apple cider hot toddy will warm you up during the cold fall and winter months. Made with honey, apple cider, cinnamon, and bourbon, it tastes just as good as it feels to cozy up with a hot toddy.

‘Tis the season for warm beverages. Hot tea, coffee, cocoa, I just can’t get enough. I also like to make a nice hot toddy when I need something extra cozy and boozy.

My fall allergies were flaring up last week, so I thought an apple cider hot toddy sounded really good. Obviously, it didn’t clear up my allergies (I’ll leave that to my Allegra), but it tasted and felt so good. I love a good hot toddy, not only when I’m feeling poorly, but it makes a great festive cocktail. The first time I had a hot toddy was a few years ago at Thanksgiving. My brother made a round of hot toddies that evening to sip on while watching rest of the Thanksgiving football games.

Overview of two apple cider hot toddy with a pot of honey with a spoon and towel on the side on a white countertop.

What is a Hot Toddy?

Hot toddies have been around for centuries. They’re usually drunk as nightcaps on cold evenings or when someone is feeling under the weather. They’re typically made from whiskey, hot water, and honey as a basic recipe, but I’ve seen variations using apple cider (like mine) or even tea as well.

Overview of a apple cider hot toddy with an apple slice and cinnamon stick on a white countertop.

Does a Hot Toddy Help with Cold-like Symptoms?

There’s no clinical evidence that hot toddies will cure or shorten the common cold or other ailments. There is potential harm in mixing alcohol with certain medications, including those used for cold and flu symptoms. So always check with your doctor or pharmacist before drinking alcohol while on medication. Antidotally, they soothe my symptoms (which could be a placebo), but so do most warm beverages when I’m feeling under the weather. If you have a healthy relationship with alcohol and you’re not taking medications that could interfere, then you do you.

Ingredients for the Apple Cider Hot Toddy

Apple cider: Apple cider screams fall and winter, so it’s natural to use to sweeten this hot toddy.   

Honey: While you could use other sweeteners, there is a tiny amount of evidence that honey may suppress a cough. It is also traditional for a hot toddy recipe to use honey.    

Bourbon: There are other whiskey types you could use, but I’m a little partial to bourbon. My favorite bourbon is from my favorite local Charleston distilleries – Cannon and High Wire.  

Cinnamon stick: I like using a cinnamon stick because the bourbon and hot liquid will extract the flavor without overpowering the drink. I wouldn’t use ground cinnamon because it would be too much, and it won’t dissolve very well. You can find cinnamon sticks just about everywhere, but you can also get them on Amazon.

Two apple cider hot toddies with a pot of honey and spoon on the side with a tea towel on a white countertop.

How to Make Hot Toddy with Apple Cider

It’s a simple recipe. You’ll need to heat your apple cider on the stovetop or in the microwave. It needs to be hot enough to dissolve honey. After the cider is hot, you can add the honey and pour it into a mug or heatproof cup (one that you won’t burn your fingers when you try to hold it). Then you’ll add the bourbon, cinnamon stick and fill the remainder of the cup with hot water. After stirring, I added a slice of apple, but that’s optional for aesthetics mostly.

Obviously, you’ll need to cozy up under a blanket and maybe even by the fireside for the complete aesthetic. 😊

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Apple Cider Hot Toddy

Apple cider hot toddy with a slice of apple and cinnamon stick with a towel and little jar of honey on the side with a yellow spoon on the side. In the background is another cocktail and sliced apples with a knife on the side.
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  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 serving 1x
  • Category: cocktail

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup apple cider
  • 2 tsp. honey
  • 1 – 1 ½ ounce of bourbon
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • ¼ – ½ c hot water
  • Apple slices, optional

Instructions

1. Heat apple cider on the stovetop or in the microwave to the desired temperature (should be hot enough to dissolve honey). Add honey to apple cider and stir until honey is dissolved.

2. Pour honey cider mixture into a mug or heatproof cup. Add bourbon, cinnamon stick, and fill the remainder of the cup with hot water (about ¼ -½ cup). Top with an apple slice if using. Stir and serve immediately. 

Keywords: cocktail, hot toddy, bourbon, honey, drink

Red Skin Mashed Potatoes

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These red skin mashed potatoes are exactly what you want – creamy, but just the right amount of texture and flavor from the skins. They are a great option for any night of the week or your holiday meals at Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Where I grew up, it was a “meat and potatoes” kind of place. Potatoes were usually in the form of mashed potatoes, so mashed potatoes are definitely a nostalgic comfort food for me. I typically like them silky smooth, but I like keeping the skins on when I use red skin potatoes. It gives a little extra texture and flavor to the potatoes.

Over the years, I’ve tried to flavor my mashed potatoes with lots of different things, herbs, garlic, cheese, sour cream, you name it. Adding all of those things are great, but sometimes they can be a little too much. Don’t get me wrong, I love garlic-y mashed potatoes, but have you ever had mashed potatoes where they went a little overboard? Not pleasant. Instead, I like to infuse my mashed potatoes with herbs and garlic. Sounds fancy, but it’s so easy and doesn’t take up any additional time because the infusion happens while the potatoes are boiled. Read on for more and how to make these infused mashed potatoes.

Whole red skin potatoes ready to be made into red skin mashed potatoes on a white surface with a blue and white tea towel

How to Make Red Skin Mashed Potatoes (with Infused Herbs and Garlic)

I’m not particularly eager to fuss with chopping up the potatoes before boiling, so I put in the potatoes in the water whole. Chopping them will cut down on boiling time, but you’re also spending more time chopping potatoes – so I’m not sure which is really faster. Anyway, while your potatoes are boiling, you’ll melt butter and milk on low heat and add a couple of smashed garlic cloves and herbs to the pot. You’ll let that mixture heat on low while the potatoes cook. When your potatoes are drained and ready to mash, you’ll simply strain the milk and butter mixture from the garlic and herbs. All the flavor is locked into milk and butter without being too overpowering. You’ll add some salt and pepper and then mash those potatoes!

Close up of red skin mashed potatoes with a pat of melting butter and sprig of rosemary on top.

Ingredients

Red skin potatoes: You can use other types of potatoes, but if you’re not going to peel them, I would only recommend potatoes with thin skins like red skin potatoes.

Butter: Butter is always best with mashed potatoes. If you’re vegan or plant-based, you could use a vegan butter spread instead.  

Milk: Use whole or 2% for the best flavor. If you want to use plant-based milk, I would use one with a little bit of fat like coconut but make sure it’s plain or unflavored and not vanilla. I’m sure vanilla flavored mashed potatoes wouldn’t taste great.

Garlic: You will be straining the garlic out, so just smash a couple of cloves, so they’re broken up a bit and throw them in large pieces or chunks, so they strain easily (plus that’s less chopping!)

Herbs: My go-to herbs are fresh rosemary and sage. Don’t bother mincing them. I wouldn’t recommend dried herbs, but you could use fresh thyme as well.  

Salt and pepper: I usually salt the water that the potatoes boil in, and then I season with salt and pepper when I go to mash the potatoes.  

Overview of red skin mashed potatoes with a pat of melting butter, sprig of rosemary, and a serving spoon on top on a white surface with a gray towel.

Make-Ahead Tips for Mashed Potatoes

If you want to make these mashed potatoes in advance of a big dinner or holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas, you can make this recipe a day or two ahead, refrigerate, and reheat just before serving. To ensure that you don’t dry them out, you’ll put a non-plastic bowl (I use a stainless steel bowl) of the potatoes over a pot of simmering water (double boiler style) and stir them occasionally until they’re reheated. If they begin to look a little dry, add in more milk as needed until they’re silky smooth again.

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Red Skin Mashed Potatoes

Overview of red skin mashed potatoes with a pat of melting butter and sprig of rosemary on top on a white surface.
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  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
  • Category: side dish, vegetable

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ lbs. red skin potatoes, washed and scrubbed
  • ½ stick of butter (4 tbsp.)
  • ½ cup of milk
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 1 spring of fresh rosemary
  • 5–10 leaves of fresh sage
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Additional butter and herbs for garnish and topping (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by at least 1″. Add salt to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender about 25-30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, heat butter, milk, garlic, and herbs in a small pot over low-medium heat. Once butter melted, turn the heat down to the lowest setting, and allow the mixture to sit while potatoes cook.
  3. Drain and mash potatoes while still hot. Strain the garlic and herbs out of the hot milk mixture. Add mixture to the potatoes, whipping with an electric mixer, or using hand masher until potatoes smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Serve immediately, or make ahead (see notes)

Notes

Reheating instructions:

To make ahead, then reheat, place potatoes in a heat-proof bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When ready to reheat, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water on the stovetop, stirring occasionally. If potatoes look dry, add more milk (about 1/2 cup or more) as needed until silky and warm.

Keywords: side dish, vegetable, mashed potatoes, dinner, Thanksgiving, Christmas

Best Ever Cranberry Sauce

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This cranberry sauce is THE best ever cranberry sauce. This sweet and tart sauce is made extra special with cinnamon and oranges but comes together in less than 20 minutes. It can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen for later.

In general, I love just about anything cranberry. I grew up with canned cranberry sauce at holiday celebrations. It might be an unpopular opinion, but I still like that jellied cranberry sauce. But when I got older, I started experimenting with making my own. I’ve tried all sorts of cranberry recipes over the years, but this one is the one that I come back to year after year. Not only is it easy, but with hints of orange and cinnamon – it’s the holiday season in a bowl. I usually make it for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. And, you can totally make this ahead of time. It keeps very well in the fridge or freezer.

Close up of the best ever cranberry sauce with orange zest on a white background with a blue spoon.

Ingredients for the Best Ever Cranberry Sauce

Orange zest and juice: While zesting the orange might not seem like a super important step, don’t skip it! The zest gives far more of a citrusy scent (which impacts our taste) than the juice alone.

Brown sugar: You can use any sugar you like, or even honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar would be fine. I like brown sugar because it has a molasses flavor. Maple syrup would also give a similar flavor.

Cinnamon stick: You can find cinnamon sticks just about anywhere nowadays – even Walmart. You’ll use the stick to infuse a light cinnamon flavor and then remove it from the sauce after it is done cooking. Ground cinnamon would be too potent.

Fresh cranberries: I love fresh cranberries; they’re so pretty. They’re also very easy to find. One bag is all you need for most gatherings, but if your family is cranberry crazy, you might want to double the recipe and get two bags. 

How long does cranberry sauce last in the fridge? And, can you freeze cranberry sauce?

It lasts for 10-14 days in the fridge, so you can totally make this the week ahead and have one less thing to worry about on the day of the holiday. For freezing, it can last up to a year in the freezer. Like any frozen food, it tastes best if used within a few months (less potential for freezer burn), so you can totally make a double batch the week before Thanksgiving and keep half for Thanksgiving and freeze the rest for Christmas. To thaw, I would pull it out of the freezer and thaw in the fridge for about 2-3 days before the big day.

The best ever cranberry sauce in a white bowl on a white background with fresh cranberries scattered next to it.

Leftover Cranberry Sauce Recipes and Ideas

If you end up with any leftover of this best ever cranberry sauce, I’ve rounded up a few recipes and ideas to use up the rest of the cranberry sauce – whether you use homemade or not. I’ve included a recipe of mine, but I’ve added a few links to a few of my fellow dietitians’ recipes.

Spicy Cranberry Shrimp is a recipe that uses leftover cranberry sauce and kicks it up a notch with jalapeno to make a marinade for shrimp. The shrimp can be used as an appetizer or entrée. It’s perfect for a holiday gathering or Feast of the Fishes on Christmas Eve.

Cranberry Goat Cheese Flatbread with Thyme can be used as an appetizer or main entrée. Plus, it only uses five ingredients!

Cranberry Orange Cornbread Trifle can be used to use up leftover cranberry sauce AND leftover cornbread. It makes for a great breakfast OR dessert! Win, win!

Cranberry-Orange Cheesecake Cups are a simple and delicious holiday dessert. Cranberry sauce, layered with a graham cracker crust and cream cheese? Yes, please.

Cranberry Chia Overnight Oats  –  I love incorporating leftover cranberry sauce in my breakfast, and these overnight oats are the perfect vehicle.

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Best Ever Cranberry Sauce

Close up of the best ever cranberry sauce with orange zest on a white background with a blue spoon.
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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: about 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Sauces

Ingredients

Scale
  • zest of 1 large orange
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 bag (12 oz.) fresh cranberries

Instructions

  1. Heat orange zest, juice, brown sugar, and cinnamon stick over medium-high heat in a saucepan until sugar dissolves.
  2. Add in cranberries and simmer for about 15 minutes or until most of the cranberries have popped and sauce is thickened. Cool and serve or keep in the fridge for up to 14 days.

Keywords: Thanksgiving, sauces, cranberry, orange, cinnamon

Turkey Taco Bowl

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This Turkey Taco Bowl is a super easy dinner and does well for meal prep. You can also swap the ground turkey for leftover turkey meat from Thanksgiving dinner.  

Who doesn’t love a good taco bowl? Filled to the brim with warm rice and beans, savory meat, spicy condiments, and creamy toppings, it’s one of my favorite meals. It’s also one of the best comfort foods and so easy to make. This recipe uses ground turkey, which is flavored with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. You can also adapt this recipe to use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving when you’re feeling tired of leftovers. Of course, this works for any type of ground meat or meat substitute as well.

Close up of the turkey taco bowl with avocado, corn, black beans, tomatoes and sour cream

Ingredients

Rice: You can use any rice you like, but to make this recipe even faster – you can use instant rice (brown or white). It’s just rice that is parboiled, so it cooks faster (usually within 10 minutes) on the stovetop.  

Lime juice: You’ll use some of the juice to season the cilantro-lime rice, and you’ll use the remaining juice to season the turkey.

Cilantro: This gives the rice and the turkey a nice fresh taste that goes perfectly with the lime juice.  

Turkey: This recipe calls for ground turkey, but you can also use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving to give leftovers new life. Of course, you could try other ground meat or meat alternatives instead, if you prefer.  

Chipotles in adobo sauce: Chipotle peppers are smoked jalapenos in a richly flavored adobo sauce. These come in a can in the Latin section of the grocery store. You’ll use one pepper from the can as well as a tablespoon of the sauce itself.

Seasonings: This recipe uses garlic cloves, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt/pepper. All of which are the basis of many Latin/Mexican-inspired dishes.

Toppings: Use whatever toppings you like. Some of my favorites are black beans, corn, cheese, sour cream, jarred salsa, avocado or guacamole, fresh tomatoes and/or peppers, and extra limes for squeezing on top of the bowl.

Close up of the turkey taco bowl with avocado, corn, black beans, tomatoes and sour cream

How to Make Turkey Taco Bowls

Once you have your rice cooked according to its package’s instructions, you’ll season it with lime and cilantro. To cook the meat, you’ll start by sauteing the garlic and the chipotle pepper in its adobo sauce. You’ll then add your ground turkey to cook and break it up with a spoon until it’s thoroughly cooked. If you’re using already cooked leftover turkey meat, you’ll just need to cook it long until to become warm. The meat is also seasoned with garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano while it cooks. Once it’s done, you’ll squeeze the rest of the lime juice on top. After layering the rice in the bowl with the meat on top, you’ll layer on any toppings you want to use. And that’s it – you have a Turkey Taco Bowl!

How to Meal Prep a Turkey Taco Bowl

If you’re using this recipe for meal prep, I would layer the rice, turkey, black beans, corn, or anything you would want to reheat up in the bowl when the time comes. I would put any dairy (like cheese or sour cream), avocado (or guacamole), jarred salsa, fresh tomatoes, and extra limes in a separate container to be added to the taco bowl once it’s reheated. Of course, you’ll store everything in the fridge until you’re ready to reheat.

overview of turkey taco bowl with tomatoes, cilantro and avocado on the side on a white background.
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Turkey Taco Bowl

overview of turkey taco bowl with tomatoes, cilantro and avocado on the side on a white background.
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  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
  • Total Time: 25-35 minutes
  • Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
  • Category: meal prep, dinner, lunch

Ingredients

Scale
  • Cilantro Lime Rice
    • 1 cup of rice
    • Juice of 1 lime
    • Handful of cilantro chopped
  • Chipotle Turkey
    • 1 tbsp. olive oil
    • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
    • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, chopped
    • 1 tbsp. adobo sauce (from the can of chipotles)
    • 1 lb. of ground turkey (or leftover turkey meat, chopped)
    • 2 tsp. chili powder
    • 1 tsp. cumin
    • ½ tsp. dried oregano
    • Salt/pepper, to taste
    • Juice of half a lime
  • Toppings of your choice like black beans (drained and rinsed), corn (drained and rinsed), cheese, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), jarred salsa, avocado, fresh tomatoes, and extra limes

Instructions

  1. Make rice according to packages instructions. Once the rice is done, squeeze the juice of half of a lime and fold in cilantro. Set aside.
  2. While rice is cooking, heat olive oil over medium-high heat, add garlic, chipotle pepper, and adobo sauce. Saute for about 1 minute. Add ground turkey (or leftover turkey meat) and season with chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt/pepper. Sauté until ground turkey is cooked through (breaking it up as it cooks), or the leftover turkey meat is warmed. Squeeze the remaining half of lime juice over the meat and remove from heat.
  3. Layer a bowl with rice, meat, and toppings. Serve.

Notes

If you’re using this recipe for meal prep, I would layer the rice, turkey, black beans, corn, or anything you would want to reheat up in the bowl when the time comes. I would put any dairy (like cheese or sour cream), avocado (or guacamole), jarred salsa, fresh tomatoes, and extra limes in a separate container to be added to the taco bowl once it’s reheated. Of course, you’ll store everything in the fridge until you’re ready to reheat.

Keywords: thanksgiving leftovers, turkey, chipotle, taco bowl

Smashed Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze, Pepitas, and Cranberries

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These Smashed Brussels Sprouts are roasted until crispy, drizzled with balsamic glaze, and topped with pepitas and dried cranberries. It’s the perfect side for any fall-inspired meal or holiday gatherings like Thanksgiving or Christmas.  

 If you had asked me to try brussels sprouts when I was a kid, I would have fought you tooth and nail never to allow those cute little sprouts to cross my lips. Now, as an adult, I think brussels sprouts are underrated! Especially when they’re roasted to crispy perfection.

I’ve talked a lot about how roasting vegetables does something magical to them. It’s not really magic; it’s merely that the carbohydrate found in vegetables (yes, all plant-based foods contain some degree of carbohydrates, and it’s not to be feared) goes through a process called caramelization. We tend to think only of pure sugar (carbohydrate) going through this process to make caramel candies, but this actually can happen to all carbohydrates. Since there is a small amount of carbohydrate in the brussels sprouts, roasting them makes them slightly sweeter and caramelized. That’s why roasted vegetables taste so good. I wish I had more vegetables prepared this way when I was younger. I may have actually appreciated vegetables a little bit more.

Close up of smashed brussels sprouts in a bowl with pepitas, cranberries and balsamic glaze with serving spoons.

Anyway, back to these brussels sprouts – I went a step further on the flavor profile and topped them off with a little bit of balsamic glaze, crunchy, salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), and tart, dried cranberries. The combination of crunchy, sweet, tart and salty is simply heaven.

Why would you smash your brussels sprouts?

It’s because there is more surface area to caramelize. This can apply to roasting any other vegetable as well. When you flatten the vegetable, you’re more likely to caramelize a larger amount of the vegetable. Obviously, brussels sprouts are round and hard, so they have to be parboiled first, then blanched in cold water to stop the cooking process before you can smash them into round disks using a large, heavy-bottomed cup or glass. It’s challenging to get sprouts that are all the same size, so don’t be alarmed if you can’t get some of them as flattened as others.

Ingredients for Smashed Brussels Sprouts

Fresh brussels sprouts: When you buy fresh brussels sprouts, you can buy them on the stalk or already chopped from the stalk. Most of the time, you will find the latter. Make sure they are firm and don’t give much when you press on them. After washing, make sure to trim the ends. Also, remove any blemished outer leaves, if necessary.

Olive oil: Since we are roasting these brussels sprouts on high heat in the oven, I recommend using the “light tasting” olive oil, which is much lighter and more gold in color than the extra virgin. The lighter colored olive oil has a higher smoke point, so it won’t burn at high heat as extra virgin would.

Parmesan cheese This will give the brussels sprouts a salty and savory flavor. I used some on top before roasted and topped the sprouts with more after roasting. More cheese = more happiness, right?!

Balsamic glaze: You can find this in most grocery stores now. It’s just a more concentrated, thicker, and sweeter version of regular balsamic vinegar. If you’ve never used it before, you’re missing out.

Roasted pepitas: Again, most grocery stores carry these now. Pepitas are pumpkin seeds. They used to be harder to find. I chose the salted to help balance the sweetness from the balsamic glaze, but you can get unsalted if you prefer. If pepitas aren’t readily available, you can use any type of nut for some added crunch.

Dried cranberries: The tartness from the dried cranberries is really great. You can also sub in dried cherries – they would have the same effect. Dried cranberries seemed very seasonal for this fall-inspired dish.  

Close up of smashed brussels sprouts with balsamic glaze, pepitas, and cranberries on a white plate.

How to Make Smashed Brussels Sprouts

Like I mentioned above, you start by parboiling the sprouts and then blanching them in an ice bath, which stops the cooking process. You don’t want to boil them for so long that they are completely cooked; you want them a little raw still.

After you blanch them, make sure that they are very dry by patting them with a kitchen towel. The more water left on the sprouts, the less caramelization you’ll get. The water will end up steaming them rather than the dry heat caramelizing the sprouts.

You’ll then use a heavy-bottomed cup or glass to press the sprouts on the baking sheet gently. Be careful; they can be slippery if you aren’t able to get them super dry. The smaller ones are very easy, but a couple of the bigger ones might require you to make a little slit in them with a knife in order to press them down. They don’t have to be completely flat.

After they are pressed, you’ll toss on the sprouts in the olive oil, parmesan cheese, and season with salt and pepper, and pop them in the oven for roasting. After they’ll fully roasted, serve them with the drizzle of balsamic glaze, pepitas, and dried cranberries. And of course, you can always add a little extra parm on top!

How to Serve

This makes a great side dish for the fall and winter months, as that is when brussels sprouts are in season. You can serve them with anything, but they would make a great Thanksgiving side dish or as part of your Christmas dinner. You can serve them right off the sheet pan, but I put them in a serving bowl so that I can fully coat the sprouts in the glaze for more flavor.

Smashed brussels sprouts in a bowl with pepitas, cranberries and balsamic glaze with serving spoons.
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Smashed Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Drizzle, Pepitas, and Cranberries

Smashed brussels sprouts in a bowl with pepitas, cranberries and balsamic glaze with serving spoons.
Print Recipe
  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
  • Category: vegetable, side dish
  • Method: roasting

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 lbs. of fresh brussels sprouts, trimmed
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 tbsp. balsamic glaze
  • ¼ cup of roasted pepitas
  • ¼ cup of dried cranberries

Instructions

  1. Fill a large stockpot with enough water to submerge the sprouts. Add 1 tbsp. of salt to the water. Bring to boil and carefully add brussels sprouts – cook for 15 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 425. While sprouts are boiling, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Once sprouts are done, submerge sprouts into an ice bath and allow to cool for 1 minute. Drain sprouts and pat dry on a kitchen towel.
  3. Transfer sprouts onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper With the bottom of a heavy-bottomed cup or glass and gently press down on each sprout until slightly flattened. You may need to cut a small slit in the top for larger sprouts so that it flattens easier—toss sprouts with olive oil and parmesan cheese, and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Roast for 10 minutes, remove from oven and flip each sprout – roast again for another 5 minutes.
  5. Once done cooking, drizzle with balsamic glaze and top with pepitas and dried cranberries. 

Keywords: brussels sprouts, vegetable, side dish, fall, thanksgiving, christmas