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5 Ways to Spice Up Classic Thanksgiving Recipes

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at BU chapter.

Thanksgiving time means leaving the microwave-mini fridge combo in your dorm room behind and trading up for the luxury of a full-sized kitchen at home. If you’re like me, Thanksgiving is a time for the classics—stuffing, mashed potatoes, and turkey—but it’s also fun to add a little variation to these holiday classics. Here are five different takes on the holiday meals you know and love.

Cauliflower Mash

Cauliflower has had one of the biggest glow-ups I’ve ever seen. So much so that it may have just earned itself a spot at my family’s Thanksgiving dinner table. Cauliflower mash is the perfect alternative to classic mashed potatoes. This simple recipe is the perfect buttery-garlic dish to complement your holiday dinner. It’s easy enough to make, and since it’s a vegetable you can even justify that extra piece of pumpkin pie. Click here for the recipe! ​

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Everyone’s typical Thanksgiving dinner has some variation of a fall-themed vegetable, whether it’s bland asparagus or way too heavy green bean casserole. You are bound to have some sort of vegetable dish on your table. So why not make something delicious? These brussel sprouts are roasted with butternut squash and other wonderful fall flavors. This dish is also warm and full of cinnamon, so it serves as the perfect tease for the apple pie you’ll have for dessert. Click here for the recipe!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Another Thanksgiving favorite: sweet potatoes! Pretty much any form of potatoes is an acceptable Thanksgiving dish, but these roasted sweet potatoes with cinnamon and honey are an absolute essential for your Thanksgiving dinner this year. This dish offers another sweet variation to a classic dish and gives you a different potato option from the expected mash potatoes. Click here for the recipe!

Cauliflower Stuffing

We can’t ever have too much cauliflower! Not that Thanksgiving is a day where you need to be eating healthy, but if health is on your mind, this delicious looking cauliflower stuffing is paleo-friendly and it’s calling my name! Cauliflower serves as the perfect substitute for the typical bread dish, and this alternative is low carb! Click here for the recipe!

Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake

And finally, for anyone who isn’t on a health kick, this fun take on the classic pumpkin dessert is an absolute must-have at your Thanksgiving dinner. This decadent dessert will impress any family members that try it, and it’s rich enough that you will have leftovers! Click here for the recipe!

As delicious as Thanksgiving food may be, everyone does get tired of the same-old mashed potatoes and green beans. Try out these new takes on some holiday classics to spice up your Thanksgiving meal, while still honoring the integrity of the dishes.

 

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Gabby Hendren is a sophomore a Boston University studying neuroscience. Gabby loves to dance, do yoga, and explore Boston!
Writers of the Boston University chapter of Her Campus.