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Non-Traditional Thanksgiving Foods to Add to Your Table

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

It’s that time of year again where we have an excuse to eat until we drop, and of course we all could not be any more thankful. With Thanksgiving comes all of the traditional dishes that we know and love like turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, etc. We know what type of food to expect, which can be exciting for most, but for those who don’t share the same love for those typical dishes or want to try something a little different this year, here are some alternative nontraditional Thanksgiving dishes to give a try! 

Roasted turkey is a classic for this holiday, but if you are looking for some main dish alternatives, options include turkey wrapped in bacon (anything with bacon is automatically better, right?), roasted chicken, slow cooker pork chops, and roast beef, which you can make a mushroom gravy (instead of turkey gravy) to pair well with. Some people even use coconut shrimp as a protein alternative. If you are not really looking for a main dish of just meat, alternatives include butternut squash pasta and chicken and stuffing casserole. 

Side dishes are really what complete any good Thanksgiving meal. There of course is our good friend, traditional mashed potatoes, but one way you can change it up is using sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes to mash. Some people even throw marshmallows on top! On the topic of potatoes, another fun dish to make is potato casserole. Other side dishes that you can try out this holiday include green bean salad, cauliflower gratin, and bacon wrapped brussel sprouts (once again, it’s bacon c’mon). 

Of course no nontraditional Thanksgiving is complete without nontraditional desserts. If your typical pies just aren’t your thing or you want to have some variety this year, try pumpkin snickerdoodles, cinnamon roll apple pie (yum!), or pumpkin pie pudding. If any of these spark your interest, look up the recipes and give them a try! I hope you all have a safe, relaxing, and tasty Thanksgiving.

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Kaitlyn Light

Bucknell '25

Hi guys! My name's Kaitlyn and my pronouns are she/her/hers. I am a sophomore at Bucknell University studying Animal Behavior and Creative Writing. I am so excited to be part of this community :)