Fall is here and there’s nothing I look forward to more than Thanksgiving turkey and all of the delicious sides dishes. Even though I never eliminate the traditional mashed potatoes and gravy, I do like to add a side or two that are healthy and bright colored to make the table look magnificent! The following are a few of my tried-and-true, healthy Thanksgiving side dishes that don’t get pushed aside.

Popular Thanksgiving Sides

Cranberry Relish

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 oz. of fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 med. organic apple, chopped
• 1 organic pear, chopped
• ½ cup of raw honey
• 1 Tbsp. of pure horseradish (without high fructose corn syrup)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Chop cranberries very fine or use a mini food processor for easier chopping. 
2. Chop the apple and pear into ½-inch cubes. 
3. Combine all ingredients and mix well. 
4. Chill until ready to serve.

Sweet Potato Casserole

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 lbs. of sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 Tbsp. of melted butter
• ⅔ cup of fat free half-and-half
• ⅓ cup of Swerve or Trader Joe’s Allulose (sugar-free, calorie-free natural sweeteners)
• 1 tsp. of vanilla
• 1 tsp. of ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. of allspice
• ¼ cup of dried coconut flakes
• ¼ cup of chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot with water, and cover. 
3. Bring to a boil, and boil for 15 minutes or until tender. 
4. Drain the potatoes.
5. While the potatoes are cooking, combine the butter, half-and-half, Swerve / Allulose, vanilla, cinnamon, and allspice in a small bowl.
6. Spoon the potatoes into an 8” X 8” baking dish coated with olive oil. 
7. Pour the half-and-half mixture evenly over the potatoes and mash slightly leaving the potatoes somewhat lumpy. Bake for 20 minutes.
8. Remove from oven, and top with the coconut and walnuts. 
9. Return to the oven for 5 minutes until coconut browns.

Asparagus-Mushroom Stir Fry

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 bunches of fresh asparagus
• 8 oz. package of Crimini mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp. of avocado oil
• ½ tsp. of Chinese five spice
• ½ tsp. of Gateway to the North Maple Garlic Seasoning*

DIRECTIONS:

1. Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus spears, rinse and then cut at an angle into 1-inch pieces. 
2. Cut off a small part of the stems of the mushrooms if they appear to be dry, but don’t remove the stems. With a paring knife, peel off the top layer of the mushroom caps and slice into quarters.
3. Heat avocado oil in a skillet over medium to high heat. 
4. Add the asparagus and mushrooms, sprinkle with seasonings, and stir fry until mushrooms become soft but asparagus is still firm.

*Find this Maple Garlic seasoning at The Spice House.