I wanted to share a few ideas for Thanksgiving side dishes that use tasty, whole ingredients and lean on the healthier side. All of them are vegetable-based but not vegan and you can certainly swap out ingredients to meet your dietary needs or preferences. One of my tricks for taming the urge to overindulge is to choose more veggies than starches or meat on my plate, so I like to have a lot of vegetable side dish options on the menu. Here are few that are “Thanksgiving-worthy” but won’t completely sabotage your good habits. Quick note: For those of you have been following me for a while, you know I don’t measure. Most of the measurements/amounts are approximate in these recipes with the exception of the dressings and cheese sauce. My advice is to measure and taste during the cooking process so it meets your preferences.

Simple Buttery Green Beans Almondine

I like using haricot verts for this recipe which are basically a very skinny and tender green bean. They are a little more palatable in my opinion so it makes the the dish overall tastier, but you can use regular green beans too. Yes, there is butter in this recipe but you can use vegan butter or coconut oil if you prefer.

1lb. of Haricot Vert (French green beans)

1/2 cup of toasted almond slivers or slices

1/2 Cup of Crispy Fried Onions (buy these, don’t make these! French’s, Fresh Express, Lar’s and Whole Foods 365 brand all make a crispy friend onion)

1 tsp. Onion Powder

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Butter

Squeeze of fresh lemon

Salt and Pepper

Steam green beans in salted water until al dente (just shy of fork tender since you’ll be cooking these again). Drain and set aside for a few minutes in the still hot pan to evaporate any extra moisture on beans and in the pan. In the same pan, with the beans and over medium heat, add and warm olive oil while tossing the beans to coat. Then add the garlic powder and onion powder and saute for 2-3 minutes or until the garlic and onion powder are no longer “raw.” Turn down the heat to low and add the butter, toss until fully melted. Add squeeze of lemon and salt and pepper to taste. Toss in almonds, transfer to serving dish and top with crispy fried onions.

Butternut Squash Salad with Red Onion and Blue Cheese

I was not a big fan of butternut squash until this recipe came along. Now this is consistently in our dinner rotation during the fall and winter months. It also makes a great Thanksgiving side dish! Do yourself a favor and buy the butternut squash already peeled and cubed (unless, of course, you enjoy processing a butternut squash). Grocery stores sell 20oz. packages and it makes life so much easier. If you are unable to find pre-cut than you will need to whole squashes, peel, cut seeded and cut into large 1/2 to 1-inch cubes. This is best served at room temperature.

2 20 oz. packages of cubed butternut squash

1 Tablespoon of dried oregano

3/4 cup of crumbled blue cheese (you can also use goat or feta)

1 small or 1/2 large red onion thinly sliced

My Garliky Balsamic Vinaigrette

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

salt and pepper to taste

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees. On a large baking sheet, toss squash with enough olive oil to coat each piece, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until fork tender (about 20-25 minutes). Allow to cool to room temperature. Add squash to serving bowl and toss with oregano, sliced onion and 1/2 the vinaigrette. Let sit for about 1/2 to 1 hour to marinate. Toss, taste and add more dressing and salt and pepper if needed. Once you’re ready to serve, toss in the blue cheese.

Cheesy Spaghetti Squash with Toasted Panko Topping

This is a healthier replacement for mac and cheese because we’re using spaghetti squash and not pasta but still contains dairy (and also bacon). If you’re looking to make it one step healthier, you can use non-dairy cheese, butter and milk and vegan bacon bits or skip the bacon bits completely. You’ll be making a roux-based cheese sauce which is really the way to go in the world of cheese sauces.

For the Squash:

1 large spaghetti squash

Olive Oil (for greasing baking sheet and dish)

For the Cheese Sauce:

1 1/2 cups of whole milk

2 Tablespoons of all purpose flour (you can swap out with 1 to 1 gluten free flour)

2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter

1 cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese

Salt and Pepper

For the Topping:

1 cup of panko breadcrumbs (you can also swap out for gluten free panko or used lightly crushed rice crispy cereal)

2 Tablespoons of salted butter

1/3 cup of bacon bits

Squash:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove ends from squash and then cut in half lengthwise. Scrape out and discard seeds. Place squash cut-side down on a lined or greased baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes or until tender. Cool and scoop out strands into a greased baking dish (or you can use the spaghetti squash skins as your baking and serving dish). Fluff and separate strands as much as possible.

Cheese Sauce:

To make cheese sauce, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foamy. Spoon the flour over the butter and cook, while stirring, until the flour becomes pasty. Pour in the milk while whisking and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a medium simmer and cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Add the cheese slowly and stir with a wooden spoon until melted and smooth. Taste cheese sauce and add more salt or cheese to your preferences it’s important to make sure the cheese sauce is properly seasoned and flavorful before adding it to the spaghetti squash. Mix enough cheese sauce into squash to flavor and coat but not too much that it’s drowning in the sauce. Set aside.

Topping:

In a small skillet, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter. Add panko and toss until coated and lightly toasted. Turn off heat and add bacon bits. Top the cheesy spaghetti squash with panko mixture and return to 400 degree oven until bubbling and the topping is lightly toasted (if you’re noticing that the panko topping is getting too dark, cover with some aluminum foil).

Crunchy Fall Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

This is one of my favorite salads. It’s a little sweet, a little salty and has a nice satisfying crunch. I like to use either a butter, Boston lettuce or baby red and green leaf lettuces. I do not recommend romaine or iceberg. I use a sharp cheddar cheese for this salad but blue cheese also works well. If you can get your hands on a block of Trader Joe’s caramelized onion cheddar, I highly recommend it for this salad. IT IS SO GOOD. I use toasted almonds but you can use candied pecans or walnuts which you also find at Trader Joe’s as well as regular grocery stores.

For the Salad:

2 Large heads of butter or Boston lettuce

1 large Granny Smith or honeycrisp apple diced

3/4 to 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese shredded

3/4 to 1 cup of toasted almond slivers

1/2 to 3/4 cup of real bacon bits

*OPTIONAL 3/4 cup of freshly shredded carrot

For the Dressing:

1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar

2/3 cup of olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons of maple syrup

1 shallot minced

salt and pepper

Salad:

Clean lettuce, dry and rip (don’t cut) into bite-size pieces. Place in serving bowl. Add diced apple, shredded cheddar, nuts, bacon bits and the optional carrot. Gently toss.

Dressing:

In a 12 oz. jar add the vinegar. Add in minced shallot, mustard, maple syrup. Add in olive oil and shake. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss enough dressing with salad coat and season but too much that it’s drowning or serve on the side.