Celebrate American Thanksgiving with five traditional recipes
Are you bored of the same old recipes you make day in, day out? American Thanksgiving is just days away. Try some traditional recipes to spice up your recipe repertoire.
Rachel Zammit Cutajar
Thanksgiving is an American holiday and therefore not one we celebrate in Malta. With Instagram awash with festive recipes, Thanksgiving is an excuse to learn couple of new recipes from our American friends.
Traditionally Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving and these come with some very traditional sides – cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, butternut squash soup, pumpkin pie and pecan pie.
Traditional recipes make use of seasonal produce so, whether you’re celebrating with friends from the US, or you’re just looking to add some new recipes to your repertoire, these recipes should be added to your list.
Sweet potato and pecan bake
Mashed potato makes a great side for any roast meal. Sweet potatoes are not only healthier but they add a sweet flavour the humble potato just cannot compete with.
This sweet potato and pecan bake is the perfect accompaniment to a roast turkey, or any other roast and can equally be served with plenty of veggies or a nut roast for vegetarians.
Get the recipe for sweet potato and pecan bake here.
Whisky pecan pie
At the Thanksgiving table, the pecan pie comes second only to the pumpkin pie, but unlike its orange cousin, which falls out of favour after the holidays, the pecan pie remains popular.
The recipe has remained pretty much the same since the 18th century, where it thought that the French settling in New Orleans created this recipe after having been introduced to the pecan nut by the Native Americans.
This recipe adds a shot of whisky to the filling, giving this pecan pie a more grown up twist.
Get the recipe for whisky pecan pie here.
Pear and cranberry tart
Adding cranberries to this tart gives it a real Thanksgiving holiday feel. The tart berries are the perfect match for the sweet pears.
Get the recipe for pear and cranberry tart here.
Pumpkin pie
This dessert is most popular over Thanksgiving. Though most recipes available on the internet use tinned pumpkin there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t use fresh. It’s super easy and way better for you.
Get the recipe for pumpkin pie here.
Butternut and bacon soup
This is a popular starter on Thanksgiving as it light enough to leave plenty of room for the turkey. Adding bacon gives the soup an extra depth of flavour.
Get the recipe for butternut and bacon soup here.
