New Twists on Thanksgiving Favorites

Finally, Thanksgiving is just around the corner!

Thanksgiving really is such a wonderful day: you get to see family, you watch football and you eat delicious, homemade food until you fell like you’re going to burst. Everyone has their particular favorites. There’s stuffing, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, pecan pie and of course the turkey!

While it is hard to go wrong with familiar favorites, sometimes it can be fun to shake things up a bit. It can be something as simple as adding a new ingredient, taking a new angle on a recipe or simply making it healthier. We’ve found some Thanksgiving recipes that are fun and simple twists on old favorites without changing what makes you love them in the first place.

Green Bean & Great Northern Bean Casserole

This recipe is one of our very own, and it is one of our fall favorites! Green bean casserole is a Thanksgiving classic, but we’ve built a better mousetrap by adding Randall Great Northern Beans into the mix. Great northern beans give this dish a new dimension with a nutty flavor and creamy texture that works perfectly with the other elements of the recipe. Pile on the traditional fresh green beans, mushrooms and irresistibly crunchy fried onions on top, and you’ve got a sure-fire new tradition on your family’s table this holiday.

Mock Mashed Potatoes with Cauliflower and Great Northern Beans

Don’t let the name scare you away – this side dish is just as good as the real thing, if not better!

Not possible you say? Let’s break it down for you. Mashed potatoes are without a doubt a Thanksgiving favorite and a comfort food staple. However, they are packed full of sodium, carbs and fat that – while leaving you full and satisfied – can wreak havoc on your heart and waistline.

This recipe we found at picklesnhoney.com combines pureed cauliflower and great northern beans along with vegetable instead of potatoes and cream stock to create a spot-on replicant of the creamy and fluffy goodness you come to expect and love from mashed potatoes. In addition, this dish is far healthier that is filled with protein.

Pinto Bean Pecan Pie

Is there any dessert item more synonymous with Thanksgiving than pecan pie? Well, with the help of beans, pecan pie is better than ever!

Found over at tasteofhome.com, this new riff on the classic holiday treat uses mashed pinto beans to help create the base of the pie filling. Randall Pinto Beans provide a hearty and satisfying base that gives the pie a little added nuttiness and protein. Just like the traditional pecan pie, just fill the pie crust with the ingredients! No extra steps necessary for that delicious pecan pie taste and texture you crave around the holidays.

Although the pinto beans slightly help this dish in the health department, be warned that it is still very sugar and carb-heavy. So, enjoy a piece (or two) but save some for later and be sure to enjoy it with some fruit and do something active afterward!

Thanksgiving Chickpeas with Butternut Squash Sauce

This new holiday favorite is a Randall original from our food blogger Kate at babaganosh.org. Sweet potato casserole is a delicious no doubt, but it certainly won’t win any awards for being healthy. This dish, however, may just be up to the task of replacing it at the table!

This casserole fires on all cylinders! It provides the sweet from the delicious butternut squash, milk and cream give it a creamy richness and chickpeas give it that little nutty kick and great texture. It does everything you want out of a sweet potato casserole without the extra, unhealthy junk you usually get.

Start a new tradition this Thanksgiving!

Whether you are celebrating with family from down the street or far away, make sure you are enjoying the best company with the best recipes! Randall is your home for delicious, easy, unique and healthy recipes! Happy Thanksgiving from Randall Beans.