The biggest event of November is just around the corner: Thanksgiving! With the year that this has been, we are definitely looking forward to celebrating and giving thanks for everything we have with the ones we loved.
But, we would be lying if we said we weren’t also looking forward to having some of our favorite Thanksgiving dishes once again. Sure you can technically have turkey, pumpkin pie, stuffing, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce any time of the year you want but it just tastes so much better in late November, you know?
One of the Thanksgiving classic side dishes, and one of our favorites, is mashed potatoes. But, given everything else that we load our plates up with mashed potatoes, even though they are delicious, always feel like an overindulgence.
This year, we were thinking about lightening the load with some healthy mashed potato alternatives for our Thanksgiving table. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to recreate that fluffy and creamy texture you love but with healthier ingredients, especially with beans!
If you are looking for some healthy mashed potato alternatives to make your Thanksgiving feast a little bit healthier this year, try out some of these fun and tasty recipes using beans, butternut squash, cauliflower, and more.
White Bean Colcannon
Colcannon is a mashed potato recipe normally seen around St. Patrick’s Day using either kale or cabbage. St. Patty’s day is a little ways off yet, but this recipe would also be right at home on your Thanksgiving table. While this recipe doesn’t remove potatoes from the equation entirely, the use of sizable portions of cauliflower, kale, and Randall Great Northern Beans helps reduce the amount of potatoes needed. This adds a better balance of protein and fiber to the traditionally high carb and starch dish.
Mashed Cauliflower & White Beans with Portobello Gravy
You didn’t think we could get through Thanksgiving without some kind of mashed potatoes and gravy on our table did you? Ordinary Vegan has this amazing recipe for a vegan-friendly mashed potato recipe using mashed cauliflower and white beans. The real standout for this simple recipe though is the Portobello gravy you put over top of it all. Be sure to make extra so you can put it on your turkey too. Try this recipe with Randall Great Northern Beans!
White Bean Mash with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash
Yummy Mummy Kitchen has a recipe for a white bean mash that is sautéed with onion and sage that gives them an amazing herbaceousness that doesn’t seem like it could get any better. That is until she tops it off with oven roasted Brussels sprouts and butternut squash! This recipe is a great two-in-one for making your mashed potato-style dish as well as some healthy autumn veggies. This is the perfect recipe to let Randall’s plump and flavorful great northern beans take center stage.
White Bean Butternut Squash Mash
But you don’t have to limit butternut squash to just a topping. It is such an iconic fall recipe, why not put it right into the mash? This recipe combines Randall Great Northern Beans with oven roasted butternut squash for a healthy mashed potato alternative that looks and tastes just like the season. Herbs and spices also help give it a terrific herbaceousness that is perfect for a Thanksgiving side dish. If you want to try it out early, we also have a recipe for honey mustard chicken thighs that go perfectly with it.
