Happy Paleo Thanksgiving!
For those of you who are removing grains, dairy, processed foods, soy and refined sugar from your diet, the holidays can still be a rip-roaring good time.
Paleo recipes are everywhere this season, and they all look mouthwateringly delicious. We've picked our favorites from the World Wide Web to complete a Thanksgiving dinner (or two!) for you and your family.
Let's all give thanks for bacon!
Apple Cobbler in a Jar
Forgoing the traditional crust, this inventive apple cobbler will satisfy any guest—grain-free, or grain-filled.
To make: Tasty Yummies
Broiled Proscuitto-Wrapped Asparagus Spears
Whether you throw this out as an amazing appetizer (highly recommended) or saddle it up beside the turkey, this asparagus and proscuitto dish will be a standout on the Thanksgiving table.
To make: Nom Nom Paleo
Cinnamon & Palm Sugar Roasted Delicata Squash
A sweet twist on a delicata squash side dish, Everyday Maven utilizes palm sugar to help keep it paleo, and free of refined sugar.
To make: Everyday Maven
Butterflield Big Bird
If you want a perfectly cooked bird try spatchcocked turkey this year. Don't worry, it's a cooking method (de-spined and splayed), not a weird paleo ingredient. But to keep this recipe 100 percent paleo, use ghee or duck fat instead of butter.
To make: Nom Nom Paleo
Coconut Bread Bites
All bread is NOT created equal (as these coconut bread bites will show when they knock the socks off your paleo eaters at the table). It's a little bit crunchy and a lot fluffy, with a pinch of sweetness.
To make: Crunchy Mama
Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Bacon
The "it" veggie with a side of bacon? Yes, please. Be sure to make enough of this crowd-pleasing recipe, or risk the wrath of the bacon and Brussels sprouts–craving crowd.
To make: Nom Nom Paleo
Coconut Flour Honey Biscuit
If you grew up in the southern United States, biscuits were most likely a staple at your holiday table. Crunchy Mama had so much success with the coconut flour bread balls that she used the same flour to create a sweet biscuit. Use coconut oil to keep it real.
To make: Crunchy Mama
Maple & Cardamom Glazed Carrots
Roasted whole carrots take your vegetable staple up a notch. The cardamom just blows it right out of the water.
To make: Everyday Maven
Maple Bacon Pecan Roasted Butternut Squash
Again, these paleo cookers understand that adding bacon to your side dish means adding love. The maple and pecans are just an added bonus.
To make: PaleOMG
Paleo Grits
One of the vegetable world's best-kept secrets is cauliflower. You can turn it into grits, bread dough, and any number of delicious paleo treats. May we recommend this version for your hearty family meal?
To make: Real Sustenance
Paleo Hot Cocoa
Everyone needs a hot cup of cocoa during the winter holiday. Just because you went paleo doesn't mean you have to forgo this sweet treat. Coconut cream and vanilla essence are the trick here.
To make: Crunchy Mama
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites
Cheesecake doesn't have to come from cream cheese, believe it or not. Beth at Tasty Yummies uses cashew cream and pumpkin spice, and no one is the wiser. They are, however, quite happy with this pumpkin-flavored treat.
To make: Tasty Yummies
Pumpkin Paleo Pancakes
For those of you in the Thanksgiving spirit, wake up and bake these pumpkin paleo pancakes before the bird even goes in the oven.
To make: Paleo Grubs
Raw Butternut Squash & Kale Salad
No paleo table is complete without a kale dish. This raw salad with butternut squash is festive, healthy and chock-full of flavor.
To make: Tasty Yummies
Pumpkin Spiced Cashew Milk
For the little ones around the Thanksgiving table, why not keep them paleo, too? Cashew milk is a healthy milk alternative, and giving it the seasonal flavor will please everyone at the kids' table.
To make: So Let's Hang Out
Paleo Pumpkin Cornbread
It's not just cornbread, it's pumpkin cornbread! More breads for the grain-free just prove that you don't have to use gluten to enjoy the staff of life.
To make: Real Sustenance
Roasted Carrot & Parsnip White Truffle Salad
This root vegetable salad is a knockout. Sure, the hint of truffle oil turns this simple salad into a 5-star version, but the paleo (and vegan) trick is in the smattering of ground pine nuts on top.
To make: Beard + Bonnet
Simply Spiked Cider
With all of your family members crowded around your table, there is bound to be at least one call of, "Where's the booze!?" Satisfy the drinker (and the paleo eaters) with this sweet and spicy rum drink.
To make: Running to the Kitchen
Turkey & Spinach Stuffed Sweet Potaotes
Say you don't want to make that entire bird. Bust out the ground turkey instead and serve up this paleo Thanksgiving meal all-in-one.
To make: PaleOMG
