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7 Thanksgiving Recipes That’ll Make Your Mouth Water

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Cal Poly chapter.

It’s finally time for every food lover’s favorite holiday of the year. While Thanksgiving is meant to be a time for giving thanks, we also like to think of it as a holiday to stuff our faces with as much food as possible. You can say we’re most thankful for the opportunity to eat our body weight in stuffing. While every year seems like an exhibit hall of your relatives’ “famous” prized recipes on display, this year it’s your turn to have a seat at the winning table. We’ve got a list of unique and delicious side dish recipes that are sure to impress your friends and family!

1. Honey Roasted Butternut Squash with Cranberries and Feta

Nothing screams fall more than squash. Squash is a rich and sweet vegetable that pairs nicely with poultries and meats, aka perfect for Thanksgiving. The tanginess of the feta cheese and tartness of the cranberries add a unique twist to the usual flavors of squash. 

Find the recipe here

2. Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potato casserole is one of our favorite Thanksgiving dishes because it’s one of the only times having dessert for dinner is socially acceptable. This recipe sticks to the basics of marshmallows and sweet potato but adds in cream cheese, pecans and cinnamon to give our favorite dish an extra kick. Did we mention that each person gets a sweet potato to themselves? That’s a double win for us. 

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3. Parmesan Brussel Sprouts

Even if you’re not fan of brussel sprouts this recipe will have you digging up a second serving. Imagine the cutest round vegetable, seasoned with an array of spices, fried to a golden perfection and then to top it off covered with a dusting of parmesan cheese. Even if you’re still not convinced brussel sprouts aren’t evil, you have to admit that deep fried anything covered in cheese is probably awesome. 

Find the recipe here

4. Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Another contender on our top ten Thanksgiving dishes list is the infamous dinner roll. What may seem like a basic and unimportant component to Thanksgiving dinner is actually one of the most important side dishes that ties the whole meal together and provides balance. Try your hand at this unique take on dinner rolls and impress everyone with your creativity skills. 

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5. Spinach and Gruyere Gratin

Anything with gruyere cheese and parmesan sounds delicious to us. Good thing this recipe is basically five parts cheese and one part spinach. The presence of spinach means it’s still healthy, right?

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6. Goat Cheese Spread

We’re not exactly sure if this qualifies as a dish per-say, however, it’s Thanksgiving and that gives you the freedom to call almost anything a meal. Even marshmallows can be excused as a meal on this holiday.  

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7. Roasted Broccoli with Tahini Garlic Sauce 

Broccoli on its own may not be an award-winning dish, but once you crisp it in the oven and douse it with a creamy Tahini sauce, that all changes. While the Tahini sauce may require a little extra effort, the intense flavor it adds to the dish is definitely worth a little sweat and tears. 

Find the recipe here

All of these dishes are equally unique and delicious. Adding any one of them to your Thanksgiving meal will surely impress your dinner guests. Plus, we’re pretty sure your mom will give you major props just for attempting any of these recipes.  

Isabella is a San Diego native and is currently in her first year at Cal Poly. Besides her love for her three dogs, a German Shepherd, a Chihuahua and a French Bulldog (impressive I know), she also loves sushi and online window shopping. Isabella is also a computer engineering major and enjoys learning about and keeping up with the latest technologies. In her free time you can catch Isabella sipping on tea (especially a milk tea with boba) or enjoying a plate of her favorite sushi.