ASIAN AMERICAN THANKSGIVING RECIPES
Because we are foodies, Thanksgiving is unquestionably one of our favorite celebrations of the year. Even though there are several holidays in the United States that are devoted to feasting, this beautiful day honoring our wonderful and would-be national bird takes the cake.
To that end, as we prepare for our own Thanksgiving feast, we thought we’d share some of our favorite traditional dishes as well as some creative Asian-inspired alternatives.
Baked Turkey Breast with Herbs Using a Stove Top In a single pan, you can cook your turkey and stuffing at the same time. People who prefer white meat will love this for smaller events! To get that classic and easy stuffing flavor, here is the recipe for you. The recipe works equally well whether you use fresh cubed bread or prepackaged bread crumbs (it’s a holiday season guilty pleasure, after all). As a last resort, you can simply add 2-3 cups of turkey or chicken stock and bake according to the package directions.
Honey Glazed Cantonese Turkey.
A full Asian-themed Thanksgiving table is a great way to spice things up this year. We’ll get to the Asian-inspired sides in a minute, but if you’d like, you may serve a variety of your favorite Chinese recipes from the site with this light and aromatic turkey!
Asian Holiday Spice (AKA five-spiced) Turkey
Cinnamon, star anise, fennel, cloves, and Sichuan peppercorns are a usual lineup of classic holiday spices in this Five Spice Roast Turkey with Giblet Onion Gravy, which showcases the beautiful blend of five-spice powder (okay, so minus the slightly tongue-numbing fifth one). However, this turkey can be used for both a traditional Thanksgiving dinner and a more avant-garde fusion meal. Giblet onion gravy is a must for any dish, no matter what you’re cooking.
Scallions with Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes, in my opinion, are the key to a successful Thanksgiving meal. This means that I’m always in charge of making the mashed potatoes since I worry about getting the correct amount of mashed potatoes to turkey for our number of guests. When it comes to making potatoes, I’ve made a lot throughout the years. This cheddar and scallion version is one of my favorites.
Caesar Salad with Tuscan Kale
Instead of roasted vegetables or your go-to green bean casserole, give this gigantic Caesar salad a whirl. Anchovies, garlic, and extra-virgin olive oil are used in my version of the dressing to create a savory and rich dressing that is tossed with Tuscan kale, Romaine, parmesan shavings, and crispy bread crumbs.
Butternut Squash Lasagna
This butternut squash lasagna is a follow-up to the mac n’ cheese idea, which is made with a deliciously substantial blend of butternut squash, kale, and mushrooms. I’d add a pinch or two of nutmeg to Sarah’s original recipe to make this side dish truly festive and cozy.
Sticky Rice Stuffing
To go along with your Chinese Thanksgiving turkey, here are some ideas. Sticky Rice Stuffing is an excellent choice. It’s a lot more flavorful than your normal stuffing, and it’s completely gluten-free thanks to the use of tamari for conventional soy sauce.
Sliced Potatoes with Bacon and Scallion Relish on a Crispy Hasselback
This is a special side dish for the holidays that requires a little additional time and effort, but is worth it for the crisp layers of potato. A generous helping of a bacon scallion relish with cumin and red chili flakes inspired by the flavors of Xinjiang completes the dish.
Cream Cheese Wontons
The classic cream cheese wonton is an excellent pre-dinner snack, as opposed to a cheeseboard. You should know, though, that if your family and friends are anything like ours, as soon as they’re out of the oven, they’ll be devouring them!
Shrimp Toast
Perfectly crispy shrimp toasts are a terrific appetizer to get people in the mood for their Chinese turkey feast. My grandpa taught me how to make the perfect combination of pork and shrimp. Keep an eye out for requests to make these a regular part of the Christmas season!