13 Healthy Thanksgiving Tricks That No One Will Even Notice (2024)

Mashed cauliflower admittedly doesn't taste much like the real thing, but adding cauliflower purée to traditional mashed potatoes makes them a little bit lighter without compromising their taste.

Follow your favorite mashed potato recipe, but only use three-fifths the amount of potatoes called for, and replace the remaining potatoes with cauliflower — so, if the recipe calls for five pounds of potatoes, you'll use three pound of potatoes and two pounds of cauliflower. Cook the potatoes according to the recipe directions. Meanwhile, cut the cauliflower into florets and steam by putting the florets in a microwave-safe bowl with a little water, covering tightly, and microwaving on high for four to five minutes, until soft. Let the cauliflower cool slightly, drain it, then puree it in a blender with just enough milk to make the blades turn. When you're mashing your potatoes, add the cauliflower purée at the same time you add any cream or milk.

Store-bought cranberry sauce has a ton of added sugar, and a lot of recipes call for more sugar than you actually need. Here's a recipe for cranberry sauce that isn't quite as sweet but still pairs perfectly with turkey!

In a small sauce pot, combine a 12-oz bag frozen cranberries, ½ cup orange juice, ½ cup water, the zest of one orange, and ⅓ cup granulated sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook over medium-low heat until the cranberries burst and the mixture is thick, 20 to 25 minutes.

Thinly slicing the sprouts, then crowding them on a baking sheet and roasting them at a high temperature means you can use less olive oil without burning the sprouts, since they'll create a lot of steam. The sprouts on the inside of the pile will steam and get nicely soft, while the sprouts on the outside of the pile will get crispy and a little brown.

Wash and clean 3 lbs Brussels sprouts, then add them to a food processor fitted with the slicing attachment so that they're sliced into thin rounds. Put the sliced Brussels sprouts in a large bowl and toss with 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 8 thinly sliced garlic cloves, two thinly sliced shallots, and some salt and pepper. Spread the Brussels sprouts over a single baking sheet — they'll be piled up and crowded, which is what you want — and roast for 25 minutes in a 450°F oven.

People might notice this swap, but most will thank you for it.

Wash and trim the ends off of 2 lbs green beans, then put them in a microwave-safe bowl with 3 Tbsp. water. Cover and microwave on high until they're cooked but still crunchy, five to six minutes. Drain the green beans, then let them cool slightly while you brown the butter

Meanwhile, melt 2 Tbsp. cubed, unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Swirl the butter constantly around the pan as it melts. Let it melt completely and start to bubble as you continue to swirl it. When the bubbles start to disappear, speckles in the butter will start to turn light brown (these are the milk solids) and smell nutty. As soon as this happens, turn off the heat and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour the brown butter over the steamed green beans. Serve topped with 2 Tbsp. chopped almonds, if you want.