by Sarah Withrow King
I am not a "holiday" person, but I have always loved Thanksgiving. Even when it was fraught with family drama, I loved it. I could count on eating black olives off of my fingers, my dad or Uncle Rob sticking green beans up their nose, and the satisfying thwack of jellied cranberry sauce leaving the can.
My mom's sausage stuffing was the first thing I "veganized" after switching to a plant-based diet. The recipe for that is below, along with ones that have become holiday staples at my house. And last year, we discovered the Thanksgiving Leftover Waffle*, which is a treat not to be missed (unless you are a person that doesn't combine foods, in which case you will want to turn away).
Here's what'll be on our table this year. Try one, a few, or all! And be sure to leave us your favorite vegan recipe in the comments.
- Fresh veggies with vegan ranch dipping sauce and/or a salad with this amazing Caesar dressing
- Maple roasted carrots (you can use this recipe, but it's really just roasted carrots with maple syrup)
- The Best Vegan Green Bean Casserole from Fat Free Vegan (I've been using this recipe for years and I loooooooooooooove it)
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping, also from Fat Free Vegan (I've never met Susan, but I love her)
- Creamy mashed potatoes
- Meet the Shannon's Herb de Provence Tofurky Roast with Isa's Savory Mushroom Gravy
- 7-ingredient dinner rolls!!
- My mom's stuffing
- Cranberry sauce in a can (yes, I can't help it, I love it so much)
- And ending on a sweet note with this amazing pumpkin pie, from Lauren Ng's One Happy Table (don't forget the vegan whip!)
Bon appetit!
*The Thanksgiving Leftover Waffle, a basic primer: get out all your leftovers and a big mixing bowl. Heat up your waffle iron. Add stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes if you've got them, green bean casserole, and sliced tofurky pieces. Mix together into a thick "batter." Spray your waffle iron with a little oil. Pile some of your "batter" onto the waffle iron (this is a little trial and error..err on the side of too little, though) and close the lid. Wait. Drool. Remove your waffle and serve hot topped with warmed gravy and room-temperature cranberry sauce. You're welcome.