Makeover #1: Canned Cranberry Sauce
It's not too often that you hear someone raving about how exceptionally exquisite the can-shaped cranberry dressing was. The unnaturally perfect cylinder with indented ridges from the can, the bright magenta color, the fact that it holds its shape hours after it's plopped onto a plate, the disturbing jiggling as dad carves the turkey-all signs point to artificiality.
The alternative: Third Generation Cranberry Sauce with Pears is made with real cranberries, spices, and pears. It's sweet and tangy and adds a perfect amount of flavor to accompany the turkey and stuffing. And it doesn't jiggle.
Healthy Thanksgiving Meal Swaps
Makeover #2: Candied Yams
Poor little orange spuds, drowned in a sea of sugar and corn syrup, their natural sweetness overpowered and undervalued. But this starchy vegetable doesn't have to be blanketed in a layer of glucose to make it delicious.
The alternative: Simply Delicious Roasted Butternut Squash opts for a different orange vegetable and saves the overwhelming sweetness for dessert. It's an easy recipe that brings forth the rich flavor of butternut squash and is sure to earn a semi-permanent place at the holiday table.
How to Create Holiday Tabletops on a Budget
Makeover #3: Packaged Mashed Potatoes
The process of mixing fresh potatoes into a decadently creamy whip can take up precious cooking time and requires a little arm work, but it's well worth it to avoid the soup-like byproduct typical of packaged mashed potatoes. There are also unexpected delicious potato substitutes, such as cauliflower, that could trick even your Idaho-dwelling grandma into thinking she's eating the real thing.
The alternative: Creamy Cauliflower Puree is not your mama's mashed potatoes, but boy are they tasty. The puree turns out smooth and delicious. It's rich without a lot of added fat and has a nice robust flavor.
4 more delicious Thanksgiving dish makeovers!
More from Divine Caroline:
Is Christmas Ruining Thanksgiving?
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What the Day of the Week Says About Your Relationship
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