TLS Recipes for Your Thanksgiving Table

By Ashley Purnell

If you’re the one tasked with preparing a Thanksgiving feast for your family, we’re here to help. We know how stressful it can be planning an entire menu or even delegating who is bringing what dish. Not to mention the added stress of trying to find healthy alternatives to Thanksgiving classics when you’re following the low GI lifestyle that TLS Weight Loss Solution encourages. Luckily, there are AMAZING recipes from TLS that will be a welcome addition to your Thanksgiving table. Read on to discover your new favorite Thanksgiving dish.  

Side Dishes:

Holiday Stuffing

(SS, CC)

Serves 12

  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 2 cups parsley
  • 1 large green bell pepper
  • 7 cups celery, chopped
  • 2 cups onions, chopped
  • 12 slices whole grain bread
  • 1 egg
  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • 4 tsp chicken broth
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube

Allow loaf of bread to dry out by sitting on counter or coking in oven, then cut or crumble into cubes. Sauté onions, pepper and celery in oil until soft with. Add parsley and cook for 1 minute or until wilted. Add seasonings and TBSP of bouillon cube. Mix the vegetables and the bread. Add 1 cup of broth (or water), stir and taste. Adjust seasoning. If you are going to stuff poultry with it, leave it on the dry side because it will absorb a lot of juices during cooking. Add 1 egg and mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until brown on the top

 

Cranberry-Apple Stuffing

(SS, CC)

Serves 12

  • ½ cup dried apricots
  • ½ TBSP salt
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • 6 cups cubed whole grain bread
  • 8 links turkey bacon
  • ½ cup liquid egg substitute
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 2 TBSP parsley
  • 5 medium granny smith apples
  • 2 yellow onions, chopped
  • 1 TBSP unsalted butter
  • 8oz vegetable stock

Preheat oven to 350. Toast bread cubes until light golden color, about 12-15 minutes; set aside and cool. Increase temperature to 375 degrees. Place turkey bacon in a heavy saucepan. On stovetop, cook over medium heat until the bacon starts to brown. Remove from pan; chop into small diced pieces and reserve. Melt butter in the saucepan. Add onions and sauté until golden brown, and then add bacon, apples and celery. Cook 3-5 minutes, stirring continuously. Spray 13×9 baking dish and add toasted bread, vegetable mixture and broth to a large bowl. Mix in herbs, seasonings, fruit, and eggs. Transfer to baking dish. Cover with foil, sprayed with cooking spray. Cook 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top is browned, about 20 minutes.

Green Bean Casserole

(SS, CC)

  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • Black pepper
  • 1 pound green beans (drained if using canned)
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • ¼ cup low-fat milk
  • ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 ½ cup cream of mushroom soup

Mix the soup, milk, onion powder, black pepper, soy sauce and green beans in a 1½ quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until hot. Stir the green bean mixture. Top with oats. Bake for 5 minutes.

Lemon Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan

(RR, SS, CC)

Serves 6

  • 1 lemon zest
  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • ½ TBSP salt
  • ¼ cup parmesan
  • 2 ½ bunch asparagus
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • ¼ tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a roasting pan, toss asparagus with the oil, garlic lemon zest, salt, pepper and red pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes, tossing occasionally until brown. Drizzle lemon juice to taste over asparagus. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese before serving.

Macaroni and Cheese

  • (SS, CC)
  • 1 cup onions, chopped
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 4 cups whole wheat elbow pasta
  • 1 cup fat-free cottage cheese
  • 2 TBSP whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp yellow mustard
  • 2 cups low-fat cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup skim milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and rinse. Puree cottage cheese in food processor. Whisk together 1 cup of milk, whole wheat flour and mustard in a small bowl until smooth. Cook chopped onions in 1 tsp oil until softened then whisk in flour mixture and cook until thickened. Remove mixture from heat. Whisk in cottage cheese, grated cheddar cheese, and salt and pepper. Stir in pasta and transfer to a baking dish. Bake 30 minutes until hot and lightly browned. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Mashed Cauliflower

(RR, SS, CC)

Serves 4

  • ¼ cup skim milk
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 1 dash pepper and salt
  • ¼ cup chicken stock (optional)

Boil cauliflower until tender. Roast garlic until soft. Drain cauliflower, add garlic and mash. Add salt and pepper to taste and flavor with milk or chicken stock.

 

Sinless Desserts

Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding

(SS, CC)

Serves 8

  • 6 slices 9-grain bread
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • ½ cup slivered almonds
  • 4 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups low-fat milk
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 2 TBSP cinnamon
  • 3 TBSP vanilla extract
  • 1 apple, chopped
  • 2 TBSP canola oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray an 8” square baking pan with cooking spray. Break bread into small pieces and place in baking dish. Mix applesauce and oil, and drizzle over bread. Sprinkle with almonds. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Add chopped apple and egg mixture to bread and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up egg mixture. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

*Before baking, you can sprinkle a mixture of cinnamon and stevia (or Splenda) over the top

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Serves 8

  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup Splenda (or stevia)
  • 4 cups grated unsweetened chocolate
  • 9 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch spring-form pan. Put the chocolate and butter into the top of a double boiler and heat over 1 inch of simmering water until melted. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the Splenda in a mixing bowl until light yellow in color. Whisk a little of the chocolate mix into the egg to temper the eggs (this keeps the eggs from scrambling from the heat of the chocolate) then whisk in the rest of the chocolate mixture. Beat the egg whites in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks from and fold into the chocolate mixture. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until the cake is set, the top starts to crack and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes and remove the sides of the pan.

Mixed Berry Crumble

Serves 8

  • ½ oz. cinnamon
  • 1/3 oz. unsweetened cranberry juice
  • 8 almonds, chopped
  • 1 packet Splenda
  • ½ cup cherries without pits
  • 1 ½ cup unthawed frozen boysenberries
  • ¾ cup eziekal or Kasha Go Lean Crunch cereal

In a large saucepan, combine berries, juice, cinnamon and Splenda. Cook on high 2-4 minutes or until fruit is tender. In a bowl, mix cereal and almonds for a crumble topping. Place fruit in bowl and sprinkle cereal mix with almonds over each.

Vanilla-Cranberry Bread

(Servings: 10)

  • 1 cup oats
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • ¼ cup whipped cream cheese
  • 2 egg whites
  • ¼ cup almond milk
  • 7 oz. apple sauce
  • 2 tsp. coconut oil
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 servings TLS Whey Protein Shake – Vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all ingredients, whisking until smooth. Coat bread pan with cooking spray. Pour batter and bake for 30-35 minutes.

 

What is your favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner? Share with us in the comments below.