I honor that, and I don’t want you to take offense when I say this, but… traditionally? I hate Thanksgiving. Growing up as a vegetarian in a meat-eating family, I had a hard time at family gatherings around the holidays. Meat was always the main attraction and sides were often an afterthought. And then, of course, there was the constant commentary from my Pa Pa George. “Why aren’t you eating the turkey?” he’d always ask me, even though he knew the answer. Simply put, Thanksgiving has always been more stressful for me than it’s been relaxing. But now that I’m an adult and I’m in control of my own Thanksgiving meals? Okay, I’m starting to come around a little. Turns out Thanksgiving sides are kind of amazing when they’re done right. Mashed potatoes and gravy have become the highlight of my holiday season, now that I’ve learned you can make vegan gravy, which is something I never had at Thanksgiving dinners as a kid. So vegans and vegetarians, whether you love Thanksgiving or you’re like me and the jury’s still out, this one goes out to you. I tested out some of the most fabulous vegan recipes for sides and desserts to really up your Thanksgiving dinner game. While Thanksgiving still isn’t my favorite holiday, foods like this definitely make the holiday a lot better. The other thing you should know is that I’m really bad at taking pictures of food. I know how to cook, but a food photographer I am not, so please excuse the lack of attractive photos in this blog post. I took a couple, but you’re just going to have to trust me that the food looked delicious, even if the pictures don’t convey that. Sorry friends! Okay, now on to the categories. First, brussels sprouts. Growing up, I didn’t eat a lot of brussel sprouts because my mom hated them. But now they’re one of my favorite foods and a must-have at any holiday meal. The idea of getting to try out three different brussels recipes? A dream. So that had to go on the list. Next up: potatoes. Mashed potatoes have always been my #1 must-have for Thanksgiving. No mashed potatoes? I’m not coming. So I tried out two mashed potatoes recipes. And because I know there’s a raging debate about whether mashed potatoes or sweet potato casserole is the appropriate holiday dish (or at least there is in my family), I included a sweet potato casserole recipe. Let’s settle the debate once and for all. Finally, pumpkin. I know we already have a pumpkin pie showdown here at Book Riot, so I wanted to take a different angle: some alternatives to pumpkin pie for dessert. I tried a vegan pumpkin pie, sopaipillas, and pumpkin coconut halwa. After I picked out all the recipes, I invited a group of friends over to try everything out. Thanksgiving is supposed to be all about gathering your loved ones together. And since I am clearly going to be biased towards mashed potatoes, I wanted to get some other opinions. So how did it all go? Read on to find out!
A Note About Proteins
Because we had soooo many sides (and because quinoa does have some protein in it as well, making that dish sort of a main), I didn’t make any protein dishes for this taste test. But I do have a lot of opinions about Thanksgiving proteins for vegans/vegetarians, and I’ve tested out quite a few. My winner for vegan “mains” on Thanksgiving? Honestly, with 35 grams of protein per serving, you can’t go wrong with the classic Tofurky. I also think it just tastes better than its competitors. They also make a delicious veggie ham if that’s more your speed. Another interesting thing about this recipe: I boiled the garlic with the potatoes? I had never done this for mashed potatoes before. I usually fry the garlic and then add it in after. Texture wise (and taste wise) this was very different. A note about mashed potatoes: when I’m making a big meal, I feel like I always get the timing wrong on mashed potatoes. I always think boiling potatoes is going to take a super long time, so it’s always the first thing I do. But by the time I finish everything else, it seems like the potatoes have been done for a long time and they’ve gotten cold. But friends, that didn’t happen today. Not because these took so long, but rather, everything else I made ended up being so easy and quick. So nice to have fresh mashed potatoes that are still warm! I skipped a step and bought cubed sweet potatoes because my least favorite thing about cooking is cutting up vegetables. Then I roasted them and smashed them together with the rest of the ingredients and then baked it to crisp everything up again. Here’s where things got wild. This recipe called for a full cup of brown sugar. Now, for the most part for the sake of the experiment, I tried to stick strictly to the recipes as written. But one whole cup? When sweet potatoes are already sweet? I made a quick decision and cut it in half. Did I do the right thing? I think yes. I’m going to chalk this one up to user error. The Instant Pot heated up the pumpkin before I’d finished all the other steps and so it ended up getting a little too brown and, well, burnt. One thing I don’t think was user error: I was a little disappointed that this one didn’t taste more like coconut. This has shredded coconut in it, which added some texture for sure, but I didn’t taste it. This also wasn’t very sweet. I would definitely try this one again and see what it tastes like when done correctly (if I can even figure it out!). What can I say? I’m an Instant Pot newbie. Well… yes and no. My husband ended up being a big fan of this one, but I think everyone agreed that texture-wise, this could have been a little thicker. This recipe called for silken tofu and cornstarch, so next time, I miiiight try adding a little more cornstarch to see what happens. There’s also a really great looking vegan pumpkin cheesecake recipe I might want to try out next time as well. If you’re looking for a main that takes a little less prep time, Beyond Sausage is ridiculously good. I recommend their spicy sausage patties. I’m kind of obsessed.
