Get your stretchy pants ready– Thanksgiving is here!
Thanksgiving is one of my favourite holidays because it if 100% centered around food. Turkey, stuffing, roasted vegetables, and pumpkin pie are the traditional Thanksgiving comfort foods that everyone enjoys this time of year. And while I love eating all these foods, it is a lot of work if you are celebrating solo or with a special person–which is he case for many people across the country who perhaps travel home to be with family. So this year, I am planning a special Thanksgiving menu for two!
These recipes are simple to make and can be adapted to accommodate small or large crowds. Plus, I am covering all the bases so that you won’t miss out on the traditional tastes of the season! I will be putting out once recipe every day this week to get you prepared (or inspired) for Thanksgiving Day on October 8th. I will also be adding in a bonus decor and planning post that will help you get ready for the big day! I hope that you enjoy this little series!
For the first recipe in my “Thanksgiving for Two” series, I have this beautiful recipe for Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Shallot & Pancetta. Of course, you have to have a vegetable dish at your Thanksgiving table and this one comes together very quickly and easily. Plus, this is all make in one frying pan on the stove top, which frees up oven space for other dishes.
Brussels sprouts are a traditional vegetable to serve throughout the fall and winter as it comes into season in late September. Typically, brussels sprouts are boiled and are topped off with some butter–which is tasty, but you can easily overcook these (and this is likely the reason many people dislike brussels sprouts). I put a spin on it’s preparation by finely chopping the brussels sprouts and frying them until they have slightly softened, but still have a bit of bite to them. Plus, that electric vibrant green colour is gorgeous!
I opted to fry the sprouts with pancetta instead of bacon as it has a milder but slightly smokey taste. Additionally, it’s much less fatty than bacon, so I’m saving you a few calories LOL! I also chose shallots over traditional onions again because shallots have a milder onion flavour that won’t overpower the brussels sprouts. The combination is simply perfect!
But the whole dish is enhanced by the addition of one ingredient: a dash of apple cider vinegar. The vinegar adds a bit of sharp tartness, that really brings all the flavours of this dish to life. It is definitely a game changer, and while you can make this recipe without it, I highly recommend adding it to give the sprouts additional flavour!
While my recipe serves 4 people, you can easily cut the ingredient amounts in half, making this perfect for two people (with a bit of leftovers). Alternatively, you can double or even triple the recipe if you need to if you are accommodating a large crowd!
You can find the full recipe for my Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta & Shallots at this link here! Stay tuned for another Thanksgiving recipe tomorrow 🙂
