6 Outrageous Turkey Alternatives For Your Thanksgiving Feast
The best way to roast a turkey, stuff a turkey, fry a turkey — those tips are out there everywhere. But, for those of us who aren't big fans of the traditional big bird, what else can we serve in the centerpiece of our Thanksgiving feast?
Here are some of our top picks.
1. Lamb Meat Loaf In Mini Pumpkins: We can all agree that those little orange pumpkins you peep in a big bin in the Meijer produce sections would look cute a decor — but this idea kicks it up a notch. In her blog, The Tomato Tart,
Key ingredients: Ground lamb, fresh cilantro, and potimarron or other edible pumpkin-looking a squash.
Bonus: It's gluten-free, my friends! [More gluten free recipes].
2. Holiday Vegetable Loaf: As long as we're doing a loaf, why not go all the way? An ad by the Atlantic Commission Company catches the eye with its bright colors and many unidentifiable ingredients. Sadly (not really) we could not find a recipe to perfectly recreate this, but we found something that might be close, and that appears more palatable. [See the recipe].
Key ingredients: Lentils, kale and flax.
Bonus: It's vegan, if you're into that.
3. Pumpkin Lasagna: For you pumpkin loving people who don't eat animals, this one looks pretty good — with an Italian twist. FoodandWine.com says you can even used canned pumpkin and it'll turn out great. [See the recipe].
Key ingredients: No-boil lasagna noodles, Swiss chard, heavy cream
Bonus: It's pretty quick to prep and bake.
4. The Mighty Duck: This has nothing to do with ice hockey, to be clear, and comes to us from celebrity chef Alton Brown. It could be yummy, but first you'll have to "remove the pop-up thermometer, liver, gizzards and heart," "cut off the wings" and "locate the spine," according to the recipe via FoodNetwork.com. Who's hungry? [See the recipe].
Key ingredients: Long Island Duck, 15 whole black peppercorns (yes, you must count them out), shallots
Bonus: Potentially annoy Red Wings fans
5: Slow Cooker Squirrel: Yes, this is a legit recipe and no, it's not legal to shoot these fluffy creatures your suburban backyard. Bobbie Jo, who posted it at Allrecipes.com, says this "is for those of us who are hunters and are more of the country ilk." Alrighty then. [See the recipe].
Key ingredients: Skinned squirrels, potatoes, medium head of cabbage
Bonus: More acorns for you.
6. Tuna Fish Mold: Here's another from the retro recipe box that's super easy to make! The bad news is, the recipe we found includes an absolutely expired mail-in order card for the metal mold you'll need to make it — but the good news is we found it for sale on ebay. [See the recipe].
Key ingredients: 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin, A1 sauce, mayonnaise
Bonus: It has a face. [More weird retro recipes].
So, would you consider any of these above? If not, check out this list of delicious Thanksgiving turkey alternatives by FoodandWine.com, or this one by Eating Well. No matter what you make, enjoy.
