Light traditional holiday recipes

Elizabeth_C34
Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
edited October 5 in Food and Nutrition
Hi folks!

So Christmas this year is at our house with 14 people to feed. I love spending time cooking for the holidays, and normally my menu is the following, all homemade:

Appetizers/Starters:
homemade vegetable soup
homemade lentil and cream soup

Meats:
2 turkeys, one basted in barbecue, the other plain baked
1 large smoked ham (I :heart: my smoker, btw)

Side dishes:
Homemade mashed potatoes with fresh garlic and lots of butter
candied yams (sweet potato casserole with marshmellows and sugar)
green beans usually cooked in a ham hock and bacon crumbles
homemade cranberry paste (a lot like cranberrry sauce but thicker and chunkier - made with lots of sugar)
spoonbread (basically like a very thick grits cooked like a casserole)
deviled eggs (2 dozen)
homemade brown and white gravy
homemade sourdough rolls

Desserts:
2 pecan pies
1 homemade cheesecake
oatmeal, walnut, and raisin cookies
gingerbread loaf (homemade)
1 red velvet cake (3 layers with homemade buttercream icing)

As you can tell, this is not exactly the most weight-mangement friendly meal. I'm looking for some leaner alternatives to the traditional holiday meals. For the baked goods, I do not want to use articial sweetners because they irritate my stomach, so I need to find ways to trim down the calories without using them.

I'd love to get some suggestions from fellow cooks. I do want to stick to the more traditional holiday items (but leaner), but am open to adding a few new dishes to the mix.

Replies

  • mbond6
    mbond6 Posts: 27 Member
    I live for Holiday cooking, lol. I really would love to say oh substitute this low fat recipie however im not going to, you may just try adding a fresh green salad, a fruit salad. In addition I would add a lite desert, maybe a jello. It gives a couple of options taht are low in calories just to kind of split up some of the other items, But go for it its one day, send all leftovers with guests so you are not tempted. Happy Holidays.
  • Umeboshi
    Umeboshi Posts: 1,637 Member
    Can I come over? Please? Your holiday menu looks ridiculously delicious.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    I live for Holiday cooking, lol. I really would love to say oh substitute this low fat recipie however im not going to, you may just try adding a fresh green salad, a fruit salad. In addition I would add a lite desert, maybe a jello. It gives a couple of options taht are low in calories just to kind of split up some of the other items, But go for it its one day, send all leftovers with guests so you are not tempted. Happy Holidays.

    I make a wonderful walnut apple salad with cranberries that I never even thought would be a holiday item. That would definitely work. :smile:

    I see what you mean about not worrying about it, but I pretty much love everything I cook on the holidays. I'd like to find ways to trim it down a little just to maintain myself.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    Can I come over? Please? Your holiday menu looks ridiculously delicious.

    Absolutely! The more the merrier! :)
  • jenvic
    jenvic Posts: 13 Member
    :smile: It's one day out of the month. Enjoy it. You should enjoy all the delicious foods, in portion control. Just go for a nice run that day.
  • velarneyraptor
    velarneyraptor Posts: 94 Member
    I agree that you should try and enjoy yourself for one day; you have 355 other days to worry about being super healthy...

    I mean, don't go overboard, but atleast chose one of those things on your list that you really enjoy and don't beat yourself up for indulging in it.
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    Honestly, as long as you are using quality ingredients, I wouldn't change much up. Use real natural butter, not margarine, for example. Fresh natural cream.

    I would add some awesome veggies though - broccoli, asparagus, brussel sprouts, wilted spinach or kale, roasted root veggies (turnips, parsnips, celery root) which you could mash with the taters, et cetera.

    And you can always still have some of those things on there, like the sweet potatoes, but make them in a different fashion. Like green beans I love to blanch then sautee in a little EVOO with some fresh garlic and some pepper.

    Like someone else said, this is one day. Enjoy it and don't stress out over the food. :)

    Lastly, I'm curious about the lentil soup recipe and your home smoked ham. I got the bf a smoker for his bday so we're learning how to do various things.
  • lilac67
    lilac67 Posts: 311
    You might get some ideas here

    http://www.eatingwell.com/search/apachesolr_search/lightened up thanksgiving favorites
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