Wholesome Thanksgiving: Recipes & Recommendations

As days grow shorter and temperatures chillier, bright fall colors remind us that celebration is on its way! Read on for nourishing & nutrient-dense recipes to delight your tribe as you gather to give thanks.

Look for the 🥂 icon signifying recipes that can be made ahead.
All items listed below can be found in the Wholesome Thanksgiving section of the online store.
Please note that some items are not available for shipping.

APPETIZERS:

🥂 Mini Turkey Meatballs with Curried Cranberry Sauce - make meatballs with ground turkey and pastured eggs. For the cranberry dipping sauce, make with maple syrup and don't hesitate to keep life simple and choose a clean brand of canned cranberry sauce instead of making it from scratch! 

🥂 Dinner Roll Crostini - make with gluten-free dinner rolls and serve with spreadable cheese, toasted nuts, & dried cranberries

🥂 Festive Cheese Board - include dried and fresh fruits, raw milk cheese varieties, and J&L Green Farm pastured Canadian bacon slices cut into strips, rolled, and secured with toothpicks.

🥂 Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque with Easy Homemade Croutons - make this bisque with butternut squash from our farm's garden, grass-fed butter in place of olive oil, and pastured chicken broth or turkey broth instead of vegetable broth for deeper flavor and added protein; also consider grass-fed whole milk instead of half & half -- it's super creamy! Make croutons from gluten-free bread or Laura's Sourdough Bread, and grass-fed butter.

MAIN COURSE:

J&L Green Farm Whole Pastured Turkey, Turkey Combo, or 2lb Skin-On Breast - find our defrosting, brining, and cooking suggestions for pastured turkey here.

J&L Green Farm Smoked Holiday Ham or Canadian Bacon Slices - glaze with our farm's 100% pure black walnut syrup, raw wildflower honey, or local maple syrup; find our cooking & glazing suggestions here.

J&L Green Farm Holiday Giant - our 10+lb whole chickens are a delicious alternative (or addition!) to holiday turkey.

Our Absolute FAVORITE Kitchen Knife - you need a knife you LOVE in your kitchen! This is our all-time FAVORITE knife for effortless poultry processing, meat carving, and all-purpose kitchen use.

SIDES:

Roasted Butternut Squash with Black Walnut or Maple Glaze - make with butternut squash from our farm garden, and Black Walnut syrup from our farm or maple syrup. (To print recipe, bypass all printing pop-ups and just use the "Print Recipe" button included with the recipe itself at the end of the article)

🥂 Green Bean Casserole - make with pastured chicken broth or turkey broth, pastured lard, and pastured eggs. Consider substituting grass-fed whole milk for half & half; it's super creamy! Make-ahead instructions are included in the recipe.  

Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls or Laura's Sourdough Bread - serve with grass-fed butter

Sourdough Stuffing with Sausage - make with Laura's Sourdough Bread, grass-fed butter, pastured chicken broth or turkey broth, and pork loose breakfast sausage (or turkey loose breakfast sausage (sugar free) or pork loose breakfast sausage (sugar free)!)

Gluten-Free Traditional Stuffing - make with gluten-free artisan bread, pastured chicken broth or turkey broth, and pastured eggs

🥂 Homemade cranberry sauce - sweeten with raw wildflower honey

Pastured Giblet Gravy - make with pastured giblets (neck, heart & liver are included inside your turkey, purchase gizzards separately), pastured lard, and pastured chicken broth or turkey broth

DESSERT:

Vanilla Pudding with Pumpkin Pie Spice - make with grass-fed milk and pastured eggs; sprinkle pumpkin pie spice (or a mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and/or allspice) on top for a Thanksgiving twist.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding - make with gluten-free bread or Laura's Sourdough Bread, and pastured eggs

 🥂 Homemade Pie Crust - make with pastured lard for incredible flakiness...and the healthy fats, vitamins, and essential nutrients that make pastured pork lard one of the world's top 10 nutritious foods (really!)

🥂 Cookie Platter - Laura's Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

🥂 Hot Apple Cider - sweeten with raw wildflower honey, and use local cider or Simply Apple brand juice (in the refrigerated section of the grocery store) for best results