Today’s Post
Growing up Danish-American means you get to celebrate ALL the holidays and as a kid, there’s nothing better than getting to participate in lots of fun traditions every year. Since most of those traditions revolve around food, they’re also holidays that we still love to celebrate as adults. Thanksgiving for us is a time between Halloween and Christmas to gather with our family and eat classic American Thanksgiving food, like turkey and pumpkin pie. It’s basically just another excuse to cook all day and enjoy a big meal together, play some board games, and hang out. We know that many of you are looking forward to Thanksgiving this year, so today, we wanted to share with you some of our Skandibaking suggestions for your 2023 Thanksgiving menu!
1. Bread
Now, with everything there is to cook and prepare on the day of Thanksgiving, buying bread from the store seems like the most logical choice. We support this, of course, but at the same time, there’s just something special about homemade bread! Plus, we can promise you that it doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming. You can easily make it the day before and just reheat it in the oven for 5-10 minutes before dinnertime. Our recipes below are perfect for the Thanksgiving table, whether you’re looking for a beautiful autumnal centerpiece, super savory ham and cheese rolls, or some soft and buttery carrot rolls. Guests are sure to be impressed and bread is a great accompanying dish to a big plate of turkey and all the trimmings!
2. Potatoes
There’s one vegetable that’s an absolute must-have at the Thanksgiving table, and it’s not green beans or brussels sprouts, or even sweet potatoes. No, it’s just regular old potatoes! Why? Well, they’re simply the perfect vessel to scoop up gravy and balance out the other flavors on your plate. They’re also an integral part of a Danish Christmas dinner for the same reasons! We love potatoes but how should you make them for Thanksgiving? You could go for a classic mashed potato, which we certainly support. But why not top them with a bit of bacon and spring onion, or make what’s known in Danish as brændende kærlighed (burning love)? Alternatively, you could try out the texturally amazing Swedish creation called hasselbackspotatis or make a deliciously creamy scalloped potato dish. All three options are perfect for your Thanksgiving dinner and they’re all linked below!
3. Salads
Looking for something a little bit lighter to accompany a heavy Thanksgiving meal? Salads are the perfect choice, especially because they can be made with whatever vegetables your family likes or whatever you can find that’s in season. We love an autumnal roasted beet and walnut salad, which brings all the comfort but still adds freshness and lightness to the meal. An alternative is our nectarine and prosciutto salad, which is a bit heavier but so delicious that you truly can’t go wrong. The key to a salad on the Thanksgiving table is that it has to be so tasty that it can compete with the other dishes. You don’t want to serve a bowl of limp lettuce because nobody will eat it! Take it from us, these two options are perfect and will be a hit with anyone.
4. Desserts
Last but certainly not least (and we mean certainly!), it’s time for dessert. This is an essential part of Thanksgiving dinner, even though you are probably so stuffed at this point that it’s hard to imagine eating more. Personally, I can’t relate – dessert is always my favorite part of every meal – but even if that’s how you feel, the desserts we have listed for you below are irresistible. We’ve got options for you, including all the autumn flavors like apple and pumpkin, something for the chocolate lovers, and easy-to-share cookies. Whether you’re heading to a Friendsgiving this week or hosting your family for Thanksgiving next week, one of these is the perfect dessert. Pick one and enjoy wow-ing your guests!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks for reading this far. We hope you’ve gotten some inspiration for your celebration this year, whether it’s an idea for tweaking one of your existing recipes or you’ve decided to let one of our recipes make an appearance at your table this year. While the holiday has a somewhat negative history, it’s a nice time to gather with family and/or friends to spend time together. Alternatively, it might be a tough time of year for you, and that’s okay too. Either way, we wish you the best and hope you have a nice holiday!
