Bacon Wrapped Dark Chocolate Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates

---

Ambitious Kitchen Bacon Wrapped Dark Chocolate & Goat Cheese Stuffed DatesSweet and savory bacon wrapped dark chocolate & goat cheese stuffed dates make a fun, delicious appetizer to serve a crowd. These little bites have hints of dark chocolate, creamy goat cheese, and crispy bacon. They’re guaranteed to impress guests! If I could pick only one appetizer to serve at a party, it would be [...]
The post Bacon Wrapped Dark Chocolate & Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates appeared first on Ambitious Kitchen.
A Sweet Pea Chef 21 Easy Thanksgiving Recipes (with a Healthy Twist!)Traditional Thanksgiving dishes are not very healthy but you can learn how to make them healthy with just a few simple substitutions. These easy Thanksgiving recipes are perfect for those who want to stay healthy on Thanksgiving and enjoy their favorite holiday flavors at the same time. No more guilt and no more stress!

We take our Thanksgiving dinner very seriously around here.
Nothing’s better than enjoying great food with family and friends on Thanksgiving. Adding in a Cowboys game is pretty awesome, too.  Man, I love Thanksgiving!
Since there’s a lot of parts to cook on Thanksgiving, it’s important your recipes are not only absolutely delicious, but are easy to follow and make. Also, if you’re struggling with weight or you don’t know how to make healthy Thanksgiving dishes, I’ve got you covered.
I’ve gathered our family’s favorite easy Thanksgiving recipes to share with you. We absolutely love each and every one of these Thanksgiving recipes and hope you will, too. All these easy Thanksgiving dinner recipes make HEALTHY and delicious dishes. Because yes, friends, it is possible to eat healthy without saying no to all your favorite Thanksgiving flavors.
I’ll teach you how to make your favorite Thanksgiving dishes less heavy and I’ll share with you my best Thanksgiving recipes, including Thanksgiving side dishes, easy Thanksgiving treats, and my delicious and easy Thanksgiving desserts.
How does this sound?
Also, to make your Thanksgiving meal prep easier, I’ll tell you all the tools I use to make easy Thanksgiving food. You know I love to give you useful tips so get ready to learn how to save time and to enjoy a healthy Thanksgiving dinner. I hope these simple Thanksgiving recipes will make your life a little easier because I know the holiday season can be stressful.
One more thing before we get started, the best way to have stress-free holidays is planning. Start by selecting your favorite Thanksgiving recipes from this list to create a menu. Many of these recipes including the Thanksgiving sides, appetizers, and starters can be made ahead of time so you don’t have to worry that you won’t have time to prep and cook all the healthy Thanksgiving recipes you want.

TOOLSET FOR EASY THANKSGIVING RECIPES Before discussing all the best Thanksgiving recipes I gathered for you in this post, let’s take a minute to talk about the tools that will help you to put together a delicious and healthy Thanksgiving menu.
Let’s start with a large skillet. It’s important to have one, especially when you cook for more people. A large skillet will be very helpful when cooking some of the Thanksgiving side dishes. Casserole dishes are also very popular during Thanksgiving because they are easy to make and you can easily cook for a crowd so make sure you have casserole baking dishes for the Thanksgiving recipes. Another useful tool for cooking Thanksgiving sides is a baking sheet. You can use the baking sheet for roasting sweet potatoes or other veggies you can serve as a Thanksgiving side. Now, if you want to prep ahead these easy Thanksgiving recipes, make sure you have your meal prep containers ready. Or your Ziploc bags, gallon freezer bags or whatever airtight container you have for storing food. If you want your Thanksgiving dessert to be a pie, you’ll need a pie plate. And a rolling pin if you want to make a healthy pie crust. As for more general tools and appliances, you’ll need a set of mixing bowls in different sizes, a sharp knife, a digital thermometer to make sure your turkey is perfectly roasted, a sauce pan for the homemade cranberry sauce, and a food processor or blender for all the Thanksgiving recipes that require mixing and blending. Last, but not least, I use a roasting pan to make my turkey.  I only use it for when I roast meats, but it is awesome and really helps the turkey roast perfectly.
7 TIPS FOR MAKING EASY THANKSGIVING MEALS EXTRA DELICIOUS Cooking Thanksgiving dinner can be intimidating, especially if you’ve never done it before. If you want to cook a healthy Thanksgiving dinner, however, rest assured you have nothing to worry about if you make a plan and stick to it.  To help boost your confidence, here are my 7 top tips for having a successful Thanksgiving dinner.
As I already mentioned, the first thing you have to do is to decide on your healthy Thanksgiving menu by selecting your favorite Thanksgiving recipes. This list is a great resource since it has all the Thanksgiving favorites so you don’t have to spend hours researching healthy Thanksgiving recipes. If you want your Thanksgiving dinner to be healthy, make sure you have all the healthy substitutes.  Make sure you have a list of all the healthy alternatives before you go shopping. Olive oil and coconut oil are great butter alternatives. Whole wheat flour, almond flour, and chickpea flour are better than all-purpose flour. Coconut sugar is a great alternative to refined white sugar. And speaking of shopping, plan your grocery shopping at least a week before Thanksgiving to be sure you find fresh and healthy ingredients and you’re not forced to rely on canned and processed ones. Prep ahead. The key to a stress-free Thanksgiving dinner is prepping side dishes ahead of time. Thanksgiving appetizers make ahead recipes are also a good idea. You can prep them a few days or even a week ahead of time and store them in the fridge or in the freezer. Recipes that can easily be made ahead and then served cold or reheated the day of are: Cranberry SauceGreen Bean CasseroleMashed Sweet PotatoesSweet Potato CasserolePecan PieSweet Potato PieIf it’s your first time roasting a turkey and you’re not sure when it’s safe to eat, use your digital thermometer to check the internal temperature. A turkey is done when the internal temperature of the thigh is 165 degrees F. Also, as a general rule, you should cook the turkey approximately 13 minutes per pound. To keep your mashed potatoes warm, you can use your slow cooker. Keep the mashed potatoes on low in the slow cooker for up to 4 hours.   In fact, I even have a recipe for Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes you can use! If you’re not hosting but you want to cook something for Thanksgiving dinner, choose Thanksgiving sides or Thanksgiving desserts because they are easy to transport. And nobody complains they have extra Thanksgiving desserts. Plus you can make them healthy. Same for the sides.
QUICK AND EASY THANKSGIVING RECIPES I hope my tips made you less stressed and more excited for Thanksgiving.
Because you deserve to be excited and stress-free. Also, because it’s Thanksgiving food we’re talking about here so YUM.
Now, are you looking for easy things to make for Thanksgiving? Because I have the best easy Thanksgiving recipes for you.
And I promise these Thanksgiving recipes will make your life a lot easier and a lot healthier. On the list, we have some quick and easy Thanksgiving recipes that you can prep and cook in no time but also some classics that turned into healthy Thanksgiving recipes, some delicious Thanksgiving side dishes, and, of course, desserts for Thanksgiving. Because no festive meal is complete without dessert!
1.      CROCK POT MASHED POTATOES
Do you have a list of mandatory Thanksgiving side dishes? I do. And Parmesan Mashed Potatoes are definitely on that list. These Crock Pot mashed potatoes are dense, full of flavor, and delicious. I could say they are the best Thanksgiving side.
Recipe notes:
Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 10 mins Total time: 30 mins Difficulty: Easy Calories: 306 kcal Get the recipe.
2.      FRESH PUMPKIN ICE CREAM
Is it too early on this list to talk about Thanksgiving desserts? I don’t think so especially since I want to talk about this Fresh Pumpkin Ice Cream. Ice cream for Thanksgiving? Why not? It’s a pumpkin ice cream after all, which, in my book, makes it perfect for Thanksgiving. The homemade pumpkin ice cream is ready in 15 minutes and is gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan so all your guests will be able to enjoy it.
Recipe notes:
Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 4 hrs Total time: 4 hrs 15 mins Difficulty: Easy Calories: 158 kcal Get the recipe.
3.      HEALTHY PECAN PIE
Since I started talking about Thanksgiving desserts, let me tell you a few things about this Healthy Pecan Pie. It’s yummy, obviously. But it’s also made with a clean pie crust which makes it healthy too. And the cinnamon-egg filling poured over pecans is so darn delicious.
Recipe notes:
Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 25 mins Total time: 35 mins Difficulty: Easy Calories: 430 kcal Get the recipe.
4.      EASY TURKEY NOODLE SOUP
When you make a Thanksgiving turkey, you know leftovers are inevitable. If you don’t want to make the same old turkey sandwiches, you can try this Easy Turkey Noodle Soup. It’s yummy, it’s healthy, and it’s a great way to use leftovers.
Recipe notes:
Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 1 hr Total time: 1 hr 10 mins Difficulty: Easy Calories: 273 kcal Get the recipe.
5.      EASY SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
Let’s get back to our healthy Thanksgiving dinner and discuss this Easy Sweet Potato Casserole.  It has sweet layers of crunchy and dense deliciousness. But it’s still healthy because the brown sugar was replaced with coconut sugar and the butter with coconut oil.
Recipe notes:
Prep time: 25 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 45 mins Difficulty: Easy Calories: 487 Get the recipe.
6.      SOUTHERN SWEET POTATO PIE
Do you have a favorite Thanksgiving dessert or you’re like me and you have a couple of favorite Thanksgiving desserts? I like the classic pumpkin pie. But I also love the pecan pie. And this Southern Sweet Potato Pie which is similar to pumpkin pie but lighter and made only with nutmeg and cinnamon for spices. This pie is very easy to make and healthy too.
Recipe notes:
Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 55 mins Total time: 1 hr 15 mins Difficulty: Easy Calories: 329 Get the recipe.
7.      HEALTHY GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
This Healthy Green Bean Casserole is in my top 3 favorite Thanksgiving side dishes. It’s made from scratch with healthy ingredients including homemade crispy onions and mushroom sauce and it’s perfect for prepping ahead. Did I mention it’s darn delicious?
Recipe notes:
Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 25 mins Total time: 45 mins Difficulty: Easy Calories: 221 kcal Get the recipe.
8. BEST HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE
Cranberry sauce is by far my favorite part of Thanksgiving. Don’t worry, it’s still a healthy Thanksgiving if you make the Best Homemade Cranberry Sauce. No more canned cranberry sauce loaded with sugar. This cranberry sauce is made with only healthy ingredients. Aside from cranberries, the cranberries sauce contains – raw honey, pure maple syrup, coconut sugar, and orange juice.
Recipe notes:
Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 25 mins Difficulty: Easy Calories: 78 kcal Get the recipe.
9. BUTTERLESS FLAKY PIE CRUST
I talked about the pecans pie and the Southern sweet potato pie so I have to talk about this Butterless Flaky Pie Crust because this is the crust I use to make those pies. The crust I use for pumpkin pie too. Or any other pie for that matter. You know why? Because it’s super easy to make and it’s healthy, which means you can eat Thanksgiving desserts guilt-free.
Recipe notes:
Prep time: 25 mins Cook time: 25 mins Total time: 50 mins Difficulty: Easy Calories: 282 kcal Get the recipe.
10. LIGHT EGGNOG
 
If you want to have a healthy Thanksgiving menu, you have to think about the beverages too. Start with this Light Eggnog.  It’s creamy, it’s delicious, and you can adjust the flavors to suit your taste.
Recipe notes:
Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 25 mins Difficulty: Easy Calories: 251 kcal Get the recipe.
11.      HOW TO MAKE ROASTED ACORN SQUASH
Learning How to Make Roasted Acorn Squash is a great way to start your Thanksgiving planning. This recipe for acorn squash definitely fits into the quick Thanksgiving recipes category. And the super easy to make category too. Also, you only need 3 ingredients to make roasted acorn squash and refined sugar is not on that list, which makes this roasted acorn squash not only delicious but also healthy.
Recipe notes:
Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 50 mins Total time: 1 hr Difficulty: Easy Calories: 21 kcal Get the recipe.
12. NO-FAIL THANKSGIVING TURKEY
Do you still worry your turkey won’t turn out perfect?  Follow the steps listed in this No-Fail Thanksgiving Turkey post and I guarantee that you and everyone gathered around your Thanksgiving table will love your turkey.
Recipe notes:
Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 2 hrs 30 mins Total time: 2 hrs 40 mins Difficulty: Easy Calories: 194 kcal Get the recipe.
13. THANKSGIVING STUFFING
Add this Thanksgiving Stuffing recipe on your list of simple Thanksgiving recipes and try it. Paired with the turkey, this Thanksgiving side just adds extra yumminess, perfect texture, and amazing flavors to your easy Thanksgiving meals.
Recipe notes:
Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 1 hr 10 mins Difficulty: Easy Calories: 234 kcal Get the recipe.
14. HOMEMADE TURKEY GRAVY
Do you know what goes well with roasted turkey? Homemade Turkey Gravy, of course.  If you were looking for quick Thanksgiving recipes, particularly quick gravy recipes, this is it right here. The gravy can be made while the turkey is resting. Perfect timing I’d say. Also amazing flavors and perfect texture.
Recipe notes:
Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 25 mins Difficulty: Easy Calories: 175 kcal Get the recipe.
15. MASHED SWEET POTATOES
Looking for other vegan Thanksgiving sides with mashed potatoes? How about Mashed Sweet Potatoes? Made with only 3 ingredients, this recipe makes delicious refined sugar free mashed potatoes with amazing cinnamon flavors.
Recipe notes:
Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Difficulty: Easy Calories: 84 kcal Get the recipe.
16. SWEET CORNBREAD
Want some easy Thanksgiving treats? Try my Sweet Cornbread. I call sweet cornbread a treat because it’s perfect for any hour of the day – breakfast, lunch or dinner. And it’s also one of those quick and easy Thanksgiving recipes that is ready before you know it. The texture is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. And don’t get me started on the amazing taste.
Recipe notes:
Prep time: 8 mins Cook time: 16 mins Total time: 24 mins Difficulty: Easy Calories: 109 kcal Get the recipe.
17. HEALTHY MAC AND CHEESE
Healthy Mac and Cheese or, in other words, how to make classic mac and cheese better. Simple changes and you can transform a great dish into the perfect dish. And it’s still considered easy Thanksgiving food because no complicated steps are involved.
Recipe notes:
Prep time: 25 mins Cook time: 25 mins Total time: 50 mins Difficulty: Easy Calories: 337 kcal Get the recipe.
18. HEALTHY PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE
Do you want to make your coffee festive on Thanksgiving? Try my Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte. It’s similar to the one you can buy from Starbucks. Except it’s better because it’s also healthy and cheaper.
Recipe notes:
Prep time: 2 mins Cook time: 5 mins Total time: 7 mins Difficulty: Easy Calories: 290 kcal Get the recipe.
19.      CREAMY PARMESAN CAULIFLOWER MASHED POTATOES
Make this recipe for cauliflower mashed potatoes instead of regular mashed potatoes this Thanksgiving for a low-carb alternative. Easy to alter for paleo and vegan diets.
Recipe notes:
Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 10 mins Total time: 20 mins Difficulty: Easy Calories: 103 kcal Get the recipe.
20. GARLIC PARMESAN GREEN BEANS
I love easy vegetarian Thanksgiving side dishes as you can see. So here’s another one – Garlic Parmesan Green Beans. Made with only 6 ingredients and ready in only 15 minutes, this is one of my go-to quick and easy Thanksgiving recipes. They make my and everybody’s taste buds very happy. Plus, green beans are high in fiber and protein, which means this recipe deserves a place on the healthy Thanksgiving recipes too.
Recipe notes:
Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 10 mins Total time: 15 mins Difficulty: Easy Calories: 81 kcal Get the recipe.
21. LEFTOVER TURKEY SALAD WITH CRANBERRY VINAIGRETTE
This delicious and fresh Leftover Turkey Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette is the perfect healthy recipe for what to do with your Thanksgiving leftovers!
Recipe notes:
Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 8 mins Total time: 13 mins Difficulty: Easy Calories: 316 kcal Get the recipe.
 
This post contains affiliate links for products I highly recommend and use very often.
The post 21 Easy Thanksgiving Recipes (with a Healthy Twist!) appeared first on A Sweet Pea Chef.
A Couple Cooks Favorite Recipes for Processed Foods Made HealthierHow to be healthier? Eat healthy versions of your favorite recipes! Here are examples of processed foods with a healthy makeover.

How to be healthier? One way is to eat a lot of “healthy” food like salads and smoothies–which is a great way to start! But what if you could eat healthier versions of your favorite recipes? Here are our top 8 examples of processed foods with a healthy, real food makeover. From a fancy homemade version of a hot pocket to crispy baked fries to vegan nacho cheese, there’s something for everyone.
Rule #39 in Michael Pollan’s book Food Rules says that you can eat all the junk food you want, as long as you make it yourself. He figures that with the effort required to make it, you’ll indulge only occasionally. This is just how Alex and I feel about our old nostalgic processed foods. After working to minimize the processed foods in our diet, we’ve begun to make many of the foods we used to buy. Ready for our favorite recipes?
Favorite recipes | examples of processed foods made healthy | How to be healthier
Homemade Baked Tater Tots
Love tater tots but not processed foods? Try these homemade tater tots, made simply with potatoes and olive oil and baked until crispy. It’s a bit of a process: you peel and parboil the potatoes until they are slightly tender but not mushy. Then you grate them, mix them with a bit of flour and spices, and form them into nuggets. After brushing the tater tots with olive oil, they’re roasted in a very hot oven, turning occasionally until they’re crispy. Baking them in this manner results in tater tots that are a bit flatter than the traditional fried cylinder, but the flavor is just as good. And honestly, they’re not too terrible for you either, since they’re made simply with potatoes and olive oil!
Tip: Try our homemade baked tater tots as Loaded Tater Tot Nachos — Totchos (shown above).
Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip
Another in our favorite recipes for examples of processed foods made healthier: this Greek yogurt dip is a ranch dip! Made with a few real food ingredients, this healthy snack comes together in just 5 minutes. Alex and I grew up eating that ranch dip that was made of a packet of ranch seasonings (and lots of other preservatives, no doubt) mixed into sour cream. What if ranch dip could be made with real food ingredients and spices from the pantry? This ranch Greek yogurt dip recipe is made with Greek yogurt and spices you’ll likely have in your spice cabinet: no random preservatives here! We love to serve it as a game day snack or kid food to eat with veggies and pretzels. The flavor is fresh and delicious, like a heightened version of the traditional processed stuff!
Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Want to make sweet potato fries in the oven–without using that bag of frozen processed fries? These crispy sweet potato fries require very little oil to brown in the oven. Our secret? We use a little cornstarch to get a perfectly crunchy fry. You’ll also need to bake these sweet potato fries at a high temperature and keep them from touching each other as much as possible while cooking. If you like dipping your fries in something, might we recommend this homemade honey mustard? The combination of sweet potatoes and tangy honey mustard is hard to beat!
Easy Veggie Calzone (Homemade Hot Pocket)
Did you know that before Alex and I learned to cook, I subsisted on Hot Pockets? Yes, back in my college days it was microwaved hot pockets for dinner, most nights! Luckily, there’s a real food version of this that’s way tastier: a calzone! This easy calzone recipe is another in our favorite recipes for examples of processed foods made healthier! It features a homemade pizza dough and a spinach, mushroom, and two-cheese filling. Calzones originated in Naples, Italy (where all the best food comes from) and are essentially a giant pizza pocket. This recipe is made with our Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce, and there’s extra leftover for dipping! You can make your own pizza dough, or substitute purchased dough for a time shortcut.
Crispy Restaurant Style Fries
These crispy baked fries are oven baked and taste just like restaurant french fries! These french fries take a bit of time to chop and roast, but the hot oven takes a russet potato and makes crispy baked fries that rival any restaurant fryer. One of our “secrets” to these crispy baked fries is using powdered mustard as a seasoning with salt and pepper. It brings a savory quality to the french fries that’s just right. Eat with ketchup, or our garlic rosemary aioli sauce!
Vegan Nacho Cheese
You know that plastic looking jar of yellow goo labeled nacho cheese in the grocery? Want to make a healthier version of nacho cheese sauce at home? Our vegan nacho cheese (or vegan queso) is another in our favorite recipes for examples of processed foods made healthier. It’s a cashew cheese sauce recipe that’s ultra simple and delicious. Here, we’ve combined soaked cashews with traditional Mexican flavors. The special ingredient is a can of green chiles, which you should be able to find in most international grocery aisles.  The other ingredients you likely have in your pantry and refrigerator: chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and yellow mustard. Blend together, and you’ll have a delicious nacho cheese sauce that’s like none other.
Creamy Mac and Cheese with Greek Yogurt
This creamy mac and cheese with Greek yogurt is a healthy take on comfort food! With spinach and Parmesan cheese, it’s pure delicious in under 30 minutes. We’ve taken this kid-friendly comfort food and infused it with some immunity-boosting foods. Greek yogurt is stirred in at the end, to give a creamy texture and provide a shot of live and active cultures and protein. Fresh spinach is gently wilted in for all the added nutrients, and turmeric gives a tiny immunity boost and some extra color. The flavor is nuanced with a bit of Parmesan cheese and fresh garlic, which makes the creamy mac and cheese taste a bit more grown up–but still tasty enough for kids!
Better Than Bottled Salad Dressing
And rounding out our list of favorite recipes for examples of processed foods made healthier: homemade salad dressing! Homemade salad dressing is simple to make and comes together in minutes. It tastes delicious and helps to avoid preservatives in store-bought dressings. Making homemade salad dressing is one of the first things Alex and I learned as new cooks. Nothing but a little olive oil and vinegar, and we could have dressing for days. Plus, we could avoid random preservatives and additives and get rid of the age-old crusty bottles of ranch in our refrigerator. Sold! Here’s our best simple vinaigrette recipe.
A Couple Cooks - Recipes for Healthy & Whole Living

---