If you’re planning to scale back your holiday celebrations, you’re definitely not alone. More than a third of Americans are doing the same, Ina Garten included. Luckily for us, the Barefoot Contessa shared her favorite recipes for a simple, smaller Thanksgiving on Instagram last week.
“I’m cooking a week of SIDES for a Micro Thanksgiving this year,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “I’m doing the classics but with a modern twist—balancing dishes that are crunchy, creamy, savory and sweet to go with my favorite (small!) roast turkey recipe. It may be a different Thanksgiving this year, but it will still be celebratory and delicious!!”
So far, she’s shared side recipes for haricots verts with hazelnuts and dill, chipotle smashed sweet potatoes, herb and apple bread pudding and potato fennel gratin. The green beans look crisp, herbaceous and festive. The sweet potatoes only call for eight ingredients, including salt and pepper. The bread pudding is the most exciting alternative to traditional stuffing we’ve ever seen. (Ina says stuffing calls for a longer cooking time, which can dry out the turkey, while this pudding bakes separately and quickly.) And the potatoes are not only creamy and loaded with Gruyère, they can also be assembled ahead of time and baked right before serving.
Ina also shared her alternative to roasting a huge turkey. "Instead of cooking a massive bird this year, I'm roasting an 8-pound turkey which is just right for 4 people," she wrote. "And the good news is, you can season it days ahead, then roast it before dinner in just 1½ hours!" To quote the master herself, how easy is that? Oh, and in case you’re wondering, she also shared *two* seasonal desserts that we’re straight drooling over, including a mod-looking apple crostata and a 10-minute maple pecan pie.
We can’t wait to see what’s next on the menu—maybe her famous mac and cheese that broke the internet? If you can’t take the anticipation, the roasted broccolini and cheddar from her new cookbook, Modern Comfort Food, should hold you over.
