Thanksgiving is Coming, Are You Ready?



When you think of Thanksgiving, what comes to mind?  For me, it's always a table filled beyond belief with everyone's favorite dishes!  While I know the turkey is typically the main attraction... it's not what I look most forward to when it's time to sit down to this special meal... it's the side dishes!  These are dishes that we don't always get to enjoy during the year.

These dishes are often very rich and more calories than we typically want to eat on a normal day.  I'm all for indulging, but when every single dish on the table is an indulgence all on the same day... it can not only overwhelm your plate, but also you plan to stick to a healthier eating plan throughout the year.

I decided to take the challenge from Unilever and try using a couple of their spreads in dishes that I plan to share at our Thanksgiving dinner.  Since their spreads have at least 70% less saturated fat than butter, 30% fewer calories than butter and no cholesterol, and they also have 0g trans fat per serving and NO partially hydrogenated oils... using them would be a great way to make my dishes a bit healthier for everyone at our family gathering.

I started by using some Country Crock spread, which is a product I normally have in my fridge already to come up with a compound spread to add to the dinner rolls that we usually serve.  With some added dried herbs and seasonings, the flavor was amped up and absolutely delicious!  A perfect accompaniment to a holiday meal, or even a special dinner to be shared with friends or family.

Homemade-Herbed-Spread
The second dish I wanted to work on was a pan-roasted butternut squash.  I have always oven-roasted it in the past, but this time I wanted to try it on the stove-top.  This would eliminate the problem of having too many dishes that require oven space at the same time when the the bird is still roasting away.

Rather than using olive oil, I opted to try Promise spread.  I began by allowing the spread to melt in my pan and get nice and golden before adding my cut up squash.  This dish takes patience, which works out well when you have many other dishes requiring attention during a holiday meal.  As the squash begins to brown and soften in the pan, use tongs to flip it over.  What a gorgeous addition to the holiday table!

Pan-Roasted-Butternut-Squash





Homemade Herbed Butter

Recipe by Patsyk
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup Country Crock Spread
  • 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Cooking Directions
  1. Using a fork combine all 3 ingredients until well mixed. Then, place in a small glass container and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to serve on warm dinner rolls or crusty bread.





Pan-Roasted Butternut Squash

Recipe by Patsyk
Ingredients
  • 1 large (about 1-1/2 to 2 pounds) butternut squash, peeled and cubed
  • 3 tablespoons Promise spread
  • 1/4 cup fresh Rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Cooking Directions
  1. Heat a large non pan over medium heat; then, add the Promise spread and allow to melt.
  2. Add the cubed butternut squash and sprinkle with the Rosemary and Kosher salt. Allow to cook on medium heat for about 5-8 minutes on the first side - until it has begun to brown. Then, using tongs, turn each piece over and allow to continue to cook until browned; repeat until the squash has become softened and browned.
  3. Serve immediately.





Thank you to Good to Know & Unilever Spreads for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

This post was written before the horrific storm came through last week.  Now that I have internet back, I'm working on a post about what the past week has been like and some suggestions on how you might be able to help those who lost the most. 

Follow Me on Pinterest Bookmark and Share Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

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