Thanksgiving dinner.
As you prepare for Thanksgiving, keep the following trends in mind and make sure to avoid recalled food that could ruin the feast. Classic dishes, like green bean casserole and stuffing, will fill many tables this year, but you may want to consider the following new additions.
What to Eat
1. Thanksgiving Classics
Whole roasted turkey dinner for Thanksgiving with all the sides.
You cannot go wrong with a traditional oven-roasted turkey and classic side dishes. However, you may want to join the trend of buying locally sourced food and organic options. According to a Bloomberg Intelligence report, the overall price of Thanksgiving dinner has decreased by 2.3%, but organic has increased by 5%. Bloomberg points out that Aldi has the lowest price.
2. Pumpkin Pie Alternatives
Thanksgiving pumpkin and apple pies.
If you are looking for something different this year, consider changing the pumpkin pie or serving an alternative in addition to this classic dessert. A recent Thanksgiving survey from Instacart revealed that 21% of Americans dislike pumpkin pie but eat it because of tradition. Consider switching to apple, blueberry, pecan and cherry pie, or try a new recipe.
3. Chutney Instead of Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry chutney.
Canned cranberry sauce is one of the most hated Thanksgiving dishes, and 46% of Americans labeled it as “disgusting” in the Instacart survey. Whether you try to make fresh sauce or open a can, it may be time to do something else. Consider making a chutney, which is a mixture of fruits, vegetables and spices that creates a sweet and sour taste. Apple-walnut chutney and cranberry-apple-orange chutney are popular.
What to Avoid
1. Romaine Lettuce
Romaine lettuce.
If you were planning to serve a salad, skip the Romaine lettuce this year. Romaine lettuce from the Salinas, California, area has been recalled, and there is an investigation for E. coli contamination. The recall also includes many packaged salads from different brands, so you may want to check the updated list from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
2. Some Varieties of Breakstone Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese.
Specific varieties of Breakstone Cottage Cheese have been recalled because of the potential for plastic and metal pieces being inside the containers. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a complete list of the recalled products with their code dates.
3. Cheese Nips
Crackers.
Although Cheese Nips are not a classic Thanksgiving dish in most households, they occasionally make an appearance when a fussy toddler refuses to eat the turkey, or a hungry teenager needs a snack before dinner is ready. Mondelēz Global LLC recalled Cheese Nips, in the 11-ounce boxes, because of possible plastic pieces mixing with the product.
As you turn your kitchen into a miniature restaurant this Thanksgiving to feed your loved ones, pay attention to the recalls and consider trying something new or different instead of the classics.