Thanksgiving Day 2011: Top Easy, Healthy Recipes for Your Holiday Menu

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb. frozen french-cut green beans (about 4 cups)
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tbs. canola oil, divided
• 1 medium sweet onion, half diced and half sliced
• 8 oz. mushrooms, chopped
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 tb. buttermilk
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 tb. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 1/4 tsps. salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 2 1/2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook, stirring often, until softened and slightly translucent, about 4 minutes.
3. Stir in mushrooms, onion powder, 1 teaspoon salt, thyme and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the mushroom juices are almost evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle 1/3 cup flour over the vegetables; stir to coat. Add milk and bring to a simmer, stirring often.
4.  Stir in green beans and return to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in sour cream and buttermilk. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
5. Whisk the remaining 1/3 cup flour, paprika, garlic powder and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Add sliced onion; toss to coat.
6. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion along with any remaining flour mixture and cook, turning once or twice, until golden and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Spread onion topping over the casserole.
7. Bake the casserole until bubbling, about 15 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Our Mashed Potato Recipe: Miracle Mash

If you prefer, you can nix the garlic from this recipe, but it's definitely what makes this recipe so special to us. The trick to this recipe is mixing cauliflower with potato-- it has the same texture, and is a lot healthier for you. The time spent peeling spuds meanwhile, can now be spent relaxing and spending time with family, and that's what every Thanksgiving day should be.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 medium-sized russet potato (about 12 oz.)
• 5 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 head)
• 3 tbsp. fat-free half & half
• 2 tbs. light whipped butter or buttery spread
• 1/2 tsp. salt, or more to taste
• Optional: roasted garlic, black pepper, chopped chives

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stove.
2. While waiting for the water to boil, peel and cube the potato, and break up the cauliflower florets.
3. Add potato and cauliflower to boiling water. Return to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium. Cook until potato and cauliflower are very tender, 15 - 20 minutes.
4. Drain water and transfer potato and cauliflower to a large bowl. To the bowl, add half & half, butter, and salt. Mash until completely blended.
5. If you like, season with pepper, additional salt, garlic and chives.

Our Stuffing Recipe: Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing

Cornbread stuffing is a Southern favorite, and a welcome change from traditional white-bread stuffing. This recipe cuts two-thirds of the fat of a regular homemade of store-bought stuffing, all while still giving you a Thanksgiving side with some delicious textures and flavors.