Thanksgiving Recipes With a Jewish Twist - Aish.com (2024)

Gratitude is a very Jewish principle. Thanksgiving is a perfect time to make a list of everything you are grateful for. And if that list includes foods from our yiddishe mamas, even better!

On a day when turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin reign supreme, mixing traditional American dishes with traditional Jewish dishes only elevates the menu. Enjoy coming together with family and friends, sharing foods that have been passed down through generations by all sorts of pilgrims - early Americans and Jews alike.

1. Fresh Cranberry Braised Brisket

Thanksgiving Recipes With a Jewish Twist - Aish.com (1)Wavesinthekitchen.com

Ok, we know turkeys only get this one day a year to gobble and shine, but maybe that’s because no one really likes turkey. Let’s invite an ol’ faithful standby, brisket, to bring the flavor as the showstopping main course this Thanksgiving!! The fresh cranberries in this recipe knock canned cranberries out of the park. And serving a fresh, moist brisket instead of an inevitably-half-dried-out turkey means no one has to politely pretend to enjoy the oversized bird.

If cranberries, fresh or canned, aren’t really your thing, skip them and try this recipe for the best Jewish brisket.

2. Turkey Tajine With Dried Fruit

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Ok fine, maybe brisket for Thanksgiving is just too unorthodox for you. Without compromising on turkey day regulations, you can have your turkey and enjoy it too with this Turkey Tajine recipe.

This aromatic Moroccan stew is the most appetizing turkey dish you can imagine. And using turkey thighs means you’ll get the most flavor and moisture the bird has to offer.

3. Stuffed Cabbage

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This Thanksgiving feast is going to require a stretchy waistband. Stuffed cabbage with sauerkraut (aka holishkes in yiddish) are a Jewish staple that melds seamlessly into any Thanksgiving menu. Beautiful to behold and delicious to chow down on, stuffed cabbage is an ultimate addition to any celebration.

4. Butternut Squash Kugel

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This butternut squash kugel is a melt-in-your-mouth fall side dish. Ok, it might look and taste like dessert, but call this a casserole and have fun sneaking dessert into the meal. They’ll be room for pie later, but it’s Thanksgiving and doubling down is allowed.

5. Apple and Fennel Challah Stuffing

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Is it Thanksgiving without stuffing? Challah is the perfect bread for stuffing, so make some in advance or save some from last shabbos. This apple and fennel challah stuffing is vegetarian and pareve so it pairs perfectly with your Thanksgiving protein of choice (turkey or brisket, we won’t judge).

6. Latke-Crusted Turkey Stuffing Fritters With Liquid Cranberry Core

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Hello, Thanksgiving? It’s Hanukkah calling. I have an idea for you. Latke-crusted turkey stuffing fritters with a liquid cranberry core and schmaltz gravy.

If there’s anything that Thanksgivukkah taught us in the past, it’s that Thanksgiving and Hanukkah food belong together. This is a really unique recipe that hits so many Thanksgiving high notes. Fill ‘em, fry ‘em, soak with gravy. It’s a Thanksgiving culinary miracle.

7. Everything But The Bagel Seasoning Roasted Green Beans

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This crunchy, well-seasoned side dish adds a welcome pop of color to your plate.

And while bagels hold a special place in our hearts, they’re not perfectly suited to the Thanksgiving menu. Honor the Jewish food staple by sprinkling a healthy dose of everything but the bagel seasoning on these roasted green beans.

8. Pumpkin Pie With Middle Eastern Spices

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Dessert time! Pumpkin Pie is a must, but made even better with warm, aromatic Middle Eastern spices. Cardamom, allspice and coriander enliven this pie with a cultural twist. America’s all about its melting pot of flavors and this Pumpkin Pie With Middle Eastern Spices melt perfectly into that pot, and onto our taste buds.

9. Apple Crumble Cake

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Apples and honey. We love them together so much, we sing songs about the combo. They’re a natural pairing that symbolize sweet, sweet blessings. This apple crumble cake tastes so good and is a warm, cozy reminder of the multitude of blessings we have to be thankful for today and everyday. Serve this cake warm and score extra points for topping with a hearty scoop of your favorite non-dairy ice cream of choice.

10. Babka

Thanksgiving Recipes With a Jewish Twist - Aish.com (10)Aish.com

One more dessert option because dessert is life. The Best Chocolate Babka is indeed one of the best dessert choices you can make, Thanksgiving or not. And if you want to throw controversy into your Thanksgiving convo (no politics-talk, just a babka flavor show-down), you can throw in a cinnamon babka as well.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Recipes With a Jewish Twist - Aish.com (2024)

FAQs

What do Jews eat for Thanksgiving? ›

So celebrating Thanksgiving with a special meal is perfectly normal, even if that meal consists of such dishes as kosher turkey ritually slaughtered and inspected according to kosher laws, stuffing that includes challah, sweet potato kugel, roasted Brussel sprouts with gribenes, and a glass of kosher wine.

How to make a full Thanksgiving dinner? ›

Thanksgiving Day:
  1. Defrost premade bread. ...
  2. Chill wine and beer.
  3. Prepare the stuffing stuffing. ...
  4. Roast the turkey. ...
  5. Prepare other side dishes while the turkey roasts. ...
  6. Remove the fully cooked turkey from the oven and rest it for 1 hour. ...
  7. Make the gravy.
  8. Re-heat anything that needs to be warmed.
Oct 20, 2021

What is the staple of Thanksgiving? ›

Millions of people across the United States will sit down to a traditional Thanksgiving meal, including turkey, potatoes, squash, corn, and cranberries. These foods have become synonymous with Thanksgiving, but how did they end up on tables from Maine to California?

What is the national dish of the Jews? ›

Israel does not have a universally recognized national dish; in previous years this was considered to be falafel, deep-fried balls of seasoned, ground chickpeas.

What is Jews favorite food? ›

The typical components of the traditional Jewish meal include gefilte fish, chicken soup with matzo balls (also called Kneidlach), brisket, roasted chicken, a potato dish such as kugel or latkes and tzimmes. Like many “Jewish” foods, the Jewish meal components are Ashkenazi as they originated in Eastern Europe.

How many sides should a Thanksgiving dinner have? ›

How many dishes should I serve with the turkey? For 4 people, choose 1-2 appetizers and 3 sides. For 8 people, choose 1-3 appetizers and 3 sides. For 16 people, choose 2-3 appetizers and 3 or more sides.

What is the most traditional Thanksgiving menu? ›

The classic Thanksgiving dinner includes old-time favorites that never change: turkey, gravy, stuffing, potatoes, veggies, and pie. But the way these dishes are made or added to is everchanging because of food trends and different dietary requirements.

What is the most popular side dish for Thanksgiving? ›

Mashed potatoes are a traditional Thanksgiving side dish for a reason, and we definitely look forward to serving up this delicious dish every November.

What was not served at Thanksgiving? ›

No apple, no pecan, no pumpkin at the first Thanksgiving table. Well, pumpkins were probably present, just most likely stewed with vinegar and currants. So this year, as you're digging in to your green bean casserole and heaping your mashed potatoes into a soon-to-be-gravy-“lava”-filled volcano, be thankful.

What is a good Thanksgiving menu? ›

IF you mean a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner: roast turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, string beans, rolls, cranberry sauce; mushroom dish, maybe a salad or 2, maybe wild rice; pumpkin pie and/or apple pie.

What are Thanksgiving 2 colors? ›

Red and Beige

This timeless color combination is perfect for those who want a classic Thanksgiving look. Red and beige can be achieved with all-red or all-white tableware, accented with red napkins, or even a red tablecloth with white dinnerware.

What to do 2 days before Thanksgiving? ›

Make a gravy using chicken stock a day or two before Thanksgiving and store it in the refrigerator. After you've roasted the turkey, add a cup or so of white wine or chicken stock to the roasting pan and simmer it to release all those tasty turkey drippings.

What do Jews celebrate instead of Thanksgiving? ›

Additionally, some have claimed that both Hanukkah and Thanksgiving have roots in the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot.

Do Jews eat turkey on Thanksgiving? ›

Before you worry about what you're going to eat this Thanksgiving, note that the debate about turkey is long over and turkey is accepted as kosher by almost all Jews. (I did find one exception in my research, but that seems to be limited to the descendants of one specific rabbi's family.)

What do Jews eat for Rosh Hashanah? ›

Traditional Foods
  • Round challah: Challah is a braided wheat bread made with eggs and honey. ...
  • Whole fish with the head: A whole fish with the head may be served to represent the “head of the year” and the hope “that God makes you as the head and not the tail,” which is from the Torah.
Mar 1, 2023

What to bring to a kosher Thanksgiving? ›

You can also bring fruit, but very religious people don't even want your (potentially bacon-coated) knife cutting it up. Melons, berries, and grapes are good choices. Jews also like nuts a lot, so a platter of nuts and dates and such is nice.

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