Caveman Keto’s Thanksgiving Guide

You’re going to want something for your guests to munch on while the food is being prepared.  Pretty much anything from my Sides section or Superbowl tag would be appropriate as a starter. I’ve highlighted some of my favorites below:

• Cheesy Chive Rollups – These were a go to in my family.  Dad always got a block of ham and doled out the rolls as they were finished. Of course his version never had chives but feel free to add anything you want to make it your own!
• Lizzie’s Cheese Dip and Crackers – This one is from my wife’s family.  This stuff is literally crack.  I cannot stop eating it!  Serves well with some Pork Rinds or Parmesan Chips.
• Deviled Eggs – These are a classic.  Easy to make ahead of time and always a hit.  You can add all sorts of things to customize them, even making them into little birds!
• Jalapeno Poppers – Do your guests like a little spice?  These Jalapeno poppers always do the trick and can be prepped the day before and popped in the oven right before guests arrive.

The main course, the reason everyone showed up to your house! This year, don’t serve a boring, bland, dried out turkey! At a minimum, I recommend brining and injecting your turkey whether you bake or fry it. Pick up a thermometer and don’t let it get over done.  Below I’ll go over the turkey’s I’ve made in the past on the site and some alternative meats you could try.

• Deep Fried Turkey – My personal favorite way to cook turkey.  The meat comes out super moist and it only takes about 45 minutes to prepare the bird. This is actually a three part series with part 1 discussing how to prep the bird, part 2 is brining and part 3 is actually frying the bird.  Note that you have to use a smaller turkey (<15 Lbs) so it won’t feed an army.
• Turducken – Ahh, the Tur(key)Duck(Chick)en!  Its a glorious combination of all three birds with stuffing throughout.  I have to admit, it was a ton of work and not for the faint at heart!  You have a debone all three birds and it takes a ton of time to cook but so worth it!  I should point out that you can also just buy one on Amazon but it won’t be low carb.
• Low Carb Bourbon Glazed Ham – If Turkey isn’t your thing, you can always go with an old standby, ham.  Also, if you’re having a large gathering, its common to also serve a ham on the side to help spread the wealth and lower the amount of turkey you’ll need.
• Roasted Duck – If you’re celebrating outside of the US and Turkey isn’t available, you can always roast a Duck instead!
• Roasted Leg of Lamb – Another alternative meat you could serve instead of or in addition to the Turkey!

The sides are just as important as the main course! If you’re having lots of guests, try sending them one of these dishes to decrease your cooking load!  Most can be made ahead of time and popped in the oven on Turkey day. Also, I’ve got keto versions of all of your Thanksgiving favorites so don’t think you can’t have some gravy or stuffing just because you’re doing keto!

• Almond Bun Stuffing – You probably thought you’d have to give up Stuffing, didn’t you? Well think again!  The Holy Grail Almond Buns save the day and let us make a mean stuffing!  Whether you’re going to stuff your turkey or bake this on the side, Almond bun stuffing will let you keep up this Thanksgiving tradition.
• Keto Giblet Gravy – Don’t throw away those crazy bags of giblets that come with the turkey, make some gravy!
• Cheddar Biscuits – I bet you didn’t think you could make something so close to the classic Pillsbury buns you had as a kid? Using the magic of Carbquik, you can make keto biscuits! (Note, many readers report this stuff might not be super keto, use caution!)
• Creamy Cheesy Spinach – One of my all time favorite recipes since its so quick and easy to whip up.  Goes great with Thanksiving if you don’t have time to make a more complicated side dish.
• Cheesy Green Bean Casserole – Literally my favorite side ever.  Its like liquid, gooey, cheesy crack!  I can’t get enough!
• Mashed Cauliflower – My go to faux potato substitute around the holidays. Add enough butter, bacon and cheese and people might not even realize you’re not serving potatoes!
• Spinach Crap – Whatever you want to call it, this is a classic holiday dish designed to deliver veggies to the masses.

While I’m not normally a huge dessert fan, there is a time and a place for everything. Its better to be prepared and make a keto dessert than to succumb to a slice of apple pie. Below are some of my holiday favorites that fit easily into any setting:

• Keto Whipped Egg Nog – For the adults, this recipe is a keto mix on the classic egg nog.  Additionally, it uses a whipped cream dispenser to turn the egg nog into foam! This results in less calories and a light foam that looks large but doesn’t blow the carb budget.
• Low Carb Cheesecake – My favorite keto dessert.  I’ve served it before and people were shocked that it was a keto dessert, people think its regular cheesecake!  If you weren’t aware, cheesecake is 99% keto anyway except for all the sugar that’s added, so its super easy to adapt.
• Keto Fatbombs – Who doesn’t like chocolate? Make these fat bombs as a special treat for the big day.

Here are some additional articles that might help you out for Thanksgiving:

• How to debone a Turkey – While making the Turducken, I made a video on how to debone the Turkey. I’ve also deboned the Turkey just to make it easier to serve some years as indicated by the picture at the top of this page.
• How to Brine a Turkey – Brining adds much needed moisture to the bird and really emparts a strong flavor to the turkey. You really owe it to yourself and your guests to brine this year for that extra amazing bird.
• Turkey Broth – Don’t throw out all of those bones! Make some turkey broth for use in other recipes!