Thanksgiving can be a challenging holiday when you have diabetes. Bringing your own diabetes-friendly casseroles to dinner is a way to ensure you have something good to eat. Guests are unlikely to know these delicious recipes are suitable for people with diabetes! They are also quick and easy so you don’t have to be a chef to make them. Each recipe serves 4-6 people.
Green bean casserole is a traditional favorite that is often packed with fattening ingredients. This version is fast to make and tastes great – without all the extra calories!
Lean and Mean Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients:
- ½ cup low-fat milk
- 3 tablespoons of whole wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Dash of salt and pepper
- 1 16-ounce can of low sodium French cut green beans, drained
- 1 small can of sliced mushrooms, drained
- ¼ cup dried onions
- ⅛ cup of Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup low-fat Panko bread crumbs
- Low-fat cooking spray
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Pour milk, salt, pepper, garlic, dried onions and flour into a saucepan on low heat. Whisk until it thickens. Add green beans and stir in mushrooms. Coat a 1-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour all ingredients into casserole dish. Sprinkle bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese over the top then spray with a bit of cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes and remove from oven. Cover when reheating at 325 degrees.
Sweet potatoes are a decadent treat for Thanksgiving but they don’t have to ruin your resolve. Consider this recipe that everyone is sure to enjoy.
Unsweetened Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
Ingredients:
- 4 medium sweet potatoes sliced in eighths
- ½ cup of unsweetened orange juice
- 1 tablespoon of Splenda
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- Dash of salt
- Low-fat cooking spray
- Package of sugar-free marshmallows
Preparation:
Boil water in a large saucepan. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes. Put them in boiling water and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until they are tender. Drain and mash them while you preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Coat an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray. Whisk together the orange juice, vanilla extract, Splenda and a dash of salt in a bowl. Mix into the mashed sweet potatoes until they are combined, then transfer into the baking dish. Top with sugar free marshmallows and bake for about 20 minutes until the marshmallows are a light brown. Cover when reheating at 325 degrees or the marshmallows will burn.
Stuffing is always a Thanksgiving favorite. Rather than cook stuffing in the bird, prepare it separately so it has less fat and lets the turkey cook all the way through. Choose white meat over the fatty dark meat. Bring your own low calorie stuffing to wow the crowd.
Tasty Low Calorie Stuffing for Thanksgiving
Ingredients:
- 8 slices of light whole grain bread
- 1 ¼ cups of fat-free chicken broth
- 1 cup of chopped onion or ½ cup of dried onion
- ½ tablespoon of dried sage
- ½ tablespoon of dried rosemary
- ½ tablespoon of dried thyme
- 3 tablespoons of light butter
Preparation:
Toast the bread to make it dry. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a medium saucepan, mix the chicken broth, butter, onions, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Tear the bread or cut it into small pieces. Put the bread in a large baking dish. Pour the broth over the bread to cover all the pieces. Add a dash of warm water if the bread bits are not moist enough. Make sure they are moist, but not wet. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and fluff the stuffing with fork then bake it for another 10 minutes to get the top crispier. Reheat at 325 degrees.
Dessert is an important part of Thanksgiving dinner. This is a time when people with diabetes may face the greatest temptation. Mouthwatering sugar-free desserts are an excellent way to handle this tough moment. A decadent sugar-free cheesecake pudding pie is sure to go fast and please the crowd.
Sugar-Free Easy Cheesecake Pudding Pie
Ingredients:
- 1 package of Jell-O sugar-free cheesecake pudding
- 10 low-fat, sugar-free graham cracker sheets
- 1 tablespoon of light butter
- 2 tablespoons of low-fat milk
- Slivered almonds
- Unsweetened dark chocolate shavings
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Finely crumble the graham crackers with a kitchen mallet or food processor. You can also use your fists in a pinch. Add the milk and butter, then mallet again or use a food processor. You can also mix ingredients together with your hands. Put the sticky graham cracker crumbs in a pie pan and flatten with your hands. Make sure they are completely smashed together and stuck to the pan. Bake for 4 minutes until the crust sets. Prepare the pudding as a pie filling according to the directions on the package. Cool the crust and when the pudding filling is done, pour it into the crust. Top off with slivered almonds and shavings of unsweetened dark chocolate. Fresh raspberries add a nice touch as well.
Thanksgiving is a time to gather with family and friends over food. Make the right choices along the way, such as unsweetened homemade cranberry sauce or eating white meat turkey. Bring your own yummy recipes to ensure you have something tasty and diabetic-friendly to feast on. After dinner, take a walk rather than sit around to help keep blood sugars in check. Maybe you can talk everyone into visiting a local park and make it a new tradition!
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