Easy Low Sodium Recipes: Thanksgiving Recipes

Here are some low sodium Thanksgiving recipes, preparation is the key to a successful Thanksgiving meal, to make your day more enjoyable make some of these dishes ahead of time.

Low Sodium Roasted Turkey

Ingredients

1 14 lb Turkey use the lowest Sodium you can find
1 8 oz Jar of Apricot Preserves Smuckers has lower sodium than most other brands
1 8 oz Bottle of Mustard
3/4 cup Low sodium Chicken Stock for pan sauce
1 1/2 tsp Corn Starch for pan sauce
1/2 cup Bourbon (for pan sauce optional, you can use apple cider as well)
1 Whole shallot minced for pan sauce
2 T Unsalted butter for pan sauce

Instructions
Thaw your Turkey to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey.
Rinse the turkey under cold water and place in a large roasting pan.
Mix all of the mustard and apricot preserves in a bowl
Using a sauce brush, coat the entire bird liberally with the glaze. Get it into all the nooks and crannies.
Cover the turkey with foil and roast for 3 1/2 to 4 hours (Apply a second coat of glaze at the 1.5 hour mark), or until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 180°F as read by a meat thermometer.
Remove the foil for the last 30 minutes of baking to create a crisp crust.
Remove the turkey from the oven and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.
Use the drippings at the bottom of the pan to make a low-sodium pan sauce.
Place the pan on a stove top burner.
Add the Shallots to the pan and sauté over medium-high heat until they are softened.
Add the rest of the glaze and the bourbon (or cider) to the pan and heat it to the point of simmering (note, all of the alcohol burns off in this if you are worried about alcohol in the dish).
As the pan is heating up, scrape the pan with a wooden spoon to incorporate the drippings, shallots, and liquid.
Allow to simmer or until the liquid reduces by half.
Increase the heat to achieve a full simmer, whisk in the stock, butter, and corn starch (to your desired thickness).
Allow final liquid to reduce by half then serve in a sauce tureen to pour over the turkey.

Tip
Make sure to find a bird that has not been injected with sodium or brined prior to freezing. A fresh bird is also a great low sodium choice. You are looking for something that will keep you under 100 mg of sodium per 4 oz serving.

Low Sodium Apple and Cranberry Stuffing

Here is a delicious stuffing that is seasoned with spices that screamed fall: sage, rosemary, and thyme. The bread, while softened by the process was still spongy. It was packed with bits of onion, apple, and celery with a secret ingredient of venison sausage.

Ingredients

1 inch Loaf of King's Hawaiian Round Bread cut into 1 cubes or other low sodium bread
8 Tbsp unsalted butter 1 stick
2 Medium onions - diced
2 Stalks of celery - diced
2 Medium Granny Smith apples - cored and large diced
½ cup dried cranberries
1 Tbsp sage
1 Tbsp rosemary
1 Tbsp thyme
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 lb of low sodium sausage meat

· 1 cup low sodium chicken stock

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Place the bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 7 minutes.

Remove the bread and place in a very large mixing bowl.

In a large sauté pan, melt the butter and add the onions, celery, apples, rosemary, sage, thyme, dried cranberries and pepper.

Sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and translucent.

Add to the bread cubes.

In the same pan, cook the sausage meat over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spatula to a small grind.

Add to bowl with the bread and vegetables.

Add the chicken stock, mix well, and pour into a 9 x 12 inch baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes, until browned on top and hot in the middle.

Serve warm.

Cranberry Sauce in your Slow Cooker Recipe

Ingredients

1 12 oz bag Fresh Cranberries
1/2 cup Orange Juice fresh squeezed
1/2 cup Water
1/4 cup Honey
1 stick Cinnamon
pinch Ground Cinnamon
pinch Ground Ginger
Instructions

In a slow-cooker, add all ingredients and toss to combine.

Cook on low for 3-4 hours

Near the end of the cooking time, use tongs to remove the cinnamon stick. Then use a wooden spoon to break up the cranberries. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

This recipe has only 3 mg of sodium per 2 tablespoon of cranberry sauce.

Easy Low Sodium Slow Cooker Recipes

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potatoes are naturally low in sodium and a good source of fiber so make this low sodium Sweet Potato Casserole any time, but to make is really special try this coconut topping.

For The Sweet Potato Casserole

6 tbsp Unsalted Butter Plus more for greasing
1 1/2 pounds Russet Potatoes peeled and cut into a large dice
1 1/2 pounds Sweet Potatoes peeled and cut into a large dice
1 small bundle fresh Thyme
3 cloves Garlic peeled and smashed
1/2 cup Evaporated Milk
2/3 cup Mascarpone Cheese
2 1/2 tsp Nutmeg Freshly grated
2 large Eggs beaten

· 1/4 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste

Sweet Potato Casserole Topping

1/3 cup pecans, chopped

1/3 cup flaked coconut (sweetened)

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter

Walnuts

Combine pecans, coconut, brown sugar, and flour. Stir in a tablespoon of melted butter. Sprinkle mixture over sweet potatoes. Sometimes I top them with walnuts if you like a little crunch.

Directions

Heat your oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Grease a large casserole dish with unsalted butter.

In a large pot of water, add the Russet and sweet potatoes, thyme and garlic.

Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well and discard the thyme and garlic. Rice the potatoes over the pot and place the pot over low heat. Allow the potatoes to dry out before you begin adding additional ingredients. You can squeeze out the extra moisture with a cheese cloth if you want to speed the process.

Add the butter, mascarpone, and evaporated milk. Stir to combine, but do not over mix.

Season well with pepper and nutmeg. Whisk in the eggs.

Spread evenly into the buttered casserole dish add the Sweet Potato Topping and bake for 1 hour minutes, until light golden brown on top and puffed. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Cut and serve.