Thanksgiving Recipes for Kids

Thanksgiving is a typically American holiday. The lavish meal is a symbol of the fact that abundant consumption is the result and reward of production. ~ Ayn Rand.

Thanksgivings is a festivity that specifically revolves around families, and the time spent together enhances bonding. Good food is another reason why thanksgiving is so celebrated. The efforts that go into making traditional dishes just does not involve ingredients, but time, effort, and love. A great way to get the family, especially children, involved in this festivity is to involve them in food preparation. So here are some great thanksgiving menu ideas and some inspirational quotes for kids to accompany these awesome recipes.

Thanksgiving Soup

For each new morning with its light, for rest and shelter of the night, for health and food, for love and friends, for everything Thy goodness sends. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Scrumptious soups and appetizers increase the anticipation of the main course. Kids love to try out different recipes which are easy to make and making soups can be one of the best thanksgiving recipes for kids. Get warmed up by trying out this easy pumpkin soup recipe.

Sweet Corn Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, sautéed
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 4 cups fresh pumpkin puree
• 6 cups turkey or vegetable broth
• 2 cups sweet corn kernels
• 2 cups light cream
• Salt and cayenne pepper to taste
• Crushed nutmeg (optional)

For Garnishing:

• Toasted pumpkin seeds
• Sauteed wild mushrooms

Directions:

Take a large saucepan, add butter and sautéed onion in it. Now add the pumpkin puree, sweet corn kernels and turkey or vegetable broth, bring it to boil. Stir continuously on medium flame until the sweet corn is cooked properly. Add remaining ingredients and simmer the soup until hot. Garnish the soup with sauteed mushrooms and toasted pumpkin seeds. A delicious pumpkin soup is ready to be served as a warm welcome for thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Appetizers

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving." - WT Purkiser

Thanksgiving Cheese Ball

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 2 ounces grated sharp cheese
• 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 can green olives
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• Paprika
• Chopped parsley

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients except olives and pecans in a food processor (this can be done under the supervision of elders). Blend the mixture properly. Add half of the pecan nuts and olives into the mixture to form a large ball. Now roll the ball in the mixture of remaining nuts, parsley and paprika to coat. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 3-4 hours in the refrigerator. Cheesy ball is ready to serve. This is one of the easiest thanksgiving appetizer ideas for kids.

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

• 5 large sweet potatoes
• 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut each half into 1/2 inch wedges. Melt butter, add sweet potatoes wedges and brown sugar in a saucepan. Mix properly. Cover the pan and check in between. Once the sweet potatoes are cooked consistently, add cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to get caramelized sweet potatoes. This recipe is the best option for the kids to munch on.

Thanksgiving Side Dishes

True thanksgiving means that we need to thank God for what He has done for us, and not to tell Him what we have done for Him. ~ George R. Hendrick

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 50 pounds unpeeled red potatoes, quartered
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 6 pounds butter, room temperature
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Take a large pot containing salted water. Add red potatoes in it and cook until tender. Keep aside the potatoes to cool down. Now in a saucepan, add butter, garlic, salt, oregano, egg and mix rapidly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mash the potatoes and add to the mixture. Cook well to get a proper consistency. Once it is done you can add cheese and almonds to get the best garlic mashed potatoes recipe as a thanksgiving side dish.

Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh cranberries
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1 pint fresh blueberries
• 6 crushed juniper berries
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Grated zest of 1 orange

Directions:

Wash the cranberries. Simmer the cranberries in the orange juice until the cranberries burst. Slightly mash the cranberries with a wooden stick to ensure all skins are broken. Mix well. Now add the remaining ingredients and cook. The sauce will thicken when it cools. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and slightly place a plastic wrap directly on top of sauce to cover. The sauce can be kept in clean jars and sealed. Yummy cranberry sauce is ready to eat.

Thanksgiving Dinner

"Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse." ~ Henry Van Dyke

Turkey Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 3 tablespoons dried minced onion
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
• 5 oz. herb-seasoned stuffing mix
• 3½ cups turkey stock
• 1 lb. turkey breakfast sausage, cooked and cases removed
• 1 8-oz. canned mushroom stems and pieces

Directions:

Take a large bowl, combine margarine, onions, poultry seasoning, and stuffing mix. Now add the turkey stock and stir continuously to mix. Add the sausages and mushrooms into the mixture. Take a casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Pack the stuffing mixture into the dish. Bake in 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes, until the stuffing is lightly brown from top. A lovely thanksgiving stuffing recipe for kids is ready to eat.

Thanksgiving Desserts

For flowers that bloom about our feet; For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet; For song of bird, and hum of bee; For all things fair we hear or see, Father in heaven, we thank Thee! ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Pumpkin Tartlets

Ingredients:

• 1 (3.4-ounce) package vanilla instant-pudding mix
• 1½ cup milk
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 9 (3½ inch) individual cracker-crumb tart shells

For Decoration:

• 1 pound fresh cranberries
• Whipped white cream for topping

Directions:

Take a bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and the milk until smooth and thick. Add pumpkin and cinnamon in it and whisk until smooth. Now in the tart shells, add the fillings and refrigerate it for 4 hours. The tart shells can be decorated with whipped cream and cranberries. Thanksgiving pumpkin pie is served as a traditional thanksgiving dinner recipe.

So this holiday season we hope you won't be puzzled by thinking over what to plan for the thanksgiving dinner menu. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!