If you are tired of preparing the same dishes every year for Thanksgiving, maybe it is time to mix things up a bit and try some of our ideas for some delicious Greek food for Thanksgiving!
When I started writing this recipe collection, I was thinking mostly of Greek Americans or other Greeks wanting to celebrate Thanksgiving with their loved ones. Those ones who may want to adapt their menu to bring in homely Greek flavours and remind them of a traditional Greek feast.
But then I thought to myself food fusion is now a trend and there is nothing wrong with combining traditional American Thanksgiving dishes with main courses, sides or desserts that are traditionally Greek!
So go ahead, take a look at my ideas of Greek food for Thanksgiving and add a Mediterranean twist to your Thanksgiving celebration table!
Greek food for Thanksgiving – Ideas for Main dishes
First of all ,of course there is nothing better than a well cooked and flavourful roast turkey for your Thanksgiving day! So for the ones that are fond of turkey, I have included a recipe for festive roast turkey with rosemary, garlic and lemon sauce.
As an alternative main dish, why don’t you try some lamb or pork! Greeks are in love with lamb and consider it as their main centerpiece meat. A recipe that is made for a festive table is honey glazed roast lamb with potatoes. It is a very simple, no fuss tray-baked dish and is always a crowd pleaser!
If you choose to go with pork for your centrepiece, then try out this very impressive Greek style roast pork, which is the one I always love making for a family feast!
Finally, whatever meat you choose to cook, have a look at my six tips for the perfect roast, with tips and tricks to help you achieve the perfect result!
Greek Side dishes ideas for Thanksgiving
To be honest, no festive meal is complete without some delicious side dishes! And considering that maybe you also have vegetarian guests, it is essential to prepare a variety of side dishes to satisfy everyone.
I absolutely love these classic favourite Greek side dishes! So much so that I always prepare them for a festive Thanksgiving feast! Greek style Greek beans (Fasolakia), Greek mashed potatoes with garlic (skordalia), Greek spinach and feta pie (spanakopita), Greek lemon potatoes (patates lemonates) and Briam (Greek ratatouille).
These recipes work really well for a sit-down meal or a buffet and best of all, most of them can be prepared in advance to avoid rushing on the main day.
Roast potatoes is arguably the most loved side dish for Greeks! So much so that this is pretty much a mandatory side dish for almost every kind of meat.
Greek dips for Thanksgiving
Greek cuisine has lots of recipes for dips and spreads. The most popular and my absolute favourite is of course Tzatziki sauce. Tzatziki is a classic yogurt, garlic and cucumber dip, which pairs very well with meat and especially lamb and pork.
Another favourite is hummus. Hummus is a dip made from cooked then mashed or pureed chickpeas blended with tahini, lemon juice, olive oil and flavored with garlic and spices like cumin or paprika. And of course for the ones that love spicy food then this Greek spicy feta cheese dip will become a favorite!
Greek dessert ideas for Thanksgiving
My Thanksgiving meal would be incomplete without Greek baklava! Baklava is a mouthwatering traditional dessert made of layers of crispy golden brown phyllo, filled with chopped walnuts and garnished with honey syrup. Simply amazing!
I can’t wait to hear what you will be making for your Thanksgiving table, so drop us a comment on the section below! I hope all of you to be surrounded by the people you love, be grateful for what you have and enjoy delicious food!
