George Foreman Cooking Blog

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Alternatives

Using Your Electric Grill to Cook for Vegans at Your Thanksgiving Table

Parties and big meals are almost never an easy place for vegans to be, but that’s especially true for a holiday that’s centered on turkey. While you could leave the vegan at your table to munch on the relish tray or enjoy a nice medley of side dishes, the better alternative is to provide an alternative main dish to make the meal just as special for them.

Using your George Foreman® grill is the perfect way to provide an alternate main dish to your Thanksgiving bird. You can grill a few servings of tofu or your favorite main-dish veggie, so you won’t have to take up any of the oven space that’s such a hot commodity during holiday cooking.

If you’re using a vegetable as the key main ingredient, you want to choose one that’s hearty and filling – something that doesn’t feel like they’re eating just another side dish. Two great candidates are grilled eggplant and grilled acorn squash – the latter even provides the added benefit of feeling like a Thanksgiving meal in a “Horn of Plenty” kind of way.

In addition to saving oven space by using your electric grill, a grilled vegetarian main dish will also help cut down on the time you spend cooking the alternate dish. Instead of constructing a complex baked recipe, you can simply whip up a tasty marinade, leave the tofu or veggies to soak in the flavor, and then grill them up just before the meal.

If you’re going to do a marinade, make it more special and festive by using marinade ingredients with a holiday feel to them, such as maple syrup or apple cider vinegar. This way, the vegan at your table is still getting the tastes and flavors of the holiday, even without the turkey.

Tags: Vegetarian Thanksgiving Alternatives