By Meredith West When it comes to holiday meals, we all know the true stars of the show are the sides. The turkey or meat option is really just an after thought. We have you covered with a CK Holiday Menu that, even if you don't control your portion sizes, at least there is not too much damage done with these recipe re-vamps of holiday classics! Download this entire menu of recipes in this article here. Be sure to check our "CK Friendly Thanksgiving" post for even more holiday recipe ideas!

CK Cornbread Dressing

Serves 8-10 A little fair warning, unlike most of our recipes, this is a multi-step process and a Labor of Love! I recently spent the day with my mom learning how to make her cornbread dressing. It is my favorite thing about Thanksgiving. Luckily my re-vamp was a win in my book! First start with the CK Cornbread (sans jalapeños) recipe found in Clean Kitchen: The Cookbook. CK Cornbread Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup Egg Beater Whites
• 2 whole eggs
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese or plain greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup self-rising cornmeal (can also omit coconut flour and use 1/2 c cornmeal)
• 1 tbsp butter

CK Cornbread Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients but butter in the food processor.
3. Melt butter in hot oven in the cast iron skillet.
4. Pour batterinto hot pan, bake 30 minutes.
5. Cool on wire rack.

Then start in a stock pot for dressing veggies:

• 2 medium onions
• 5 stalks celery
• salt and pepper

1. Chop onions and celery in food processor. Put vegetable mixture in a stock pot and cover with a good amount of water. Season water and simmer for an hour. Set aside to cool.
2. When cornbread and veggie mixture are both cool, tear and crumble cornbread in a large bowl. Add 5 cups of veggie mixture with liquid to the cornbread. Add 6 eggs. 1/2 cup chopped green onion and 1/4 c fresh chopped parsley. Mix well with hands or with a mixer on low.
3. Pour into a greased 9x13 lasagna pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until center is set and edges are browned (could be an hour or more depending on your oven)

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CK Green Bean Casserole

Serves 4 (Double batch pictured) Fresh

• 1 bag fresh green beans in bag
• 1 Small Yellow onion thinly sliced in half moons
• 8 oz fresh mushrooms
• 1 cup frozen seasoning blend
• 2/3 cup low fat cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbs Parmesan cheese divided

Pantry

• 1/2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Better Than Bullion Chicken or Vegetarian Base
• 2 Tbsp Brown rice Bread crumbs
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Steam green beans in bag according to directions. Cut into 2 inch pieces.
2. Sautee onions in olive oil until browned. Salt and pepper while cooking.
3. Set onions aside.
4. Coat onions with 2 tbs parmesan and 2 tbs bread crumbs. Stir to fully coat onions.
5. In the same pan add 1 cup frozen seasoning blend, 8 oz mushrooms, sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are tender.
6. In food processor blend 1 cup low fat cottage cheese and 1 tsp better than bullion and 1/4 cup parmesan.
7. Mix green beans, mushroom mixture, and cottage cheese mixture and pour into an 8x8 baking dish.
8. Top with onion mixture. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until breadcrumbs are browned and casserole is bubbly.

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Cranberry Relish

• 2 cups frozen or fresh pineapple
• 8 oz bag cranberries
• 1 large naval orange
• 2 Tbsp Cranberry Pear White Balsamic

In food processor chop pineapple, add cranberries and pulse until berries are chopped. Add zest of orange. Peel and section orange. Add orange sections to food processor squeeze in juice of orange. Add Balsamic. Pulse food processor approximately 10 times. Best served the next day after flavors meld.

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Pumpkin Blondie

If you love our Sweet Potato Blondie, but do not want to wait to cook sweet potatoes, this here is your fix! Perfect "Lazy Girl" Kitchen move! Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 35-45 minutes Servings: 6 rectangles Ingredients

• 29 oz can of Pumpkin Puree
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 scoops of Quest Nutrition Vanilla Milkshake Protein

Topping

• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• kosher salt
• cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine pumpkin puree, almond milk, eggs, salt, cinnamon, protein powder and vanilla extract in blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Use cooking spray in an 8" x 8" baking dish. Then pour in mixture.
3. Spritz walnuts with cooking spray, then toss with salt. Sprinkle walnuts on top of pumpkin mix in baking dish.
4. Bake for about 35-45 minutes! Until firmed up in the middle.

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Here are a few extra recipes just in case!

Butternut Stuffing with Turkey Sausage

Serves 8-10 This is a twist on stuffing using cubed butternut instead of bread, and loading it up with some CK Turkey sausage. This is a perfect guilt-free holiday recipe! Veggie Mix Ingredients Fresh

• 4 cups cubed butternut -- 1 medium butternut or two 16 oz bags pre-chopped
• 12 oz Frozen Seasoning Blend or one large onion chopped
• 8 oz mushrooms -- any kind
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 garlic cloves minced or 1 tsp dried minced

Pantry

• 1 tsp kosher salt
• couple of dashes of black pepper
• 1/2 tsp thyme or 1 tbsp fresh
• 1/2 tsp oregano or 1 tbsp fresh
• 1/4 tsp rubbed sage
• 1/2 cup grated parm cheese
• 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbs olive oil

CK Italian sausage mix Ingredients Fresh

• 1 pound ground turkey

Pantry

• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp minced garlic (I used dried minced)
• 1 teaspoon minced onions (or omit if using fresh)
• 1/2 tsp fennel
• 1/2 tsp rubbed sage
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 teaspoons kosher salt

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Veggie pot: Heat 1 tbs of butter olive oil in a large, deep pan or stock pot over medium to high heat. You want something good a wide to start cooking the veggies in.
3. Turkey Sausage pan: In a separate pan, heat another tbs of olive oil over medium to high heat.
4. Add all chopped veggies, frozen seasoning blend to the veggie pan. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until veggies are softened and start forming brown bits around the edges. Do not worry about the butternut being completely soft. It will finish in the oven!
5. Add spices to veggie mix.
6. Brown turkey meat over medium to high heat. Do not drain juices.
7. Add spices to turkey meat.
8. Add turkey sausage to veggie pot and mix.
9. Then add balsamic to entire mix and stir.
10. Transfer entire mix to oven safe, greased baking dish.
11. Sprinkle top with 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese.
12. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

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Oven-Roasted Green Beans

Oven-roasted green beans have become a bit of an obsession of mine. These are so easy to throw on a pan and get baking. This is a no fuss side, that you will probably eat an entire pan by yourself. Better make two pans if you want the fam to eat too! Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 30-45 minutes Fresh

• fresh green beans, washed and trimmed - use as much as you want! This recipe is a one sheet pan side dish.
• grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Pantry

• kosher salt
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• olive oil spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line baking sheet with tin foil - easy clean up! Spray with cooking spray.
3. Spread out green beans on baking sheet. The less crowded the faster they will cook and get crispy edges.
4. Spray green beans with olive oil spray. We like using a spray bottle to control the amount of oil we use.
5. Season with garlic, onion, and kosher salt. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.
6. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until desired "crispiness."

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Chipotle Pumpkin Soup

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Fresh

• 2 cups frozen seasoning blend
• half a bag of the frozen peppers (red, green, yellow)
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 2-4 oz Greek yogurt cream cheese or fat free cream cheese

Pantry

• 1.5 quart chicken or beef bone broth (I used 1 qt chicken and 1/2 at beef)
• salt and pepper
• two shakes pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 15 oz can pumpkin puree

Topping

• toasted and salted pecans or walnuts and drizzle of Chipotle Oil

Directions

1. Sautéed with a 1/2 tbsp butter evoo. Sautéed until caramelized.
2. Add one can pumpkin purée to pot.
3. 1 and 1/2 qt chicken or beef bone broth (I used 1 qt chicken and 1/2 at beef)
4. Simmer 20 minutes
5. Add 2-4 oz Greek yogurt cream cheese or fat free cream cheese.
6. Blend with hand blender right in the pot, or let cool and blend in food processor.

Finish: Top with toasted pecans and drizzle of Chipotle olive oil for some heat! If you do not have chipotle oil, try adding a little smoked paprika to the soup.

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Turkey Sausage Balls

Ingredients

• 1 lb Jennie O Turkey breakfast sausage or CK Breakfast Turkey Sausage
• 1 cup kodiak cakes buttermilk
• 1 cup pepper jack cheese shredded
• 2-3 dashes cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Combine all ingredients in large bowl.
3. Roll into 1 inch balls.
4. Bake 18-20 mins on nonstick baking sheet or use parchment paper.
5. Check them at 10 mins to make sure they aren’t sticking.

Yields 33. Enjoy!