Thanksgiving will come with a different look this year, what with all the canceled dinners, rescheduled travel, and smaller seating arrangements needed. It turns out that 2020 is the year to break rules especially when it comes to the holidays, and one that revolves around food just screams to have its itinerary switched up a bit. Dinner is great, but have you ever celebrated with a holiday brunch instead?
It's commonly done for Christmas (as Christmas morning is usually the most popular time of the day), but there's nothing stating that Thanksgiving can't follow suit. In fact, the average menu doesn't need to be changed much at all - just altered to fit every single Thanksgiving meat and side into brunch form. With recipes that switch up all the dishes that will undoubtedly become leftovers for days and a few brunch drinks to jazz up the midday festivities, there's no going wrong with exchanging a smaller brunch for an extravagant (and stressful, and expensive) dinner.
Showcase Turkey In A New Way
Sure, a giant roasted turkey in the center of a table is impressive. But so is being able to use turkey in a new and creative way, especially when it shines through in a dish without needing to be carved. For those who want to really nail this breakfast turkey, roast it the day before and then pull it, chopping up the skin to add crispy bites and mixing them in with the pulled turkey meat.
Voila! The bulk of the prep work is already done at this point. This turkey can be used in a quiche (try a caramelized onion, turkey, bacon, and goat cheese quiche for a dynamic and flavorful option) or in a hash, and even in personalized omelets. It's still a turkey dish, but way less work and not nearly as dry.
Slice, Dice, And Roast The Potatoes Rather Than Mashing Them
Home fries and hash browns seem like the appropriate response to breakfast potatoes, and either one of those is a great option. However, switching it up with something like sweet potatoes is even better:
Make a sweet hash with pan-fried sweet potatoes, onions, brown, and a streusel topping tossed in once they're cooked. New potatoes can be used for home fries as well, with Thanksgiving spices such as sage and rosemary thrown in for that extra ~festive~ flavor.
Turn Stuffing Into A Hash
Stumped as to what to do with traditional stuffing? Turn it into a hash! Add a bit of extra stock to the stuffing so that it doesn't dry out, and then pan-fry it, allowing the bottom to get crispy (as you would a corned beef hash).
Break it up a bit and serve with those slightly crispy edges, and then top with your favorite gravy. Stuffing like this can even be mixed into scramble bowls with eggs, cheese, gravy, veggies, and turkey for a full-on, filling, all-in-one brunch dish.
Customized Omelets And Scrambles Are An Egg-cellent Way To Use Vegetables
Customized omelets can be used to serve anything from turkey to potatoes and even green beans and cranberries. A cranberry, goat cheese, and sweet potato omelet is the perfect Thanksgiving-themed omelet to serve for a little elegance, while a turkey, cheddar, Brussels, and bacon omelet is a great savory option.
This is the perfect way to try new combinations and get creative with traditional Thanksgiving ingredients, all while preparing an easy and simple meal. For the simplest of all the recipes, use all of those roasted vegetables that would normally be served as sides and plop a poached egg on top with some Hollandaise. Not only is it super healthy, but it's satisfying and light compared to a typical Thanksgiving plate.
Dessert In The Form Of Pancakes, French Toast, Or Scones
No brunch would be complete without the addition of some type of sweet dish. Pancakes, waffles, french toast, scones, and even crepes have come to answer the call. Sweet potato or pumpkin pancakes are the perfect solutions to the lack of a pumpkin pie, while brown sugar and cinnamon scones are a great, light way to incorporate some sweetness into the meal.
Waffles can be stuffed with cranberry sauce and topped with orange marmalade to combine two beautiful flavors and create a dish that's just as stunning as it is tasty. French toast can also be stuffed, and a twist on pecan pie with a pecan-maple glaze served over the top of a stack of fluffy french toast is nothing short of decadent.