Turkey
Don't stuff the turkey, it absorbs much of the fat. Bake stuffing in a covered casserole instead.- Saute onions and celery in only 1 Tbsp of butter and use fat-free broth for additional moisture.
- Roast the turkey on a rack so the fat drips away from the bird.
- Use a fat separator and skim off all fat before making the gravy, use a dry package of turkey gravy mix for added flavor and thickening.
Pumpkin Pie
- Use canned, evaporated, skimmed milk.
- Use half the amount of sugar called for in the recipe. Substitute brown sugar for white, as it is more flavorful.
- Use more spices than the recipe suggests. I double the amount.
- Use light or fat free whipped topping.
Potatoes
- Mash the potatoes with chicken broth, canned, evaporated, skimmed milk, fat-free sour cream or the water from boiling the potatoes.
- HOLD THE BUTTER – NO ONE WILL NOTICE! If you are looking for extra flavor, boil the potatoes with garlic and mash the cloves in.
- Use pineapple and/or orange juice thickened with corn starch as a glaze for carrots or sweet potatoes. (Add a pinch of pumpkin pie spice to the glaze.)
Gratins
When making a gratin a person typically uses cream, which is really high in saturated fat. But there are ways to make a gratin lighter!
- Try substituting lower fat dairy – but when you do this it is important to partially cook the veggies (until tender) before baking – low fat dairy can curdle when exposed to high heat for a long period of time
- Use a small amount of full fat dairy to keep the more traditional flavors with out adding a ton of fat
- Place your gratin under the broiler for a few minutes at the end of cooking to get that traditional brown crust on the top.
Miscellaneous
- Sprinkle hot vegetables with spices for flavor instead of butter.
- Use low fat canned cream soup in the traditional casseroles.
- Use all fruit spreads on rolls vs. butter or margarine OR SKIP THE ROLLS since there are so many other "bread" items, i.e. stuffing, sweet and whipped potatoes, etc.
Recipe Substitutions
| sour cream | low fat yogurt or fat-free sour cream |
| 1 egg | 2 egg whites |
| whole milk | 1% or skim |
| cream (not for whipping) | canned evaporated skim milk or 1:1 ratio of flour whisked into skim milk |
| whipping cream | very chilled skim milk or a pre-made low fat substitute |
| creamed soups | low fat version |
