Vegetarian Thanskgiving Tips

While most people would say that the centerpiece of Thanksgiving is the turkey there are still those people who could pass it up. If you are expecting vegetarians at your Thanksgiving table this holiday there are ways to make them feel welcome. And if you are a vegetarian guest there are things you can to help your hosts understand your dietary needs. Here are some vegetarian Thanksgiving tips-

· If you are the host of Thanksgiving and expecting vegetarian guests-

1. Dressing versus stuffing-If you are planning on cooking stuffing (dressing), inside of the turkey, you can easily save a portion to be baked in a separate pan. This can more than likely make your stuffing suitable for vegetarians, depending on your recipe. Keep in mind that you can easily substitute vegetable broth for a meat-based broth in your recipe if needed.

2. Mashed potatoes-To make this vegetarian friendly you can try using soy milk and a vegan margarine or 100% soybean margarine instead of dairy milk and butter. Keep in mind though that you can also substitute the exact amount of soy milk for dairy milk, but you may want to add about a tablespoon more margarine than your recipe calls for when substituting for butter, in order to add more flavor.

3. Candied yams or sweet potatoes-This is a great Thanksgiving tradition and an easy vegetarian or vegan side dish, just be sure to omit the marshmallows (they contain gelatin, which vegans and most vegetarians will not eat), or add to a portion after cooking.

4. Edit your dishes-Whenever possible, you can simply set aside a portion of a dish to be prepared meatless. For example, if you're preparing a sausage and potato casserole, save a portion to be baked separately before adding the sausage.