5 Recipes for a Bulletproof Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving can present a challenge if you’re mindful of what you eat. The turkey was pumped full of antibiotics and fed crap its whole life. The sweet potatoes were microwaved and tossed with “heart healthy” canola oil. Aunt Sue thinks “ketosis” is some kind of incurable illness. Uncle Dan keeps asking you why you’re passing on stuffing. And canned cranberry sauce. And pie. And beer.

One option is to go off the rails. Commit to eating whatever you want and accept the consequences that follow. You’ll get to eat all the foods you used to, and the way you feel afterward will remind you of why you eat so well in the first place.

Another option is to upgrade your Thanksgiving menu. Plenty of traditional Thanksgiving fare is already Bulletproof –  buttered green beans, Brussels sprouts, squash, sweet potatoes, even turkey – and with a few tweaks, you can enjoy Thanksgiving staples without feeling it the next day.

Here’s a full Bulletproof Thanksgiving menu, from turkey to pumpkin pie.

The Main Event

Roasted Turkey with Gravy

Turkey alone is low-fat, so don’t be afraid to pile on the gravy. Make sure the turkey is pasture-raised, and check the cavity for a bag of organs and gizzards before you toss your bird in the oven.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: ~3.5 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 (14 to 16 lb.) turkey, rinsed and patted dry, both inside and out
• 2 tablespoons grass-fed ghee
• Turkey rub:
  • 2 teaspoons rosemary, dried or finely diced
  • 2 teaspoons thyme, dried or finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon sage, dried or finely diced
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional; omit if you’re sensitive to garlic)
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder (optional; omit if you’re sensitive to onion)
  • 2 teaspoons pink salt

For gravy:

• Turkey drippings
• 3 tbsp arrowroot powder
• 2 cups free-range chicken or turkey stock
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
• Pink salt, to taste
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. Combine herbs and spices to make turkey rub.
3. Put turkey in a roasting pan. Melt the ghee in a saucepan and rub or brush it over the turkey, both inside and out.
4. Rub the turkey with the herb mixture.
5. Roast the turkey for about 3 ½ hours, basting it every 20 minutes so it stays moist.
6. Move the turkey to a serving platter and put a tin foil tent over it. Let it rest for 30 minutes or longer. Keep the drippings.
7. For the gravy, pour the turkey drippings into a saucepan over medium heat. Add arrowroot starch and whisk until the mixture starts to smooth out. Add stock, bring to a boil, and whisk until the gravy is smooth. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the gravy is the thickness you want. Add the apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice) and salt, take off the heat, and serve.
8. Enjoy!

Side Dishes

Bulletproof Cranberry Sauce

It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce. Fortunately, cranberries are some of the most Bulletproof fruit you can eat, thanks to their plentiful antioxidants and low sugar content. This 4-ingredient cranberry sauce takes only a couple minutes to make – xylitol brings extra sweetness without spiking your insulin and orange zest adds depth of flavor.

Prep time: 2 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. cranberries (frozen is fine)
• ¼ cup water
• Zest of one orange, grated
• ¼ cup xylitol (more if you like sweeter cranberry sauce)

Directions:

1. Add the cranberries, water, orange zest, and xylitol to a food processor and blitz until you get an even consistency.

Cauliflower Bacon Mash

This recipe is from Bulletproof: The Cookbook. It’s a buttery, bacon-y upgrade over normal mashed potatoes, replacing empty starch with nutrient-dense cauliflower.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound pastured, uncured bacon, diced
• 3/4 to 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 4 tablespoons grass-fed unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons Brain Octane Oil 
• 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• Sea salt, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, lightly cook the bacon over medium-low heat. Do not let it get crispy (keep those fats intact) and do not let the fat smoke. Set the bacon aside and reserve the fat in the pan.
2. In a pot, bring water to a boil. Add the cauliflower, cover, and steam until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. In a high-powered blender, blend three-fourths of the cauliflower with the butter, oil, vinegar, and salt to taste. Stir in the bacon and remaining cauliflower. Pulse the mixture until chunky. For amazing flavor, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat (as long as it didn’t smoke when you were cooking the bacon at a low temperature).
4. Enjoy!

Roasted Sweet Potato Stuffing

These spiced sweet potatoes feel and taste like classic stuffing. A light dusting of coconut flour keeps them crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 5 sweet potatoes, diced
• 3 tbsp grass-fed ghee
• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper (or more, if you like it hot)
• 3 tbsp mixed herbs. Combine equal parts (diced fresh or dried):
  • Sage
  • Parsley
  • Oregano
  • Rosemary
  • Chives

• 2 tbsp coconut flour
• Salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 F.
2. Place the diced sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and cover them with cold water. Cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 4 minutes (sweet potatoes should be just shy of tender). Move sweet potatoes to a bowl of ice water, cool, and then drain well. Be sure you cool the sweet potatoes here or they won’t crisp later.
3. Spread sweet potatoes evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure you don’t overcrowd them – you want them to get good and crispy.
4. Melt the ghee in a saucepan, then drizzle it over the sweet potatoes. Combine mixed herbs with cayenne pepper, sprinkle mixture over the sweet potatoes, and toss to coat.
5. Add the coconut flour and toss to coat again.
6. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes start to crisp and brown.

Dessert

Bulletproof Pumpkin Pie

This creamy pumpkin pie is loaded with quality fat and collagen protein, and there’s no sugar. You don’t even have to bake it. If you want a crust, mix almond flour or sweet potato flour with a pinch of salt and just enough grass-fed butter to keep it together.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes (for pumpkin)

Cooling time: 1 hour

The pie serves 6-8 people. Use your blender…just add everything.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups steamed pumpkin or sweet potato, warm (or BPA-free canned pumpkin)
• 5 Tbs Brain Octane Oil
• ¼ cup grass-fed butter
• 2 raw egg yolks
• 1 cup coconut milk (BPA-free)
• 1/3 cup xylitol or erythritol
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tsp pumpkin spice (you can buy it pre-made and organic, or make enough to last a while: mix 1/4 cup cinnamon, 4 tsp nutmeg, 4 tsp ginger, and 2 tsp ground allspice,and  store it in an airtight jar away from heat and light)
• 2 extra tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 5 Tbs of Collagelatin, dissolved into 1/3 cup of boiling water

Directions:

1. Blend everything together until it’s creamy.
2. (optional) If you want a crust, mix almond or sweet potato flour with salt and just enough butter to keep the crust together. Add a splash of cold water if it isn’t mixing. Press the crust into a pie pan or dish.
3. Pour the filling over the crust, or directly into a pie pan or dish (if you’re not doing the crust.) Chill the pie in the freezer for at least an hour, or in the fridge overnight. For extra decadence, dollop some whipped coconut cream on top and dust with extra cinnamon.

Thanks for reading and Happy Thanksgiving!