Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I realize I should have posted this sooner, but if you are looking for some last minute grain-free, gluten-free, paleo and primal friendly Thanksgiving recipe ideas, I’ve collected a few from around the web that look great.

Plus, if you are looking for a side dish, I’m including my Roasted Caramelized Onions and Brussels Sprouts recipe below. I’ve made it the last several years for Thanksgiving and it’s always a huge hit.

Thanksgiving Recipe Round-Up

Grain-Free Gravy from Elana’s Pantry I’m definitely making this for myself this year. I’ve been gluten-free for several years but this will be my first Thanksgiving being grain-free. That means no flour thickeners! Elana is ingenious and uses onions to thicken her gravy.

Ultimate Paleo Pumpkin Pie from Mark’s Daily Apple uses a nut crust instead of grains. I’ve used the nut crust method before and it works great!

Beef, Celery, Walnut and Apple Stuffing from Paleo Diet Lifestyle looks delicious to me!

Recipe for Roasted Caramelized Onions and Brussels Sprouts

Fresh Brussels Sprouts to turn into Roasted Caramelized Onions and Brussels Sprouts

3 lbs Brussels Sprouts, stems removed and cut in half

5 onions, sliced

grapeseed oil, coconut oil, butter, ghee (some kind of fat, you choose!)

3/4 cup pecans, chopped and toasted

sea salt

1.) First you need to caramelize your onions. Heat fat over medium high heat (I used a mix of Spectrum refined coconut oil and grapeseed oil–both of which are good and stable for high heat cooking). Add your onions and a few shakes of salt and cook uncovered, about 10 minutes, until they soften. Turn down heat and cover. The idea here is to cook them low and slow until they get gooey and sweet. Continue to check on them and add more oil as needed (don’t be afraid to use a lot of fat, the onions are what will coat the Brussels sprouts). I like to cook them for 2 hours or so if possible. Here’s a nice post from Simply Recipes on how to caramelize onions if you need more guidance. I find the sugar that some people use to be completely unnecessary.

2.) Toast your chopped pecans. Use a cast iron pan if possible, or a stainless steel one. Over medium to low heat, toast pecans for about 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Don’t burn! Set aside in a dish to cool.

3.) When you are ready, preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Take your Brussels sprouts and coat them in the sweet, yummy caramelized onions. Add more fat if needed. Put one layer of Brussels onto a cookie sheet and roast in the oven about 15-20 minutes until tender and a little brown. You can even turn the broiler on for the last 1-2 minutes to brown them further.

4.) To serve, sprinkle some toasted pecans on the top and enjoy. Be prepared for even ardent haters of Brussels sprouts to ask for your recipe!