Thanksgiving is here, and typically that means loads of food, family, and naps. But for students, it doesn’t always make sense to go home for Thanksgiving between the cost and the amount of studying you have to do (thanks a lot BCIT). So sometimes you have to create your own makeshift thanksgiving; unfortunately cooking a typical Thanksgiving dinner isn’t necessarily financially feasible, nor is it practical in the small kitchen quarters we are likely dealing with. So, I’ve come up with a few alternatives to cooking the classic Thanksgiving dinner!

Option 1: Turkey Quiche

This is a way simpler, Thanksgiving themed meal that you can prepare for you and your housemates or other friends who have stuck around this weekend, or you can just make it for yourself and have leftovers for lunch all week! And with the turkey, yams, and onions all inside, it’s like a cleaner, easier Thanksgiving meal!

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs lightly whisked
• 1 sweet potato cubed
• 1 cup of cooked turkey
• 1 small onion diced
• 200g of feta (or any cheese of your choice)
• 1 zucchini grated

Directions

• Cut sweet potato into 2cm cubes, place on roasting dish, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper; place in 350° oven for about an hour or until soft and golden.
• Fry onion in pan until golden then add zucchini. (You may need to add a bit of water to prevent sticking). Simmer until soft.
• Place cooked sweet potato, onion mixture, turkey, and crumbled feta (or cheese of your choice) into a baking dish.
• Whisk eggs and season with pepper. Place over vegetables and add a bit more cheese on top!
• Place in preheated 350° oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until egg solidifies.

Cut it up and enjoy among friends! Little bonus: this recipe is gluten free!

Option 2: Turkey Pasta Bake

Another option is a nice little turkey pasta bake that can also be shared among friends or prepared solo for a nice dinner and hearty lunches for the week!

Ingredients

• 4 cups of penne
• 5-6 mushrooms
• 1 onion
• 2 stalks of celery
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 1 pack ground turkey
• 2 ½ cups of marinara sauce
• ¼ cut parmesan cheese
• splash of vegetable oil

Directions

• In a large pan, heat the oil over medium-heat and add onion and mushrooms. Saute until onions have softened, about 4 minutes. Crumble in the ground turkey and cook until the turkey is browned, about 5 minutes.
• Cook pasta in a pot; drain water and add marinara sauce, onion mixture, chopped celery, and grated cheese.
• Add to baking dish and top with parmesan cheese.
• Bake in preheated 350° oven until parmesan cheese is golden.

Enjoy!

Please note, for either of the above mentioned options, you can buy small amounts of turkey from the supermarket or sub the turkey for one of those pre-cooked chickens to save time!

Option 3: Join a friend’s family for the night

Saving the best option for last, this is my favourite because it entails zero hassle and still guarantees a full, delicious Thanksgiving dinner. Knowing how quickly people bond here at BCIT, I’m sure you’ve made a friend or two who would be happy to host you at their family dinner. Out of the three options, this is by far my favourite as you get to enjoy all the food without any of the mess.

So there you go, a few options for your Thanksgiving dinner! Happy cooking and enjoy your day off!