(If you’re looking for the Healthy Holiday Desserts, go HERE)
As the holidays come up full swing, I’ve been getting excited to start planning. I love, love, love this time of year, and everything about it. The weather is cool, the scenery is beautiful, the lights are bright and our homes are warm. We get to spend time with family and love on each other a little bit more, just because. We are able to come together over tables, and share good food, laughs, and love. We make so many memories around those tables.
But as someone that’s on a really specific diet, I have to do more planning ahead than I used to because I need to make sure that everything at the table is something that everyone can enjoy. With chronic illness, there are so many foods that I have to avoid to keep healing. When you take into account all of the ingredients on most food packages, this explains why I have to make nearly everything from scratch. Removing unhealthy foods from your diet doesn’t mean that you’re only left with steamed broccoli and carrots and will never eat anything delicious again. Trust me, there’s so many flavorful options still out there.
I’m sharing with you 5 fantastic, healthy holiday side dishes that are delicious, and yet still gluten and sugar free. One of my favorites is the Pesto Cheese Blossom. It’s a delectable grain free appetizer combining garlic, pesto, and sun dried tomatoes with cream cheese and provolone. A must have for all of your holiday get togethers, with minimal ingredients and maximum flavor!
Healthy Holiday Side Dishes
- 1 (8-ounce) package sliced provolone cheese
- 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 ounces oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- Line a medium bowl with plastic wrap, leaving enough overhang to cover the top.
- Reserving 3 slices of the provolone, line the bottom and sides of the bowl with the remaining provolone, overlapping the slices.
- For the cream cheese layer, process the cream cheese and 1 of the garlic cloves in a food processor until blended; scrape the mixture into a bowl and set aside.
- For the pesto layer, process the basil, parsley and the remaining garlic clove in the food processor until blended.
- Dissolve the salt and pepper in the olive oil and mix well.
- With the machine running, add the oil in a fine stream.
- Scrape this mixture into a second bowl and set aside.
- For the tomato layer, drain the tomatoes, reserving the oil.
- Puree the tomatoes with a small amount of the reserved oil in a food processor.
- Spread some of the cream cheese mixture over the cheese slices lining the bowl.
- Layer the pesto mixture, half of the remaining cream cheese mixture, the sun-dried tomato mixture, and then remaining cream cheese mixture in the bowl.
- Cover with the remaining provolone.
- Bring the edges of the plastic wrap together over the top and secure with a twist tie.
- Freeze until firm.
- Remove the plastic wrap and invert the mold onto a serving platter.
- Serve with party crackers.
Roasted Cabbage Steaks – An easy, flavorful, and vegetarian side dish made from garlic, olive oil, and cabbage. It’s a great side dish that fits in well with any holiday meal!
Gluten Free Ranch Potato Biscuits from Kaila at Healthy Helper Blog– A healthy take on a carb-filled favorite! Ranch-flavored, creamy tasting biscuits with the added softness of potatoes and the doughiness of gluten-free oat flour. The perfect addition to your holiday table or dinner menu for the week!
Seasoned Sweet Potato Chips – Sweet potatoes are often a staple at holiday meals, but this one puts a different spin on it. Seasoned sweet potato chips are flavorful and easy, and are always a popular dish!
Roasted Butternut Soup from Deborah at Confessions of a Mother Runner – is brimming with all the delicious flavors and scents of fall. This vegan, gluten free soup is sure to please all of your holiday guests.
Vegan Dressing with Barley from Celeste at The Whole Serving – Rich with flavor, hearty, wholesome and so satisfying, this Vegan Dressing with Barley is sure to please vegans and non-vegans around your holiday table.
What is your favorite healthy holiday side dish?
I am such a cheese lover and this looks so delicious! I’ve got to get planning on my holiday meals. Thanks for including my soup in your roundup
I’ve got to start planning too… there’s always so much more planning when there’s food allergies/preferences at the table!
Stefani, as soon as my daughter saw your Cheese Blossom she smiled and said “It’s on!” This will definitely be getting whipped up soon. I don’t think we’ll wait for the Holidays, I think it needs a test run first. LOL We both love pesto and sundried tomatoes, but Bruce and Levi don’t. Ha! More for us. It looks so delish!
Love all the other recipes too. It will be simple to make a few changes so everyone at our get togethers has something that will fit with their diet! Thanks!
Haha, it is SUCH a delicious appetizer. you guys will love it. It has such a great blend of flavors, so you can’t taste anything in particular. Maybe Bruce and Levi will like it after all 😉
Stefani your Cheese Blossom looks out of this world delicious. However, I will have to be careful not to eat half of it all by myself. Perfect for the before dinner snacking.
Thanks Celeste! It is so delicious, but it’s also so easy to eat half of it alone! Then you’re not hungry for the main meal. Not that I know from experience or anything 😉
Your cheese blossom sounds LOVELY!!! I am obsessed with provolone so I’m sure I’d really like it!
It’s such an amazing combination of flavors. My hubs gets the request to make it CONSTANTLY during the holidays, haha!
Yummy! Butternut soup is one of my favorites. Eating healthy is so important even if you don’t have dietary restrictions!
I love butternut squash… one of my favorites! We love eating healthy, always looking for new healthy recipes!
I always try to be healthy during the holidays… I try so very hard… Then I see all the chocolate haha
Ohh, the chocolate calls to me too 😉
This is the first year I will be cooking so I am pinning this post to look back on!
Hope you get to make something from it! They’re such delicious choices!
I love new things to try. My husband says I make the same things all the time. When I find the time, I will definitely give this a try!
I tend to make the same things repeatedly too. But finding new recipes is so much fun!
I am so excited about the gluten free biscuits! They are definitely going on my holiday menu!!
Don’t they look amazing? Kaila has some great gluten free and vegan recipes. I’m trying them this season too 🙂
All the YUM! I love this menu and I already pinned to save to use later! thanks for sharing.
Thanks for pinning, Ellie! Hope you like it. We’ve got a dessert one coming out in a couple of weeks, so keep an eye out for that! 😉
The Portabello mushroom salad is next on my menu. this looks delish!
Doesn’t that look great? Nikki has so many great recipes. We are trying that one this holiday season too!
Reading this hungry was a terrible life decision…
Haha, I can see that 😉
Not a big pesto fan, but i love the provolone wrapped idea. It looks pretty.
Honestly, you can’t taste the pesto alone. This cheese ball is amazing as all the flavors blend together. It’s not pesto-y flavored at all.
I’m not sure what our holiday plans are this year, but I love trying new dishes and these look amazing!
Thanks Leah! Hope you get to try one or two 🙂
So wonderful that there are healthy alternatives for people with sensitivities or just in need of a healthier option. The stuffing sounds delicious, we all love sweet potatoes, and the mushroom dish also looks amazing. Plus, pesto and cheese = Yum!
Thanks Shann! We’ve got to think about peoples food sensitivities so much more these days when it comes to cooking for others!
I am so in love with your recipes. I inspire so much to provide healthy food for my family. Your pictures are so vibrant too. I can lick my computer screen. Very good!
Thanks Candy! I’ve been working so hard to change our eating habits, and it’s paying off 🙂
These all look delicious. I can relate to the need for planning ahead. After our family made diet changes I have had to plan ahead for group gatherings. Thank you for these suggestions.
Yes! Planning ahead is so important when you have dietary restrictions. Hope you get to try some of them!
Yum! This all looks so good, especially the Cheese Blossom and Butternut Soup. Oh, and the dressing. Now I’m hungry… haha
Haha, yes, don’t read it while hungry 🙂
I live on the other side of the world. Most of these dishes are unknown to me. They look so tempting and nice. Thank you for sharing your world with me.
They are all healthier variations of American Thanksgiving sides, and are all very tasty!
That cheese blossom looks awesome!
Thanks girl! It tastes awesome too 😉