Thanksgiving With a Jewish Twist

What do you bring to the Thanksgiving table?

Is it thanks for the abundance of your feast? An acknowledgement of how immigration has shaped our country. A discussion of the role and fate of the indigenous Native Americans?

At our holiday dinner, we will talk about all those topics and celebrate America’s religious freedom. Especially now, in these trying times, I am thankful for the opportunity to support Hadassah and the work it does here and in Israel to aid women, enhance health care, promote Jewish values and more.

While I try to provide food for thought at my Thanksgiving table, I also make the traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner (with vegan options) and I like to incorporate Jewish tastes into this very American holiday. One way to do this is to give the traditional food a bit of a Jewish twist, which is what I’ve done with the recipes below.

The Pumpkin Hummus with Za’atar Drizzle is a versatile appetizer with Middle Eastern and New World flavors. It is quick and easy to put together. The Challah “Stuffing” Kugel with Fresh Herbs is a savory way to serve “turkey dressing” on Thanksgiving. (If the fresh herbs are not available, you can substitute about a third of the amount of dried, ground sage and thyme.)

Pumpkin Hummus with Za’atar Drizzle recipe photo courtesy of the author.

Pumpkin Hummus with Za’atar Drizzle
Makes 8 appetizer servings

7 or 8-ounce container of store-brought plain hummus
1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree (do not use canned pumpkin pie filling)
1 tsp. smoked paprika, optional
2 Tbsp. za’atar seasoning mix (or 5 tsp. ground oregano or finely tumbled dried oregano leaves, 1⁄4 tsp. cumin and 1 tsp. sesame seeds)
1⁄4 cup olive oil
2-3 Tbsp. roasted pumpkin seeds, optional
1/2 tsp. kosher or coarse sea salt, optional
6 to 8 flatbread or pita breads

Mix hummus with pumpkin puree and paprika. In a separate bowl, combine za’atar with olive oil and stir well. Heat flatbread or pitas in dry fry pan or griddle until warm and toasted.

Serve either as a topped flatbread or dip. To serve as a flatbread, spread the pumpkin hummus on the bread, drizzle with za’atar mix and cut into triangles. If desired, sprinkle triangles with sea salt. To serve as a dip, stir half of the za’atar into the hummus until just combined and you can still see “streaks” of the herb/oil mixture. Drizzle the remainder on top of the pumpkin hummus. If desired, garnish with pumpkin seeds and sprinkle with salt. (To serve in a hollowed-out small pumpkin, double the recipe.) Cut the warmed breads into triangles and serve with dip.

Challah “Stuffing” Kugel with Fresh Herbs
Serves 6 to 8

1 Tbsp. plus 2 Tbsp. oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1⁄2 cup chopped carrots (1⁄4-inch chunks)
1⁄2 cup chopped celery (1⁄4-inch chunks)
2 cups chopped mushrooms (1⁄4-inch chunks)
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 lb. turkey Italian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled
1 Tbsp. minced fresh sage leaves
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves1 pound challah, torn or cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cups chicken stock
4 eggs, beaten
1⁄2 tsp. paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a shallow baking dish (for lots of crusty bits) or a deeper casserole dish (for lots of succulent bits) with 1 Tbsp. oil. Put remaining oil in large skillet and, when heated, add onions and garlic and sauté until softened. Add carrots, celery and mushrooms, sautéing until just softened. Add pepper flakes, salt and black pepper and stir well. Add crumbled sausage, stirring often to break up clumps until browned. Add minced sage and thyme. Sauté for a minute.

Remove from heat. Combine with challah in a large mixing bowl. Add chicken stock and eggs and mix well. Place in greased baking dish. Sprinkle top with paprika. Bake for 50-60 minutes until top is brown and crusty and kugel is set. (Timing will vary depending on dimensions of baking dish.)

This Giving Tuesday (December 3, 2024), please consider a donation to the life-saving work of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc.

Faith is a member of the Hadassah Writers’ Circle, a dynamic and diverse writing group for leaders and members to express their thoughts and feelings about all the things Hadassah does to make the world a better place, to celebrate their personal Hadassah journeys and to share their Jewish values, family traditions and interpretations of Jewish texts.  Since 2019, the Hadassah Writers’ Circle has published nearly 450 columns in the Times of Israel Blog and other Jewish media outlets. Interested? Please contact hwc@hadassah.org.