Thanksgiving Salad

**PICTURES UPDATED OCTOBER 2022*

We love Thanksgiving around here something fierce and we are always looking for ways to incorporate it throughout the year. It is something about the coming together over a large turkey and being thankful for the year, friends, and family. Since we are so far from family, we usually host a friendsgiving with other families without their families nearby, it is always fun. Here in Texas, you never know if you will be wearing a sweater or a t-shirt but we make sure it feels festive no matter what. We go all out with the Fall decorations, it looks like Hobby Lobby exploded in our house and we aren't mad about it.

Anyway, salad is the answer to wanting the Thanksgiving flavors with minimal effort and if it is still hot, you don't feel overheated eating it. This has the sweet crunch of apples, the tender sweet potatoes, the crispy bacon, the tryptophan-laden turkey, and the buttery pecans bring all the nostalgia. This makes two large salads plus extras for a couple of kid lunches, I just serve it all separate without the salad! And I'm not promising you won't need a nap after eating it!

Thanksgiving Salad

• 1 1/2 pounds turkey cutlets, cut into small chunks

• 1 pound sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes

• 1 teaspoon Poultry seasoning

• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1/2 teaspoon salt + more for sprinkling

• 3 slices bacon

• 1 granny smith apple, cut into cubes

• 1/4 cup pecan halves

• Handfuls of favorite salad mix - I used mixed spring greens

• Balsamic Dressing of Choice

- Cook the bacon on a foil lined baking sheet, place in the oven and turn on to 400. Bake until crispy, about 17-20 minutes. Remove from oven and drain bacon on a paper towel lined plate, crumble once cooled.

- Add the sweet potatoes to the bacon grease, season with a little salt and pepper, and toss to evenly coat. Roast for about 20 minutes until tender and golden.

- While the bacon and potatoes are cooking, season the turkey with the poultry seasoning, thyme, and salt. Heat a large skillet at medium-high heat and spray with oil, add the turkey and cook until browned and cooked through.

- Now assemble the salad! Bed of greens, topped with sweet potatoes, turkey, crumbled bacon, apples, and pecans. Drizzle with your favorite dressing and enjoy

I love to reuse the bacon fat to roast the sweet potatoes because it gives incredible flavor and you get a two for one!

Use that poultry seasoning that is lurking in the corners of your pantry and it makes it taste even more like Thanksgiving.