Even your baby deserves tasty Thanksgiving Dinner Baby Food! As the season of gratitude and family feasting rolls in, why not make your baby a part of the Thanksgiving cheer with a homemade, super-tasty baby food recipe? Packed with all the good stuff and bursting with flavors, this baby-friendly dish will have your little one gobbling it up.
Wondering what to feed your baby for Thanksgiving this year? You could go for something simple like Butternut Squash Puree or Sweet Potato Coconut Puree, but I always wanted to give my babies all that Thanksgiving has to offer. Since it was my favorite meal every year, they should get the same!
Turkey and cranberry sauce are my favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal so I wanted to incorporate those into this baby food. Since cranberries are intensely sour, I added some sweet potato and apple to balance the flavor and give it a little sweetness. This purée has protein from the turkey, beta carotene from the sweet potato and carrots, and vitamin C from the apple so it’s super good for your little one! I’m always trying to expand my tiny one’s taste buds with spices, so I added the thyme. It was still missing something, though. The cinnamon gives it that last kick that makes this purée smell of a Thanksgiving feast, baby purée style of course!
How to Make Thanksgiving Dinner Baby Food
The Ingredients
- Turkey breast tender
- Small sweet potato
- Baby carrots
- Cranberries
- Apple
- Dried thyme
- Ground cinnamon
The Instructions
1. Steam the Turkey: Place turkey in a steamer over boiling water. Sprinkle thyme over it. Cook for 6 minutes.
2. Add the Veggies: Add the sweet potatoes, carrots and cranberries to the pot with the turkey. Cook another 6 minutes or until turkey is cooked though and vegetables are fork tender.
3. Cool the Turkey: Cool turkey for several minutes, so the juices can redistribute and then cut into cubes.
4. Purée to Perfection: Place all the ingredients in a food processor and purée. Add some of the water from the pot, a tablespoon at a time to make smooth.
Thanksgiving Baby Food Tips
Bonus Tips for Super Parents:
- Texture Tailoring. Customize the texture to fit your baby’s weaning stage. Smoother for the younger ones, a bit chunkier for those ready to tackle more textures. This is a great one for baby led weaning.
- Introduce Spices Gradually. Gently introduce the Thanksgiving spices. Start with just a pinch of cinnamon and thyme, and build it up based on your baby’s budding taste preferences.
- Storage and Freezing: Make life easier by whipping up batches and stashing them in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Or freeze individual portions for future!
- Mix it Up: Feel like getting creative? Add in other baby-friendly Thanksgiving goodies like mashed pumpkin or butternut squash for a nutrient-packed twist.
Introduce your baby to the joy of holiday feasting with this specially crafted baby food recipe. Packed with essential nutrients and delicious autumnal flavors, this dish is bound to be a hit with your tiny tot. Wishing you and your family a warm and joyous Thanksgiving celebration!
Images by Ivan Solis
Thanksgiving Dinner Baby Food
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 turkey breast tender (about 3/4 pound)
- 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 15 baby carrots
- 1/2 cup cranberries
- 1/2 apple, peeled and cubed
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Place turkey in a steamer over boiling water. Sprinkle thyme over it. Cook for 6 minutes.
- Add sweet potatoes, carrots and cranberries to the pot with the turkey. Cook another 6 minutes or until turkey is cooked though and vegetables are tender.
- Cool turkey for several minutes, so the juices can redistribute and then cut into cubes.
- Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree. Add some of the water from the pot, a tablespoon at a time to make smooth.
- Cool and serve.
Notes
- Texture Tailoring. Customize the texture to fit your baby’s weaning stage. Smoother for the younger ones, a bit chunkier for those ready to tackle more textures.
- Introduce Spices Gradually. Gently introduce the Thanksgiving spices. Start with just a pinch of cinnamon and thyme, and build it up based on your baby’s budding taste preferences.
- Storage and Freezing: Make life easier by whipping up batches and stashing them in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Or freeze individual portions for future!
- Mix it Up: Feel like getting creative? Add in other baby-friendly Thanksgiving goodies like mashed pumpkin or butternut squash for a nutrient-packed twist.
Yum! I wonder if this can be made with a food mill? I just bought one, but don’t think it will get the food smooth enough for my little one just starting solids. I’ll have to borrow my Mom’s food processor, I suppose!
When is a food mill best? Any foods in particular? What stage is the chunky texture ideal?
If you want to add apple to this I would say you could probably use 1 small apple!
Can you please tell me how much apple to use? Thanks so much!
I made this for my son and he LOVES it. I added in some organic green beans and used organic coconut milk to make it smooth. YUM!