Top Recipes for Thanksgiving: 5 Recipes For a Latino Inspired Thanksgiving

By Milly Contreras First Posted: Nov 24, 2015 04:19 PM EST

Historically, turkey is the main dish for most Thanksgiving dinners but, if your family hails from Latin America, you know that turkey is a side dish compared to what sits on the table during holiday festivities.

Below are five different dishes prepared at Thanksgiving dinners by millions of Latinos in the United States, combining American tradition with their own culture.

Puerto Rican Pasteles en Hoja

Eaten by several Latinos during the holiday season, Puerto Rican pasteles, similar to tamales from other Latin American countries, are cooked differently. They consist of mashed green banana filled with pork or chicken, and can include a variety of other ingredients. The pasteles are considered a side dish that goes along with meat and rice. Check out the recipe at food website Saveur.

Pernil

Instead of or along with a turkey, several Latinos consider pernil, or pork, as their main source of meat for a holiday dinner. The pernil can be served in full or pulled. This recipe for a cranberry glazed pernil by The Latin Kitchen provides a pernil dish with a twist to cater to the flavors of the Thanksgiving holiday.

A photo posted by The Latin Kitchen (@thelatinkitchen) on Nov 22, 2015 at 3:30pm PST

Ecuadorian Mashed Potato/Molo

A very important side dish are the mashed potatoes. In Ecuador this dish is known as molo, which is made with sofrito, garlic, and achiote. It is served with eggs and fried cheese and is eaten at various holidays throughout the year. Check out the recipe at Laylita's Recipes.

Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing

We all know that stuffing is a big deal in regards to Thanksgiving turkey and, while not everyone is really into it, this recipe includes chorizo, a sausage popular in a variety of dishes in Spain and Latin America. Instead of plain old bread stuffing, add some chorizo to spice it up. Check out the recipe on the Food Network website.

A photo posted by The Latin Kitchen (@thelatinkitchen) on Nov 21, 2015 at 5:30pm PST

Arroz con Gandules

To accompany the pernil, pasteles and mashed potatoes no other rice is a better choice. This signature Puerto Rican rice dish is made by combining white rice and pigeon peas in a pot that includes tomato paste, diced olives, cilantro and sofrito. Check out the recipe at Delish Delites.