Are you as shocked as we are that it’s already time to plan our Thanksgiving dinner? It feels like summer just ended, yet the holiday season is here.

This year, we’re saying bonjour to a few French traditions to mix up our Thanksgiving menu. Our salts are French after all…

Here are a few ways you can Francophile your Thanksgiving this year:

Offer your guests an apéritif. Our favorite traditional French cocktail is the Kir Royale. Mix champagne with crème de cassis. If you don’t have champagne, use prosecco or any sparkling white wine.

Upgrade your bread and butter by adding radishes. Yes, we said radishes. Sounds a little strange, but in France it’s tradition, and it is simply delicious (especially when topped with our Fleur de Sel)!

Warm up with a cup of veloute. Veloute is a smooth vegetable soup. We recommend serving this as an appetizer before your main dishes, made out of pumpkin or squash. An immersion blender can help smooth out any soup creating that rich texture.

Have elegant haricot verts as a side dish. We know some families are dedicated to the traditional green bean casserole, but consider this simpler option. You don’t need to do much with these to have a flavorful side dish - perfect with either of our finishing salts!

Season your turkey with provencal herbs. Our Sel Marin makes a perfect poultry seasoning with its mixture of sel gris crystals and organic provencal herbs. You won’t need to add much more to have one tasty turkey!

Revamp your mashed potatoes and make pomme purée. Say goodbye to dry and lumpy mashed potatoes. Pomme purée is a smoother, creamier version of this crowd favorite sprinkled with fleur de sel.

Share a bottle of French wine. Wine is a must, so make it a French one this year. We recommend a bottle of Gigondas. It pairs nicely with your turkey or cornish hens.

Save time with Cornish hens. If you are interested in really mixing it up this year, consider ditching the turkey altogether. Cornish hens are much smaller, so it takes less time to cook and each guest can have their own personal hen. There will be no need to fight over the drumsticks!

Looking for a dessert that’s easier than pie? Make a clafoutis instead of the traditional Thanksgiving dessert. A clafoutis is a French batter cake. You won’t have to worry about your crusts falling apart if you opt for this dessert. Make it with apples or pears for a fall flair.

We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, surrounded by friends, family, and French food!

Bon appétit!