My (Unexpected) Favorite Thanksgiving Side & What I Cooked Last Week

Thanksgiving at the Sharf house, avocado cucumber wonton crisps, one-pot roast chicken dinner, and carbonara fried rice

Happy Friday! I hope you've had a wonderful week :)

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I thought I’d share a little bit about how my family celebrates—and I’ve got a recipe for an unexpected side dish that I absolutely love. (Spoiler: It’s not mashed potatoes or stuffing! But I think it’s an underappreciated classic that definitely deserves some attention.)

Oh, and I also have something fun for you: a peek inside my childhood bedroom! This is where Doug and I stay when we go home for the holidays, and it’s like stepping into a 90s museum—so much nostalgia packed into one room.

But before all that, let’s kick things off with a recipe for wonton crisps that I made last week. These have quickly become my go-to appetizer this season—I’ve been making them on repeat, and they’re always a hit! I think you’ll love them too.

You can also find 13 new recipes in the archive, such as Greek Chicken Bowl, Grandpa’s Eggy Rice, and Aunt Susan’s Healthy Shrimp Stir Fry.

What I Made Last Week! ↓

Avocado Cucumber Wonton Crisps

These crisps are crunchy, creamy, and light. Doug and I love them so much that we polished off a batch within minutes. Enjoy!

Avocado Cucumber Wonton Crisps

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Ingredients:

Wonton crisps

• Peanut oil, or another neutral oil such as canola or grapeseed, for frying (about 1 cup)

• 8 wonton skins, cut in half on the diagonal

• Kosher salt

Avocado-cucumber salad

• 1 small Persian cucumber (3 ounces), diced small

• 1 medium avocado (6 ounces), diced small

• 1 scallion, sliced

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

• 1 pinch kosher salt

Serving

• Chives, for garnish (optional)

• Toasted sesame Seeds

Instructions:

1. Make the wonton crisps: Pour ¼-inch of peanut oil into a large heavy bottom skillet. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 325ºF (check the temperature with a meat thermometer or dip a wonton skin into the oil—if it bubbles and sizzles, the oil is ready). Line a sheet pan with paper towels.

2. Working in batches, place the wonton skins in the skillet, leaving some space between each. Fry until golden brown around the edges, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip and cook until bottoms are deep golden brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to the paper-towel-lined sheet pan to drain the excess oil and sprinkle with some salt.

3. Make the avocado-cucumber salad: In a medium bowl, combine the Persian cucumber, avocado, scallion, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and salt. Stir gently until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.

4. Serve: Line a white serving dish with chives (optional, but I think it looks pretty :)). Spoon 1 tablespoon of the avocado-cucumber salad onto each wonton crisp and place on the serving platter. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and enjoy!

Total time: 30 minutes

Makes 16 bites (serves 4 as an appetizer)

You can cook the wonton crisps a few hours in advance. However, I recommend waiting to toss the avocado cucumber salad and adding it to the crisps just before serving. I hope you love these!

You can watch the video here :)

Thanksgiving at the Sharf house

Ever since Doug and I started dating, we’ve spent the holidays together, taking turns between our families. This year, we’re heading to my parents’ house for Thanksgiving. It’s always so comforting to visit them—especially since they still live in the house I grew up in.

It’s a bit funny, though, staying in my childhood bedroom. It hasn’t changed a bit! I don’t think I’ve taken a single thing out of the room since I was born. There are glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling, the walls are lined with Beanie Babies and stuffed animals, and yes, my Twilight-era Robert Pattinson shrine is still standing strong. Enjoy the photo tour below (lol!).