Braces-Friendly Holiday Recipes

Happy Holidays from Orthodontics on Silver Lake!

At Orthodontics on Silver Lake, our orthodontist Dr. Steckel, helps patients achieve their best smiles possible and supports them every step of the way. Certain times of the year are more difficult than others when it comes to eating braces-friendly food, and we know the holidays can be a challenge, so our team put together our favorite braces-friendly holiday recipes to share with you!

Foods to Avoid with Braces

Before we get to the delicious recipes, it’s important to remember what foods to avoid as these can damage your orthodontic appliances and result in unplanned appointments, additional costs and lengthier treatment times.

• Cut chewy foods: Cut chewy foods into very small, swallow-size pieces
    
• Eat thinly sliced vegetables and fruit
   
• Avoid sticky foods: Bubble gum, jelly beans and sticky fruit snacks
   
• Avoid hard, crunchy foods: Hard candy and peanut brittle
   
• Limit sugary foods: Sweets and soft drinks that can cause tooth decay under the appliances, so please brush and rinse after eating.

Cream Corn

 

One of the things our patients miss the most around Thanksgiving is corn on the cob! You can always use a knife to cut off the kernels, but if you’re going to eat corn off the cob then you don’t want to miss this delicious cream corn recipe!

Ingredients

• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen corn kernels, thawed                                             
• 1 cup heavy cream                                      
• 1 teaspoon salt                                                       
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar                         
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a skillet over medium heat, combine the corn, cream, salt, sugar, pepper and butter. Whisk together the milk and flour, and stir into the corn mixture. Cook stirring over medium heat until the mixture is thickened, and corn is cooked through. Remove from heat, and stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted. Serve hot.

Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

For patients who have recently had their braces put on or tightened, eating can be uncomfortable for the first few days, so try our creamy garlic mashed potatoes as a delicious side to enjoy at Thanksgiving dinner.

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 16 fluid ounces (2 cups) half-and-half
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 6 ounces grated Parmesan

Directions

Peel and dice potatoes, making sure all are relatively the same size. Place in a large saucepan, add the salt, and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to maintain a rolling boil. Cook until potatoes fall apart when poked with a fork.

Heat the half-and-half and the garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain off the water. Mash and add the garlic-cream mixture and Parmesan; stir to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes so that mixture thickens and then serve.

Giving Thanks this Thanksgiving

Getting together with local friends and family over delicious meals in Dover is one of our favorite parts of the holidays. We also like to take the time to give thanks. Your orthodontist, Dr. Stephanie Steckel, wanted to share with all of her patients what she’s thankful for this season:

“Our wonderful patients and families that trust us with their smiles, my talented OSL team members that inspire me everyday and my wonderful family and good health!”

Our Orthodontics on Silver Lake team wishes all of our patients a happy and safe holiday!