Thanksgiving Sides

[Whiskadoodle]

It looks like we are covering Thanksgiving turkey and desserts well. How about side dishes? At our house we have many traditional / family favorites and must- haves, such that it's hard to get creative. I'm always on the look out for at least one new dish to serve. What are your faves and do you have anything new to share this year?

 

[Andy M.]

We usually do the same things with minor variations. Stuffing, butternut squash and pilaf are always there. I ask my older daughter to bring a green veggie that everyone will eat as her family has a variety of food dislikes. I used to make cranberry sauce but everyone always wanted the canned jelled cranberry so I don't make it any more. My younger daughter will also bring a side for us. The other night she also mentioned I'd better make Salt & Pepper's skillet dinner rolls so the holiday won't be ruined.

 

[medtran49]

About the only sides tradition we have is Pepperidge Farm CUBED dressing. That's Craig's favorite. Me, I prefer a homemade cornbread-based dressing but not enough to always make it since my daughter and I are the only ones that will eat it. I still have some in the freezer from last Thanksgiving.

Gravy of course. I like mine with giblets and hard-boiled egg slices, but Craig doesn't, so if I go to the trouble of making CB dressing, I'll make some of the gravy like I like it, otherwise just plain.

More often than not, we'll have green bean casserole, but from scratch. We'll usually have something with sweet potatoes or butternut squash. Not stuck on any 1 prep though, and certainly not using marshmallows.

I like cranberry relish if it's homemade, but Craig prefers the canned jellied stuff, which I can't stand. So, he gets that and, if anyone else wants the relish particularly, I'll make it, otherwise do without. Though 1 year I did make a relish that used horsradish that he really liked. I just don't remember where the recipe was though. Sounds a bit weird but it was good.

And I generally make rolls with a rich sweet dough recipe from Betty Crocker. Buttery, yeasty goodness.

 

[Cheryl J]

The usual mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, roasted cubed sweet potatoes drizzled with orange juice and a little brown sugar, broccoli or salad, and rolls. I've tried changing it up a little over the years, but my family tends toward our traditional sides so I don't mess with it any more.

 

[bethzaring]

I have recently become famous for a green chile, cheddar cheese, mashed potato casserole. People go nuts over it. It is easy to put together early and stick in the oven at the appropriate time. I use frozen or canned green chiles.

Barefeet In The Kitchen: Cheesy Mashed Potatoes with Green Chile

And medtran, it this the cranberry recipe with horseradish? This one is very good.

Mama Stambergs Cranberry Relish Recipe Recipe - Food.com

 

[Aunt Bea]

Mashed yellow turnip is always on the table along with Brussels sprouts and cabbage salad.

Growing up we always had a large casserole of scalloped oysters. I still make a small dish during the fall but not on Thanksgiving. I'm sure that many variations exist but this is how we have always done it.

Take a shallow Pyrex dish and layer crushed saltines, fresh oysters with oyster liquor, more crushed saltines, dot with butter, fresh ground black pepper, pour milk into a corner of the dish until you can see it coming up about halfway with the other ingredients in the dish. Put into a 350-375 oven until hot about 30-35 minutes.

 

[Paola Catania]

It looks like we are covering Thanksgiving turkey and desserts well. How about side dishes? At our house we have many traditional / family favorites and must- haves, such that it's hard to get creative. I'm always on the look out for at least one new dish to serve. What are your faves and do you have anything new to share this year?

Can I propose a first typical mealItalian?
Well, this is spaghetti cacio e pepe.
Ingredient for four person:

300 gr. Of pecorino romano
400 gr. Of spaghetti barilla n° 5
Pepper, and salt .

Ask a saucepan whith a liter of water with little salt, when the boiling water dip 400gr. Of spaghetti and stirring you do cook the time indicated.
Meanwhile in a frying pan, melt the Roman cheese and with the addition of some hot water you get a creamy sauce

When the spaghetti are cooked , you eliminates the water in excess and you pours in the pan with the cheese, you mix you add the pepper and you serve very hot. Enjoy your meal!

 

[Paola Catania]

Hallo, today I propose a recipe for a side dish with spinach:

Ingredients for four people

Gr 250 of spinash even frozen
4 eggs
Gr 200 of parmesan grated
Gr 200 of bread crumbs

You cook the spinach in a pan then remove the excess water then you cut and mixes with the eggs, the parmesan grated, and bread crumbs.

Now you butters a baking pan of bread crumbs, then bake degrees for twenty/ twenty-five. minutes

 

[dragnlaw]

Sounds wonderful Paola both of them.
Don't know as I would do the Pasta dish for a Thanksgiving meal but I certainly would consider the Spinach one.

Thanks!

 

[Aunt Bea]

Can I propose a first typical mealItalian?
Well, this is spaghetti cacio e pepe.
Ingredient for four person:

300 gr. Of pecorino romano
400 gr. Of spaghetti barilla n° 5
Pepper, and salt .

Ask a saucepan whith a liter of water with little salt, when the boiling water dip 400gr. Of spaghetti and stirring you do cook the time indicated.
Meanwhile in a frying pan, melt the Roman cheese and with the addition of some hot water you get a creamy sauce

When the spaghetti are cooked , you eliminates the water in excess and you pours in the pan with the cheese, you mix you add the pepper and you serve very hot. Enjoy your meal!

I'm going to try this quick pan sauce over steamed broccoli, cauliflower or cabbage.

Thanks, B

 

[dragnlaw]

I'm going to try this quick pan sauce over steamed broccoli, cauliflower or cabbage.

Thanks, B

Ohhh, you're right! Excellent thought! me too!

 

[GotGarlic]

Thanksgiving sides at my house:
- stuffing with celery, onions, raisins, thyme and sage
- mashed potatoes with butter and half and half
- yeast rolls; I make the dough in the bread machine, form into balls and refrigerate overnight, then let warm up and rise and bake while the turkey rests.
- gravy - I make stock ahead of time with roasted turkey necks or wings, so I have plenty. No giblets or other extras.
- roasted vegetables with balsamic glaze. These can vary, but for the last several years, I've done Brussels sprouts, onion wedges and carrots.
- balsamic cherry sauce for the turkey.

 

[dragnlaw]

for the last several years, I've done Brussels sprouts, onion wedges and carrots.

- balsamic cherry sauce for the turkey.

Brussels, onion & carrots... where have you been all my life???

balsamic cherry sauce, hmmm sounds very interesting...

 

[Cheryl J]

I have recently become famous for a green chile, cheddar cheese, mashed potato casserole. People go nuts over it. It is easy to put together early and stick in the oven at the appropriate time. I use frozen or canned green chiles.

Barefeet In The Kitchen: Cheesy Mashed Potatoes with Green Chile

THIS looks and sounds delicious! Thank you, Beth - my family would love it - probably not as a Thanksgiving side, but I'm saving the recipe for other dinners.

I also looked through some of her other recipes on the "Barefeet..." blog. She's got some good sounding ones, and nicely photographed. Bookmarked it.

 

[Cheryl J]

Thanksgiving sides at my house:
- stuffing with celery, onions, raisins, thyme and sage
- mashed potatoes with butter and half and half
- yeast rolls; I make the dough in the bread machine, form into balls and refrigerate overnight, then let warm up and rise and bake while the turkey rests.
- gravy - I make stock ahead of time with roasted turkey necks or wings, so I have plenty. No giblets or other extras.
- roasted vegetables with balsamic glaze. These can vary, but for the last several years, I've done Brussels sprouts, onion wedges and carrots.
- balsamic cherry sauce for the turkey.

Sounds good, GG. Yep, extra make ahead gravy is the way to go, I do it every year now. It's disappointing to run out of gravy when there is still plenty of turkey, mashed 'taters, and dressing leftover.

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

THIS looks and sounds delicious! Thank you, Beth - my family would love it - probably not as a Thanksgiving side, but I'm saving the recipe for other dinners.

I also looked through some of her other recipes on the "Barefeet..." blog. She's got some good sounding ones, and nicely photographed. Bookmarked it.

Ditto!

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

Thanksgiving sides at our table are pretty much the same each year, with just a few changes along the way.


First and foremost are the Cresent Rolls, a must have for every holiday feast at our home!


Next is my Dressing, unique to our family.
I follow the Fresh Gourmet recipe and add my own twist of diced and browned Hawaiian Portuguese Sausage.


Last year's veggie selection was Gingered Carrots, made with fresh, grated Ginger Root, some Butter and Honey... BIG hit! Oh and the gravy made from the drippings, can't forget that!


Now I know we're not talking about the bird here, but this is how I do mine. It's deconstructed first and then roasted, so that the white and dark meat cooks to the correct temp. If the white meat reaches temp before the dark, no problem, just pulled it out and continue to cook the dark meat.


For the morning after (I DO NOT do Black Friday shopping thank you very much way too crazy for me) I have this.
A fried egg atop a huge mound of leftover Dressing, YUM!!!

I do want to add that I would really like to make this dish, I don't always want gravy on my potatoes ...

Exploded Potatoes

8 Baked Potatoes

8 pieces Bacon, cooked crisp & crumbled

1 – 1 ½ C. shredded Cheddar Cheese

½ C. Mayonnaise

½ C. Ranch Dressing

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 bunch of Green Onions-chopped

Preheat the oven to 350⁰

Mash the potatoes with the skins still on them.

Stir in the bacon, mayo and dressing along with S&P

Place in a greased 9 by 13 inch baked dish.

Bake for 45 minutes and top with the Green onions

 

[Janet H]

We are having a bunch of folks for dinner this year and will be assigning some of the sides... but we are on the hook for turkey, stuffing, gravy and cranberries. My DH always makes raw relish (although sometimes it gets complicated) You can read about that here: http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f17/cranberries-vs-hubby-round-1-a-82908.html#post1210110

I'll also make a fennel, celery heart and orange salad with some toasted walnuts.

Sides will be assigned to guests and are likely to include:
Corn custard, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, hot green veg, relish tray

I used to dislike the random dishes that showed up at the holidays but have learned to embrace the side dish lottery. One year someone brought a tatertot bake and despite the bad hotdish jokes and snooty looks, it was actually highly popular and pretty delicious.

 

[Janet H]

- balsamic cherry sauce for the turkey.

details please

 

[GotGarlic]

details please

Sure I used frozen cherries and it was great.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/turkey-saute-with-fresh-cherry-sauce-2238