Thanksgiving is on of those occasions where family and friends take center stage. This is a meal that is about making sure everyone has something they like to eat. If you’re making Thanksgiving plans, you’ll want to pay close attention to everything on your table. Side dishes play just of a role as the main event. These side dishes are one way to bring on the flavor, round out the meal and celebrate Thanksgiving in style.
Bread lends heft to the rest of the meal and provides a way for people to get the carbs they like. Thanksgiving is a chance to think about the kind of bread that you and your guests might enjoy. One of the delights about Thanksgiving is that there are so many types of bread that you can pick from. Tasty recipes of all kinds let you pick and choose which particular type of bread you want to put out for your guests. Honor your family’s existing traditions or opt for a brand new plan.
Cornbread has long been part of the meal on this day. This recipe for the
perfect cornbread is all about taking cornbread and bringing it out for your guests to appreciate. All it needs is about twenty minutes of basic prep time. That makes it easy for the busy cook to take the time and get the ingredients in place before they start. Basic yellow cornmeal forms the bread. Layers of flavor come in place with the use of buttermilk and lots of butter. This is bread that manages to be both savory and just a little bit sweet at the same time.
Popovers are another fine option when it comes to picking out bread for this time of year. These may be small in size but they pack a nice flavor punch. If you’re looking for a new twist on an all favorite, these Gruyere Thyme Popovers are the way to go. The sharp but subtle bit of cheese can be found in each bite. Thyme is an herb that lends itself to a wide variety of preparations. It marries the other flavors of the popover well. Allow enough time to make these in advance. They’re really good when piping hot just out of the oven. They’re also good cool with a smear of butter and jelly.
Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are a classic. There’s a good reason for that. When well made, the soft texture is the ultimate in comfort food. If you’re thinking about making the most of the mashed potato, you’ll want to consider how to kick it up just a notch. A new version of mashed potatoes can please your guests and make them realize how welcome they are in your home. This is the time to show off a favorite that everyone, of every age, really enjoys eating.
The ideal mashed potato starts with lots of butter and cream. Now is the time to splurge on something that tastes good. Bring out these mashed potatoes from The Food Network. Superstar chef Ree Drummond loves to make hearty meals for her family. She takes a standard recipe and tweaks it until it’s all about the fantastic use of ingredients you probably already have on hand. That makes this one easy to make while you do other things. Her recipe is about where the potato, butter and cream come together to form a side dish they’ll want eat again and again.
While the standard Idaho is one potato option that people love, the sweet potato is another possibility for your table today. Sweet potatoes bring color and flavor to your table. They’re also bursting with the fabulous nutrients you need. Explore the possibilities with this recipe from Rachel Ray. Ray’s Twice-Cooked Sweet Potatoes with Fried Rosemary & Garlic Chips takes some organization to get in place. But the results are worth it. Boiling and blanching the potatoes lets the flavor come out and makes them enjoyably meaty. The dish is further enhanced with the use of garlic and rosemary.
The Casserole
For many people, Thanksgiving wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without a casserole to dig into. Casseroles have many advantages when it comes to putting up a side dish. For one thing, you can always customize them to your personal plans. For another, you can also bake them well in advance. That allows you to get on with the rest of the meal planning after you’ve made the casserole. When it comes to thinking about the right kind of casserole for this time of year, you’ll want to consider lots of possibilities. Good options let everyone find something they’d really like to eat.
The usual green bean casserole gets a fabulous makeover with this Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Leeks. The canned fried onions are replaced with leeks that are carefully prepared so they’ll be just right on the base. Onions and garlic are combined with the green beans and just a touch of wine. This one will make guests appreciate how flavors merge. Cream cheese adds a much welcome creamy texture that serves as a contrast to the rest of the ingredients. This is an easy thing to make last minute or the day before you’re having a meal.
Vegetables For Everyone
This is the time of year to sit back and explore the fruits of the harvest season. Thanksgiving is when you’ll find lots of root vegetables at the peak of perfection. If you’re making plans to hold Thanksgiving at your home or you want to bring something with you to a friend or relative, a Thanksgiving vegetable based side dish is easy to prepare and lets you bring something the host can add to her table. Have a close look at your local supermarket shelves. You’ll find lots of inspiration you can turn into something delicious.
Tomatoes are at their peak of ripeness this time of the year. The tomato makes a good thing to add lots of wonderful bright color to the entire festival. A gratin is a traditional French preparation based on the idea of baking a dish and letting the flavors develop over time. This simple, elegant. lovely tomato gratin requires only a few ingredients to come to life. It all starts tomatoes and some additional items such as vinegar, onions, butter and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Even those who aren’t huge vegetable eaters can happily chow down on this one.
Roasted vegetables
Roasted vegetables of another sort make their way to your recipe box with this Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Pancetta recipe. Roasting brings out the mellow flavor of the sprouts and lets them shine. People who aren’t keen on Brussel Sprouts will find this one extremely appealing. It’s a good thing to take along with you if you’re going somewhere else as the vegetables will only get even better when allowed to sit for awhile. The pancetta fat gives this one a well rounded flavor profile. Roasted garlic makes it even more lush. Pair this one with a beer or your favorite fall wine.
Stuffing
A vegetable based stuffing is a good way to offer your guests something they’ll like with your favorite turkey preparation. Varied types of vegetables go in the over to start this stuffing. You’ll also want to make the bread crumbs that form the top in advance. This one allows you to make it in stages. That means you make part of the stuffing and set it aside while you are doing another part of the meal. The roasted vegetables can be combined with other ingredients like turkey, shrimp or mushrooms for added taste and zing.
