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Thanksgiving side dishes.

Willow2010's picture

I am stuck and want to do something different for the side dishes, this year for T-day. I am tired potatoes, green bean casserole and mac n cheese.

Anyone have any great “side” recipes? I also need a better mac n cheese recipe than the one I have. Anyone have a great recipe for that?

Comments

the_stepmonster's picture

Here's the mac and cheese recipe that I use. You could also do sweet potatoes, creamed spinach, a broccoli casserole. You could try cooking the potatoes differently also. So instead of mashed potatoes, make them au gratin or roasted. Good luck!

7 ounces macaroni
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in flour. Cook for about 1 minute, until smooth and bubbly; stirring occasionally. Mix in milk, cream cheese, salt, pepper, and Dijon mustard. Continue cooking until sauce is thickened. Add cooked macaroni and Cheddar cheese.
Pour into 2 quart casserole dish. In small bowl mix together bread crumbs, butter and parsley; spread over macaroni and cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.

Jsmom's picture

I do a corn souffle that is so easy. Also, whipped sweet potatoes, brazed Brussle sprouts this year and Martha Stewarts turkey. Every year, I try and add one new recipe. Also, Emerils, Choc pecan pie...

If you want any recipes, PM me...

Auteur's picture

I do a brined, deep fried turkey every year, homemade cranberry sauce, oyster dressing, gravy made from roasted off turkey wings/legs, homemade dinner rolls, pumpkin pie (obvious) and a variety of other sides and one other dessert.

DaizyDuke's picture

Yes, Oysters are a great side dish! My grandma used to make an oyster casserole every year and now my mom continues the tradition.. she is not allowed to show up at my house without it! haha. I don't have the recipe, but you should be able to google it.

I also found a good recipe for a sweet potato casserole that has a pecan crunch topping (instead of the traditional marshmellows) and an applie pie recipe as well that has crushed pecans on the bottom of the shell and then caramel and pecans on the top just prior to serving. I'm doing both, just to mix the "standard" fair up a bit. Wink

Willow2010's picture

This will be the second year we fry a turkey. Last year was preety good, but we did not cook all the way. lol

Can you brine and inject a turkey. Do you have a good brine recipe?

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edit to add.... This was supposed to be under Autuer

shielded2009's picture

My family is from the South, so we do great southern dishes...

My Favorite!!

Collard greens (made with smoked turkey)-easy recipe (that is KILLER!!) HERE: (I usually quadruple this recipe...)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 smoked turkey leg or wing
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 pound fresh collard greens, cut into 2-inch pieces

Directions

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, crumble and return to the pan. Add onion, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until just fragrant. Add collard greens, and fry until they start to wilt.
Pour in chicken broth, and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, or until greens are tender.

CORNBREAD DRESSING (not stuffing)

2 (8 ounce) packages corn bread mix
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound spicy pork sausage
2 onions, chopped
2 apples, cored and chopped
4 stalks celery, diced
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Bake cornbread according to package directions. Cool and crumble into a large bowl.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausage until brown and crumbly, remove from the skillet but keep the oil in the pan. Add onions, apples and celery; cook stirring occasionally until tender, about 5 minutes.
Toss the cooked mixture and the sausage into the bowl with the crumbled cornbread. Stir in the chicken broth and melted butter. Season with parsley, sage, thyme, rosemary salt and pepper. Blend well and press into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup milk
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup butter
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, mix together mashed sweet potatoes, 1/2 cup butter, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs. Spread sweet potato mixture into the prepared baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and flour. Cut in 1/3 cup butter until mixture is crumbly, then stir in pecans. Sprinkle pecan mixture over the sweet potatoes.
Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

ctnmom's picture

Cut Acorn squash in half, clean out seeds.Cut off a little slice on the bottoms so they will eventually sit upright. Put cut side down in a casserole dish with a half inch of water in it. Cook till tender.(50 min?) Flip over, empty out any water left. Fill holes w/ partially cooked frozen peas. Dot w/ real butter, sprinkle with salt pepper and nutmeg. Cook 10-15 min more. Soo good and looks so pretty on the plate! Festive Salad: Melt tbl of butter in skillet, add 1 cup walnut or pecan halves cook 4 min (don't burn!)sprinkle w/ 1 tbl sugar cook till coated. Cool on wax paper. Toss nuts w/4-5 cups red leaf lettuce or lettuce of your choice, 1 cup feta, 3/4 cup dried cranberries, and one diced yellow pepper. drizzle w/ this dressing: envelope italian salad dressing mix, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar,1/4 cup veg.oil, 3 tbl. water mix all together and shake vigorously. Smile

Auteur's picture

that's similar to a roasted pear salad. MMM! and what could be better than freshly ground nutmeg? I also like a bit of real maple syrup!

Ex4life's picture

We do the same dishes every year mostly because if we tried to change them the family would revolt. We have mashed potatoes, homemade egg noddles ( we triple this recipe), gravy, stuffing, oyster dressing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, scalloped corn, apple salad, 7 layer lettuce salad, blueberry salad, chocolate mousse, relish tray, pumpkin pie, mince meat, pecan and cinnamon pies. Then there are always trays of cookies, cheeses and crackers, chips and dips.

beyond pissed-off's picture

Mmmmm - sounds yummy! I got a kick out of "if we tried to change them the family would revolt." But only because my family is pretty much always revolting!!!!! Smile

ctnmom's picture

Relish tray, every year! Pickle chips,dill spears, green olives and cheese cubes. (It really should be cheese CURDS but you can't get them here in the south LOL) I am Polish, here's an easy relish I do every year and put on the table in a pretty glass flue at Christmas : celery cut into 2 inch pieces and well cleaned, a couple TBLS of capers, and green olives. Mix all together and pour over some GOOD bottled italian salad dressing. Marinate ovenight and put in a pretty dish/jar. Smile Cooks secret: I've found Ken's Greek dressing works the best w/this.

snoopyinoz's picture

Apple salad
Dice 6-7 large apples
One bag mini marshmallows
Rasins (optional)
Walnuts (also optional) crushed
Mix all ingredients sprinkle with cinnamon and crushed nuts Keep in the fridge till ready to serve

cat1964's picture

These are the potatoes I make:
2lbs of small red potatoes, boiled with skin on
4 green onions sliced with green tops
4oz sour cream
4 tbsp butter
salt and pepper

Mash the potatoes, add all ingredients, mix well and SERVE.