In many homes, Thanksgiving is a time-honored tradition that requires turkey and all the fixins. The side dishes, which are often plentiful, provide a variety of flavors and textures with recipes often handed down over the generations. Sometimes, families make new traditions with new side dishes when they find a recipe they really like. You can find many variations of the following recipes online, so you can try different variations to find the one you like. Or, you can do as Adley does and make it up as you go along if you are comfortable in the kitchen.
Glazed Carrots
You can use whole large carrots or baby carrots for this one. If you use whole carrots, you can cut them into chunks, or you can julienne (cut in long, thin strips) them. This side dish of glazed carrots is simple to make. It is a simple recipe that uses about a half-stick of butter and about a quarter cup of brown sugar to glaze the carrots after they are cooked until they are tender.
Butternut Squash
Another favorite on many Thanksgiving tables, you can prepare butternut squash in many different ways, whether you cut it into bite-size pieces and boil it, roast it, or mash it. It's especially good when mashed and mixed with a good helping of butter and brown sugar. You can also add a dash of cinnamon, allspice or cloves to give it a kick, but be careful with the amounts, as these spices can easily overpower the light flavor of the butternut squash.
Corn Casserole
Instead of the traditional cornbread that you'll find on many tables, you can make a corn casserole. This is an easy dish to make, which cooks up great in a large cast-iron frying pan in the oven. This recipe uses a can of cream corn, a can of corn, sour cream, Jiffy cornbread mix, eggs, butter, salt, and pepper.
Mashed Potatoes
While it's a must to have the classic mashed potatoes, there's no rule saying that you can't kick it up a notch. You can add garlic, chives, bacon, cheese, or any combination of these to the mashed potatoes, or you can put those items out as a garnish. You can also impress your guests by making dutchess potatoes or twice-baked potatoes.
Cranberry Sauce
Something that has always been on many families' Thanksgiving tables is cranberry sauce. Whether you like the chunky version with pieces of whole cranberries or the smooth version, this is one side dish that can't be left out. You can even spice it up by making a chunky relish by adding orange zest and pecans to chunky cranberry sauce.
Stuffing
You can't forget the stuffing! The best stuffing is stuffed into the cavity of the turkey and baked right along with the turkey. The flavors of the stuffing give the turkey extra flavor, while the juices from the turkey give the stuffing a boost. If you do stuff the turkey, just make sure the stuffing is done to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, just like the turkey. You can use turkey stuffing, but many prefer herb stuffing for an extra blast of flavor.
Sweet Potatoes
You can do so many things with this staple. Whether you make a sweet potato casserole, serve them as glazed chunks (candied), or mash them with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, this side dish is a must on many tables. It adds a touch of sweetness to a savory meal plus adds a dab of color.
Green Bean Casserole
Green bean casserole is another classic found on many Thanksgiving tables. You can kick this dish up a notch by adding cheddar cheese and bacon bits. Some people like to top it with toasted almonds, while others use deep-fried onions.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Add a depth of flavor to your Thanksgiving meal with Brussels sprouts roasted with olive oil, garlic and parmesan cheese. Even the skeptics might change their minds about this tasty vegetable when you prepare it like this.
Succotash
In days long gone, you used to be able to buy succotash in cans – it had only cream corn and lima beans in it. For those who miss having this on the table, you can make your own. Just mix two cans of cream corn and one can of baby lima beans and heat it up, and you will have that old-timey dish that disappeared sometime after the 1980s.
Deviled Eggs
You can make these as an appetizer or a side dish. You can do so many things with deviled eggs, including making them with just salt, pepper and mayo, or you can add a kick to them by adding a tad of spicy brown mustard, a bit of garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. You can also add chives or bacon bits – or both!
Whether you choose to add some of these side dishes or all of them, Rhea Morrigan, Adley, Davis, Marley, Michael, Aiden, Sarah, Hank, Shannon, and Griff all wish you a happy Thanksgiving!
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