Though Thanksgiving may fall a little later this year than usual, it’s never too early to start thinking about your Thanksgiving sides. I enjoy turkey and dressing as much as the next person, but if I’m being honest, it’s usually the side dishes that I look forward to the most.
This year, we’ll be dining at someone else’s house, so I’ll mainly be responsible for providing a few appetizers and maybe a dessert. However, I thought this would be a good opportunity to share with you some of my favorite sides from over the years.
There’s a corn pudding with bacon and rosemary, a German-style sweet potato salad, a riff on the traditional green bean casserole and a cranberry almond broccoli salad that brings a delightful combination of textures and crunch to the table.
Give one or more of these a shot. I think you’ll be pleased.
From eatingwell.com
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 7 minutes. Drain on a paper-towel-lined plate.
Whisk 1 egg, cornstarch and baking powder in a large bowl until smooth. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Whisk in milk, crème fraîche (or sour cream), salt and pepper. Fold in corn and rosemary. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Crumble the bacon over the top.
Bake the pudding until it is puffed and golden around the edges and still slightly jiggly in the center, 40 to 55 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
To make ahead: Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
By Jeff Mauro
Put the sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with 2 inches water. Add 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the sweet potatoes are knife-tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain well and put in a large bowl. Keep warm.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp, 8-10 minutes. Remove the bacon from the grease and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the grease behind in the skillet.
Return the skillet to medium-low heat, then add the onions and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes.
Stir the mustard and vinegar into the skillet with the onions, then whisk to combine. Let the dressing simmer for a minute, then pour over the sweet potatoes in the bowl. Add half of the bacon and toss to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer the sweet potato salad to a serving platter and garnish with the remaining bacon and parsley. Serve hot or chill to serve cold.
By Ree Drummond
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the green beans in half if you like the pieces to be a little smaller. Blanch the green beans: drop them into lightly salted boiling water and allow the green beans to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove them from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge into a bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain the beans once they're cool and set aside.
Add the bacon pieces to a skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon for 2 minutes and then add the peppers, garlic and onions, and continue cooking until the bacon is done (but not crisp) and the onions are golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and whisk immediately to evenly mix it into the butter. Cook for a minute or 2, and then pour in the milk and half-and-half. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, while the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add 1 ½ teaspoons salt, some black pepper and the cayenne, and then add the grated cheese. Stir while the cheese melts. Turn off the heat.
Add the bacon/onion mixture and stir to combine. Add the green beans and stir gently to combine. Pour into a baking dish and top with the panko. Bake until the sauce is bubbly and the panko is golden, about 30 minutes.
From thechunkychef.com
Salad:
Cream Citrus Poppy Seed Dressing:
Bring a pot of water to boil. Chop broccoli into very small florets and set aside. Fill a large bowl with cold water and a cup of ice cubes.
Add a generous pinch of salt to boiling water and add broccoli. Boil for 20 seconds. Drain broccoli and transfer to the prepared bowl with ice water. Let broccoli sit in cold water for a few minutes, until cool. Drain and lay broccoli out onto some paper towels to drain. Allow to continue air drying while you prepare other parts of the recipe.
To a small mixing bowl, add poppyseed dressing ingredients, then whisk together until smooth and combined. Set aside.
Add finely chopped red onion to a small bowl of cold water and let sit for five minutes, then drain. This takes some of the “bite” out of the raw onion.
To a large mixing bowl, add dried broccoli florets, bacon, drained raw onion, cranberries, almonds, sunflower seeds and cheddar cheese. Toss with citrus poppyseed dressing (start with about half the dressing and increase to your liking).
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Toss and serve.
