Thanksgiving side dishes are a lot more important than people tend to think at the moment. You need to understand the fact that looking for turkey recipes for Thanksgiving is not the only thing that you have to do. In order to have that perfect family experience with fine dining, you need to also think about thanksgiving side dishes. We will mention the ones that are considered to be classic since you cannot go wrong with them. If you want something really special, make sure that you allow yourself enough time to do your research. These recipes are perfect for those that are in a hurry and that are basically faced with a lack of inspiration when thinking about what to cook for this Thanksgiving.
Mashed Potatoes
It is not at all difficult to make mashed potatoes. We all know that. The classic recipe sees you taking potatoes (preferably Yukon gold) and letting them simmer for 45 minutes in cold salted water. Drain the water, peel and then mash with a maximum of 1 stick of butter. Add hot milk (around 1 cup), pepper, salt and then mash until fluffy and smooth.
That is the easy way to cook mashed potatoes but you might want to spice things up a little. If you use red potatoes you can avoid peeling and then do all the other steps. The result is chunky red mashed potatoes that are both visually appealing and tastier than you might imagine. You could even replace the milk with sour cream and then top with the use of fresh dill to obtain another interesting recipe.
If you like peppers, take 2 chopped peppers (preferably red bell) and sauté them with the use of 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves and olive oil. Cover and do so until tender. Swirl or puree into the classic mesh.
In the event that you want to have a low fat recipe, use the chunky red mash option that we mentioned. Instead of butter, use a quarter of a cup of cooking water. Use plan nonfat Greek yogurt so that you do not use milk. The result is one of the tastiest thanksgiving side dishes.
Green Been Casserole
This is a recipe that takes you a little over 1 hour to make. The actual cooking time is 45 minutes and the result is 4 to 6 servings if you respect the quantities mentioned.
Topping Ingredients:
- A quarter of a cup of flour
- 2 onions – medium sized and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons of panko bread crumbs
- Cooking spray – use nonstick
- 1 tablespoon of salt
Sauce And Main Side Dish Ingredients:
- A little more than 2 tablespoons of salt
- 2 tablespoons of butter – unsalted
- 1 pound of fresh green beans – halved, trimmed and rinsed
- A quarter teaspoon of nutmeg – freshly ground
- 2 cloves of minced garlic
- Half a teaspoon of black pepper
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- 1 cup of chicken broth
Cooking Directions:
Preheat your oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine the panko, salt, flour and onions in one mixing bowl. Coat a simple sheet pan with the use of the cooking spray and then spread onions evenly on pans. Put the pan on the oven’s middle rack. Bake until the color becomes golden brown. It should take around half an hour. Add the onions 2 or 3 times while cooking and as soon as all is over, remove. Let it settle aside. The oven needs to be turned down to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Let the onions cook and prepare your beans in the meantime. Add one gallon of water and use 2 salt tablespoons. Let it boil and add blanch together with the beans for five minutes. Drain and then plunge all the beans into a bowl with ice water. Drain and then set aside.
Melt the unsalted butter and add mushrooms, pepper, salt. Cook and stir occasionally. You can stop when the mushrooms become tender. It should be around 5 minutes. Add nutmeg and garlic. Continue cooking for 2 minutes. Add flour over the entire mixture and then stir. Cook for 1 more minute. Add broth and then simmer for 1 minute. Reduce the heat source to medium to low and cook until the entire mixture thickens (around 7 minutes). Stir occasionally.
Remove all from the heat and then stir with a quarter of the onions and the green beans. The rest of the onions would top everything. Place everything in the oven and just bake for 15 minutes. As soon as you remove the green beans, you can serve.
Extra Thanksgiving Side Dishes Tips To Consider
Remember that while you prepare the side dishes, you can always use thanksgiving games for kids in the event that there are young ones so that they do not get bored. Also, keep in mind that the side dishes do tend to be left last and this can turn out to be a mistake. It is best to start at the right time and calculate when the dishes would be ready as you need to serve together with the turkey for the best possible experience.
The bottom line is that you have to plan ahead. You cannot have thanksgiving without the turkey and you cannot have the turkey without side dishes. Take all the time that you need to be sure that you have all the ingredients and if possible, test all the recipes some time in advance, before Thanksgiving. If you prepare for the holiday, you will surely have a great time and everyone will be extremely happy with the experience. Also, remember that your dishes are not everything. You need to also have a loving atmosphere and you need to take into account what this holiday is all about. If everyone is jolly and the food is great, wonderful memories can be created.