This was already a rather lively side conversation in a recent post, but here’s a place to share your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes just two days before the big day!
And really, what else are you going to do on this ridiculously rainy day??
And if you missed our “Best Turkey for the Money” thread, CLICK HERE.
At Home in Decatur
At Home in Decatur
Rival
Proud Mama
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Chris Billingsley
New Scott
The Walrus
The Walrus
Steve
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Bill W
Looking Back: The 2011 Atlanta Snowpocalypse
Corn pudding!
A bottle of red wine.
A bottle of red wine is a terrible Thanksgiving side dish. Two bottles of red wine, however…
I prefer to call the second one dessert!
That’s what the bourbon is for.
Hash Brown Casserole!
“How Obama is ruining America” soufflé. Followed by a tall glass of iced “how is it possible I am related to these people!”
I could have sworn this was about Thanksgiving side dishes, not politics.
Classy.
So sorry. Please refer me to the rules of what I can and can’t post.
No rules, and no apology necessary. I was just hoping for some side dish ideas and I get a political opinion instead.
If you have one to make green beans a bit more exciting (not including the cream of mushroom/onion strings ickiness), that would be great.
jazz up w/ toasted pecans . (there’s a specific recipe online that i’ve tried, really good).
finely diced red onion (not too much) and a nice vinaigrette.
simmer w/ a nice piece of fatback, add pepper sauce at the table. (Ideally, homemade pepper sauce created by stuffing an old worcestershire sauce bottle with tiny homegrown hot peppers then filling with white vinegar. By Thanksgiving, sauce made in the summer is starting to get good.
So Many Books…So Little Humor
To be fair to RScott, he was not giving a political opinion so much as an opinion of his family. I’ll just chalk the crankiness up to the weather today 
So, you want the easiest possible way to make your green beans exciting? Here you go – steam them for a few minutes to get whatever state of crunchiness/softness you want. As they cool, slather them with Thai peanut sauce. You can make your own or cheat with the San-J bottled variety from YDFM. Serve either warm or cold. Takes 10 minutes to make and they are delicious.
I recently made this one and it was a hit: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/11/green-bean-casserole/
Beans remain crisp and the sauce was amazing.
Coconuts,
This had me at “besides the fact that it contains bacon…” Sounds interesting!
And J_T, sorry about the lack of humor. Sometimes I’m just so overwhelmed by political news/blogs/comments/opinions, and it seems to pop up in the places you least expect it. I badly need to go on a news diet!
Happy Thanksgiving to both you and RScott.
Same to you!
I thought it was funny. Those are served at my family gatherings as well. 😀 But, I suppose they don’t qualify for favorites.
Raw button mushrooms with a slice of lemon, of course.
don’t forget the plate of blurry
Ha!
This will satisfy your sweet tooth so much that you can have it as a side or dessert!
Sweet Potato Heaven
Ingredients
4 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup chopped pecans
Directions
In a mixing bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, white sugar, eggs, milk, salt,
1/3 cup butter and vanilla. Mix together and pour into a greased 13×9
inch baking dish.
To prepare the topping, combine in a separate bowl the brown sugar,
flour, 1/3 cup melted butter and pecans. Mix together and crumble
over sweet potato mixture.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 to 45
minutes
There’s one part sugar for two parts of potatoes – I am never eating sweet potato casserole ever again knowing this! Sounds delicious though!
You can cut back the white sugar a whole lot in the sweet potato mash and it’ll still be good, or even better in my mind because you’ll taste the natural sweetness of the potatoes more. The buttery, brown sugary, nutty topping is non-negotiable.
Yes, that’s probably true and I’ve meant to try that…but after going to all the work of peeling my potatoes I always remember how awesome it was last time and always end up thinking to myself…I want it to be just like it was.
Too conservative, even when it comes to dinner, eh?
Ha! You may have something there, however, if you knew me I think you would be surprised regarding the things I believe that wouldn’t be found on the Republican platform.
Thank you very much, Keith F, for this recipe! It was the hit of the meal. Fantastic!
Football and ennui.
Garlic mashed potatoes, of course! Here’s how we do them at our house:
6 large Russet potatoes, peeled/diced
2 peeled cloves of garlic, whole
1 c. heavy whipping cream, room temperature (slightly warmed works even better)
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature/soft
salt & pepper to taste
Boil potatoes & garlic cloves till tender; drain well. Mash potatoes & garlic cloves together (I use a ricer for mine), add butter & cream, and stir till fully incorporated. Season to taste, serve with gravy, or without (these are so rich, they really don’t need gravy). Decadent? Yes! But I only make them like this once or thrice a year. They’re worth every calorie!
Have you ever tried infusing the cream with herbs before mixing it with the potatoes? I’ve infused the warm cream with a sprig of rosemary, a couple of bay leaves, and a few peppercorns for 15 minutes or so, then strained the cream and mixed it in with the potatoes. Absolutely delicious.
This year I’m trying a Bobby Flay recipe for sweet potatoes. First you mix a Tbs. or so of pureed chipotle peppers into 3 or 4 cups of cream. Then you slice the sweet potatoes very, very thinly (1/8″). You layer the potatoes, pouring a quarter cup of the cream between layers. Pour the remaining cream on top and the back a long, long time (although the recipe says 1 1/2 hours, I’m counting on two), the first hour or so covered with foil. Has anyone tried this before?
I meant, “and then bake a long, long time”
I have and it’s delicious!
I haven’t, but I will now! Sounds scrumptious–thanks very much for this tip. 😀
That’s a good idea, though I prefer adding fresh herbs to the mash. Nothing too powerful, usually chives and parsley. Adds some color, too. A great way to do this is to make an herb butter before thanksgiving, then throw the herb butter into the potatoes. 2 birds with one stone, sort of.
This raises the question: what are the best potatoes for a mash? I know there are devotees of the russet-only approach, but I am partial to a mix of russets, yukon golds, and red pototes. The reds have to be used in moderation, as they add creaminess but can really make the mash gummy if overused. I think about 60% russets gives the mash the right level of lightness, with about 30% yukons and 10% red.
Yes, I’m over-thinking it.
Straight Yukon. With a bunch of butter, cream and milk plus salt and pepper to taste. Anything more is unnecessary. Anything less is not enough. Of course, they’re better the next day, fried up with whole milk mozzarella and topped with separately fried pork roll. The only way you can go wrong is by calling the pork roll “Taylor Ham”, which completely destroys it for me.
I use Russets over Yukons for mashed, because to get Yukons smooth enough, you have to beat them virtually to glue. You do need to be careful of Russets, though, because they’ll fall apart if you overboil them. I haven’t tried a mix of the two for mash, but I do prefer Yukons alone for potato salad. Russets are great for grilling (sliced), and red-skinned are the best roasting potatoes (especially if you’re doing a stove-top skillet roast).
I don’t think we’re over-thinking this at all! 😀
You can keep them from getting gluey by boiling them a little longer and hand mashing. Of course, they still taste great if you overmash them, and that then makes for even better frying conditions the next day.
Yep, definitely not overthinking.
Green chile corn casserole!
You can take the girl outta NM but you can’t take NM outta the girl
Has nobody mentioned turnip greens because it goes without saying? Or is there not a critical mass of born-and-bred Southerners in the conversation?
I love greens, but they have never been part of Thanksgiving for my family. But, I must have collard greens on New Years Day.
You have to have greens, but we use a mixture of mustard and collards. Cooked with onions, bacon, broth, and a bit of molasses.
Collards here, chica!
Spam with Velveeta cheese.
My mother in-law is making the turkey this year. The only side she requested I make was ribs. I’m pretty sure they will be everyone’s favorite! Three full racks of back ribs, one with Myron Mixon’s rub, one with Stubb’s BBQ rub and one plain salt and pepper that I’ll slather Fat Matt’s sauce on at the end. Damn, I love my Big Green Egg!
What time should I come over?
4:30. But we’ll be in Lawrenceville. Smoking the ribs here then finishing on the grill at the in-laws. I’m just hoping that Mrs. J_T’s dad shares some of the Johnny Walker Blue we got him for his birthday.
Tried the Bone Sucking sauce for ribs? It is my favorite for pork ribs or chicken on the Egg — just the right amount of sweetness.
If you haven’t, so see Tony at Ace and get you some stat.
I don’t care what anyone says about Fat Matt’s ribs, they’re sauce will always be my favorite. The bit of spice from the anchovy is just awesome. But I’m willing to try anything once. Bone Sucking here I come…
[No, no comments are necessary. DM thanks you for your cooperation.]
It’s just not Thanksgiving without cornbread dressing. I generally make the same recipe that my grandmother made. And it’s even better the day after Thanksgiving.
Now you are talking — except it has to be stuffing. Salmonella be damned!
I just thought more about mashed potatoes in the few seconds it took to read your post than I have cumulatively up to that point in my entire life. Besides, don’t mashed potatoes come from powder inside pouches you buy at the store?
Doh! That was a reply to DEM’s post about the proper ratio of taters.
More like flakes than powder, but close! When I was a kid I actually liked instant mashed pototes.
As I mentioned on previous thread, I’m partial to green bean bundles (you could cook fresh and use them – but it’s easier/faster to go with the canned. It’s about the only day of the year I am okay with canned veggies): http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/1417388-Sandra-s-Green-Bean-Bundles
We also like corn souffle http://www.food.com/recipe/jiffy-corn-casserole-5-ingredients-easy-delicious-313521
Mmm…mac and cheese, like only grandma can make….and yeast rolls. I prefer carbs with a side of turkey.
Roasted Vegetables with Fresh Herbs from food and wine. Since the in-laws do not believe in veggies unless they are from a can.
It is a simple but good veggie dish that most will eat.
Not a side dish, but once we discovered “dry brining” for turkey, we have never looked back.
A little off topic but I can’t find a FFAT (Free-For-All Thanksgiving) thread: for addicted folks like me, what coffeeshops are open on Thanksgiving Day? I know Chocolate and Dancing Goats are not. I’m assuming Starbucks is in the morning, true? Java Monkey? Kavarna? Revolution Doughnuts?