Although the turkey is usually the highlight of the
Thanksgiving dinner, the side dishes fill out the meal with a wide range of
colors, textures and flavors. Your goal is for guests to each fill a heaping
plate with foods they are excited to taste, whether they're classic Thanksgiving
recipes or new twists on old favorites.
When selecting side dishes for your Thanksgiving menu,
choose a balanced mix of starches, vegetables, and cheese, along with both
sweet and savory options. This ensures that all of your guests find something
they like. This year, use these four Thanksgiving
side dish recipes to create a beautiful spread that will
keep your guests coming back for more.
Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Getting some of the Thanksgiving preparation out of the way
a day or two ahead of time is a great way to reduce chaos on the big day.
Mashed potatoes are a must-have for many people, so make sure to include this
classic side dish in your Thanksgiving menu. This particular mashed potato
recipe is moist and creamy, and it's designed to be made at least a day early
and refrigerated until you pop it in the oven to heat it up.
What You Need
·
4 lb. white or Yukon Gold potatoes (about 10), peeled,
cubed
·
1 cup sour cream
·
1/2 cup (1/2 of 8-oz. tub) cream cheese
·
2 tsp. onion powder
·
1 slice bacon, cooked, crumbled
·
2 green onions, sliced
Make It
·
COOK potatoes in large saucepan of boiling water 10 to
15 min. or until tender; drain. Place potatoes in large bowl. Add sour cream,
reduced-fat cream cheese and onion powder; mash until creamy.
·
SPOON into lightly greased 2-qt. casserole; cover with
plastic wrap. Refrigerate up to 2 days. Remove from refrigerator 30 min. before
baking. Discard plastic wrap.
·
HEAT oven to 350°F. Bake potatoes 1 hour or until
heated through. Sprinkle with bacon and onions.
Sweet Potato Bake
These sweet and decadent sweet potatoes are a big hit with
kids, especially because of the gooey marshmallows on top. Adults will also
love the subtle hint of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg flavoring the dish. The recipe is super
easy to prepare and requires only 10 minutes of prep time to keep you on
schedule.
What You Need
·
3 cans (15 oz. each) sweet potatoes, drained
·
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
·
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
·
1 tsp. ground ginger
·
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
·
3 cups miniature marshmallows
Make It
·
HEAT oven to 350°F.
·
BEAT potatoes, butter and spices with mixer until
blended.
·
SPOON into 1-1/2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking
spray; top with marshmallows.
·
BAKE 15 to 20 min. or until potato mixture is heated
through and marshmallows are lightly browned.
Broccoli and Cheese Casserole
Instead of green bean casserole, consider making this cheesy
broccoli casserole for a new dish this year. The flavor is similar, but guests
will love the combination of broccoli and stuffing, all held together by a
delicious, rich cheese sauce. Plus, it's another simple recipe that will only
take you 10 minutes to put together.
What You Need
·
1 pkg. (6 oz.) stuffing mix for chicken
·
2 pkg. (10 oz. each) frozen broccoli florets, thawed,
drained
·
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup
·
1 cup cheese dip
Make It
·
HEAT oven to 350ºF.
·
PREPARE stuffing as directed on package, using 3 tbsp.
margarine.
·
MIX remaining ingredients in 2-qt. casserole dish
sprayed with cooking spray; top with stuffing.
·
BAKE 30 min. or until heated through.
Brussels Sprouts with Cider Glaze
The flavors of the fall come together beautifully in these
sweet and salty Brussels sprouts in an apple cider sauce. Although this may be
the most unusual of the Thanksgiving side dish recipes, the different colors
and textures come together beautifully. Plus, this recipe is easy to prepare on
the stovetop as you're waiting for the last few dishes to come out of the oven.
What You Need
·
4 slices bacon, chopped
·
1 tbsp. butter
·
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
·
2 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved
·
3/4 cup apple cider
·
1/4 cup sugar
·
1/2 tsp. salt
·
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
·
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
·
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Make It
·
COOK bacon in large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon
from skillet with slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Discard all but 1 tbsp.
drippings from skillet.
·
ADD butter, onions and Brussels sprouts to drippings
in skillet; cook and stir on medium-high heat 1 to 2 min. or until Brussels
sprouts are lightly browned. Mix next 5 ingredients; pour over sprouts. Cook 5
min. or until liquid is evaporated and sprouts are evenly glazed, stirring
occasionally. Stir in bacon.
·
SPOON sprouts into bowl. Top with nuts.
Author's Bio: Jennifer Williams works part-time as a bank teller and part-time as a baker. She has three beautiful daughters with whom she looks forward to spending the weekends. She is hoping one of her daughters has more success mastering the art of a perfect croissant than she has had :)
Disclosure:This is a guest post.
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