Best Thanksgiving side dish and why....

Heatherg21

USNA '24 Mom BGO Bacon Lover Dog Lover
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I wanted to post about a side dish in another thread but felt it would start an avalanche and lead the thread too far from the OP's post. So this came to mind.
Post your favorite side dish and tell us your reasoning.
 
Cornbread dressing. Not stuffing. Who in the world really stuffs good food up a bird's backside? I think that's a myth.

My mother-in-law years ago made dressing with oysters. yuk, I never went back there for Thanksgiving.

Honorable mention goes to pumpkin pie, pumpkin roll, and mashed taters and gravy. Oh, and lots of cranberry gel out of a can.
 
Cornbread dressing. Not stuffing. Who in the world really stuffs good food up a bird's backside? I think that's a myth.

My mother-in-law years ago made dressing with oysters. yuk, I never went back there for Thanksgiving.

Honorable mention goes to pumpkin pie, pumpkin roll, and mashed taters and gravy. Oh, and lots of cranberry gel out of a can.
My DH likes the stuff out of the can, I prefer my homemade. And I agree with you, I wouldn't have gone back for oyster stuffing either. And I really think it's rude to cram dressing up the bird's nether regions.
 
Special Thanksgiving Garlic Butter!

You start with several cloves of crushed and chopped garlic (as much as you, and your spouse, can handle). Add to a stick or two of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir as the butter melts, then allow to cook without browning for about 10 minutes.

To finish: Add a few healthy doses of heavy cream, chunks of freshly boiled potatoes, a hearty pinch of kosher salt, and several aggressive grinds of pepper. Mash and stir it all together to a consistency that you like.

And voila: Special Thanksgiving Garlic Butter! (Friends try to mimic this dish but invariably ruin it with too much potato. Don’t let the tubers drown out the butter.)
 
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That is like choosing your favorite child. I may just have to go with the classic, simple deviled egg. Made with Duke's of course.

It sits there, waiting its turn, smack in the middle of the plate, while the green beans, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cranberry, dressing, etc is all done. Knowing it is the perfect plate finisher.
 
Wow, I have been pounding away at the laptop on a work project and am late to the table.

I can see merit in all of the above.

Cranberry Roasted Pineapple Jalapeño Sauce (with a few Habañeros)
We all know there is the Stuff Out Of The Can, to relishes, cooked sauces, fairly plain, or elaborate. All have their place. I have to make this every year, and hide it, because it’s also killer good with chips, and the Sofa People come looking for it. I also have to provide take-home jars.

I think it means a lot to me personally because my stepson and I bonded over the making of it when he was young, as a “let’s try something different than Granny’s, something with zing.” I have never mentioned this here, but he passed away at age 44, diagnosis to hospice in 10 days, so this has become a labor of love each year.
Thanksgiving is such a rich repository of memories without the whole gift and decoration pressure cycle.
 
Despite the many attributes of homemade cranberry sauce, there is just something about the canned stuff when you carefully plate it so that the ridges of the can are still visible. Or you can be artistic with it.


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Thanksgiving at our house is all fresh, made from scratch, nothing from boxes or cans, but certainly includes sour-creamy garlic mashed potatoes and lots and lots and lots of gravy. On this day, no one is vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, or anything-ian or they go hungry. (We do not pander to anyone's crazy, bound-to-fail diet.)

BUT, we do have one absolutely artery-clogging dish that I cringe to share, but we can't do without -- broccoli cheese dish. Yes, it might as well be made from by-products of the rubber plant, but it's generally the first thing to go:

2 bags (1 lb+) frozen broccoli pieces
1 lb brick of Velveeta cheese cut up into small chunks
1 (entire) stick of butter
1 stack of Ritz crackers rolled into crumbs (or pulsed in food processor to resemble dust)

If you're not gagging yet... Cook the broccoli according to package directions (but no salt) and drain. Over low heat, add the cheese chunks and butter and melt together with the broccoli pieces. Mix in half (or a little more) of the cracker crumbs. Remove from heat and pat into casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining cracker crumbs on top of mixture. Bake before serving for 30 minutes at 300 (just to get things a bit bubbly and brown on top, not because any of the ingredients actually require heat for any culinary purpose). Due to its possibly radioactive properties, this dish can safely be made up to a year ahead of time.

You're welcome.
 
Thats so special @captmj that you have something that emotes fond memories. I really think that’s one of the special things about Thanksgiving! It’s the first of the big holidays for most people. Good family time, reminiscing. Traditions. Memories. Blessings ♥️
 
I like to smoke my turkey, but the sides below almost make that an afterthought.
  1. Dressing, not stuffing, cornbread-based, chunks of sweet onion, mushrooms. Stuffing, without a lot of fuss, does not get to a safe temperature without overcooking and drying out the white meat. 86 Oysters.
  2. Mashed Potatoes (boil 'em, peel 'em, cube 'em, chill 'em, rice 'em), w/ excessive amounts of butter and cream, slathered in gravy (optional, but I like). The texture of potatoes done this way is fantastic. Use waxy spuds like Yukon Gold.
  3. Pecan Pie. Chess Pie. Peach Pie. More Pie. You have whipped cream, right?
  4. The often-reviled green bean casserole can be delicious if you skip the canned beans and just blanch fresh beans. You can get fancy with the sauce (instead of cream of mushroom cans, make your own Bechamel, add shallots and mushrooms), you can even fry your own onions. But you don't have to. I'll eat it anyhow.
  5. I endorse Broccoli with cheese, however you like it.
  6. More Gravy
  7. Scalloped potatoes with lots of cheese and cream (pattern?). Arrange potato edges upright around a cast iron skillet to get lots of crispy edges.
 
I like to smoke my turkey, but the sides below almost make that an afterthought.
  1. Dressing, not stuffing, cornbread-based, chunks of sweet onion, mushrooms. Stuffing, without a lot of fuss, does not get to a safe temperature without overcooking and drying out the white meat. 86 Oysters.
  2. Mashed Potatoes (boil 'em, peel 'em, cube 'em, chill 'em, rice 'em), w/ excessive amounts of butter and cream, slathered in gravy (optional, but I like). The texture of potatoes done this way is fantastic. Use waxy spuds like Yukon Gold.
  3. Pecan Pie. Chess Pie. Peach Pie. More Pie. You have whipped cream, right?
  4. The often-reviled green bean casserole can be delicious if you skip the canned beans and just blanch fresh beans. You can get fancy with the sauce (instead of cream of mushroom cans, make your own Bechamel, add shallots and mushrooms), you can even fry your own onions. But you don't have to. I'll eat it anyhow.
  5. I endorse Broccoli with cheese, however you like it.
  6. More Gravy
  7. Scalloped potatoes with lots of cheese and cream (pattern?). Arrange potato edges upright around a cast iron skillet to get lots of crispy edges.
I just knew this would reveal the foodies in our midst! I have never heard of chess pie. I only make mashed potatoes with yukon golds. Our DD loves them with skin on, rough mash, fresh parsley, cream and butter (copious amounts of cream) and fresh cracked pepper. Sometimes I boil them with mashed garlic cloves.
 
Cranberry Roasted Pineapple Jalapeño Sauce (with a few Habañeros)
We all know there is the Stuff Out Of The Can, to relishes, cooked sauces, fairly plain, or elaborate. All have their place. I have to make this every year, and hide it, because it’s also killer good with chips, and the Sofa People come looking for it. I also have to provide take-home jars.

I think it means a lot to me personally because my stepson and I bonded over the making of it when he was young, as a “let’s try something different than Granny’s, something with zing.” I have never mentioned this here, but he passed away at age 44, diagnosis to hospice in 10 days, so this has become a labor of love each year.
Thanksgiving is such a rich repository of memories without the whole gift and decoration pressure cycle.
I would love to get that recipe and start a tradition in his honor in our own home. Recipes that have special meaning are always the best.

As for our family, my MIL makes fantastic "cheesy potatoes" - cubed potatoes - not shredded - mixed with onions, a cream soup base, various cheeses, sour cream and the secret ingredient - cream cheese - all with a crushed corn flake topping (not bread crumbs), drizzled with as much butter as possible.
 
Thanksgiving at our house is all fresh, made from scratch, nothing from boxes or cans, but certainly includes sour-creamy garlic mashed potatoes and lots and lots and lots of gravy. On this day, no one is vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, or anything-ian or they go hungry. (We do not pander to anyone's crazy, bound-to-fail diet.)

BUT, we do have one absolutely artery-clogging dish that I cringe to share, but we can't do without -- broccoli cheese dish. Yes, it might as well be made from by-products of the rubber plant, but it's generally the first thing to go:

2 bags (1 lb+) frozen broccoli pieces
1 lb brick of Velveeta cheese cut up into small chunks
1 (entire) stick of butter
1 stack of Ritz crackers rolled into crumbs (or pulsed in a food processor to resemble dust)

If you're not gagging yet... Cook the broccoli according to package directions (but no salt) and drain. Over low heat, add the cheese chunks and butter and melt together with the broccoli pieces. Mix in half (or a little more) of the cracker crumbs. Remove from heat and pat into the casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining cracker crumbs on top of the mixture. Bake before serving for 30 minutes at 300 (just to get things a bit bubbly and brown on top, not because any of the ingredients actually require heat for any culinary purpose). Due to its possibly radioactive properties, this dish can safely be made up to a year ahead of time.

You're welcome.
Our broccoli dish has cheese but is very different. My DH would likely, love yours more. His mom used Velveeta, mine did not, so he likes the stuff and I don't.

My godfather Al used to make this, he shared the recipe with me prior to his death in a plane crash 23 years ago this past June. Broccoli isn't my favorite, but I make it every Thanksgiving and Christmas just to remind me of him, and how he used to make us laugh so much when we were in the kitchen with him.
His wife gifted me with his cowboy boots, the ones he bought just to attend our wedding. He and my dad split the bride/daughter dance, they were best friends.
Some years, I dig them out of the closet and make the casserole while wearing them. Although they are about 3 sizes too big. Holidays are the perfect time to remember those we love and set an extra plate for them.

Fresh cut and trimmed steamed/drained broccoli (as much as you want to eat, traditionally 2 heads)
let drain and place in a greased casserole dish in a single layer
in a separate bowl combine cottage cheese, freshly grated cheddar, s/p and one egg, mix, sprinkle in some bread crumbs.
Layer that on top of the broccoli and lightly press down.
Take a bowl with more bread crumbs and stir in melted butter, press that on top of the casserole and lightly press down
bake at 350 until golden and bubbly in the center

I don't know the exact measurements, I just do it by eye. If you want more cheese, add more grated cheese or use something other than cheddar. If you need to double it, do, just make sure you add another egg to help it bind.

Every single year, my husband looks at me and says, "why do we only get this at Christmas and Thanksgiving?".
 
I just knew this would reveal the foodies in our midst! I have never heard of chess pie. I only make mashed potatoes with yukon golds. Our DD loves them with skin on, rough mash, fresh parsley, cream and butter (copious amounts of cream) and fresh cracked pepper. Sometimes I boil them with mashed garlic cloves.
Oohhh Chess Pie, especially Lemon Chess. Southern specialty. Folk lore says “chess” came from “chest,” as in it kept well in storage. So sweet your teeth screaming could star in a horror movie.
 
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