Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Today's blog is going to be focused on what seems to be on everyone's mind today: Thanksgiving. To be more specific, the blog is about the food that accompanies the holiday of Thanksgiving. Instead of writing about various ways to cook a turkey (because there are a myriad of ways), I'm going to offer a few recipes for side dishes that are sure to be a wonderful compliment to your main course, regardless of how it is prepared.

Directions:

In a large, deep skillet, cook the bacon over moderately-high heat until browned, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Add the onion and garlic to the pan, reduce the heat to moderate and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the softened vegetables from the pan and set aside. Add the Brussels sprouts in batches and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown on the outside. Add the reserved bacon and vegetables to the Brussels sprouts in the pan along with salt and pepper, to taste, and a pinch of sugar. Cover skillet with a lid and cook, stirring occasionally, until sprouts and just tender, approximately 10 to 12 minutes.

Recipe provided courtesy of foodnetwork.com.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and pecans. Simmer for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, place drained yams in a large bowl and mash finely with a potato masher (leaving some chunked pieces). Pour sugar / pecan mixture over yams. Stir until combined thoroughly. Add in cinnamon and nutmeg. Transfer to a metal pie pan. Top with marshmallow topping. Bake for 15 minutes at 325° F. Remove from the and raise the oven temperature to 400° F. Bake for an additional 10 minutes at 400° F to brown the top, watching carefully to keep from over-browning.

Recipe provided courtesy of foodnetwork.com.

Directions:

Preheat to 450° F. Line pie pan with lower crust. Cut vents in upper crust and set aside. In a large bowl, combine rhubarb, sugar, orange peel, flour, and salt. Fill crust-lined pan. Dot with butter. Top with vented upper crust. Seal and flute edges. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350°. Bake 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown & fruit is tender.

Recipe provided courtesy of recipehound.com.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475° F.

Combine onions, four, panko, and salt in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Coat a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and evenly spread the onions on the pan. Place he pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Toss the onions 2 to 3 times during cooking. Once done, remove the oven and set aside until ready to use. Turn the oven down to 400° F.

While the onions are cooking, prepare the beans. Bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil in a 8 quart saucepan. Add the beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the mushroom, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some their liquid, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the half-and-half. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove the heat and stir in 1/4 of the onions and all of the green beans. Top with the remaining onions. Place into the oven and bake until bubbly, approximately 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

Recipe provided courtesy of foodnetwork.com.

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