Soups, salads, and sides. You may choose to pass on the soup and/or salad, but Thanksgiving is ALL about the sides.
Note: pretzel sticks, popcorn and jelly beans may be the sides of the future, but if Peppermint Patty doesn't like it, it's probably ill-advised, Sir!
Soups:
Cheddar Ale Soup- this is a fall fave. If you don't have allergy issues, the Nut Brown Ale is the way to go.
Inspired by a recipe from Epicurious.com. In a medium soup pot, melt half a stuck of unsalted butter. Saute 1.5c diced green onion, 3/4c diced carrots, 1/2c diced celery, 1 bay leaf and 3 tsp minced garlic for 5 min on medium low. Stir in 1/3c flour, stirring constantly for 3 min. Then whisk in 2c whole milk, 2c chicken broth, and 12oz Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale, stirring for 5 min. Then stir in 1 tbsp low sodium worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp dry mustard, salt, black pepper, and a couple dashes of cayenne or paprika. Reduce heat to low and stir in 1lb of extra sharp white cheddar, 1 cup at a time, stirring well in between additions. Simmer on low for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve topped with crumbled bacon and additional diced green onion.
Bloody Mary Stew- Rachael Ray is so my girl. She's got the best ideas. This soup is spicy and delicious!
http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/rachael-ray-30-minute-meals/bloody-mary-vegetable-stew
Salad:
The Antipasto- makes its reappearance- if you don't serve it AS an app, serve it WITH your apps as a salad. Put out some Ken's Creamy Balsamic dressing or any one of Newman's great italian dressings to go with.
Pear & Goat Cheese Salad- Nice and light, which is a good option with all those additional Thanksgiving courses coming...
Combine 6c mixed greens, 4oz crumbled goat cheese, 1/2c candied pecans, 1/2c dried cranberries, 2 cored sliced pears, 3 tbsp finely diced red onion. Mix well. Toss with dressing (as much as you like, but a little dressing goes a long way in this salad). The salad is great without the pecans too if you have folks with allergies coming to the party. You can always serve the pecans on the side. Dijon vinaigrette: whisk together 3/4c olive oil, 1/3c white balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp dijon mustard, 2 tbsp honey, and a dash of salt, black pepper and white pepper. Whisk and sit 30 min before serving. Whisk again before pouring onto your salad. Makes approx 1c of dressing (you won't need it all for this salad, so you can reserve it and use it again).
Sides:
Mac & Cheese- I can never have enough mac & cheese- it's suitable for every occasion imaginable!
This is my all-time favorite mac and cheese recipe. You can omit the bacon if you aren't a fan. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cook a 1/2lb (half a box) of your favorite pasta in lightly salted water per the directions on the box. Cavatappi is my all-time favorite for mac & cheese, it's a squiggly shaped pasta that is great for working with cheese sauces. Melt 3 tbsp of unsalted butter in a large pot, and whisk in 3 tbsp of flour and 1 tbsp of mustard powder. I learned how to make my roux from Alton Brown, man is a genius! Whisk the butter/flour/mustard powder constantly for 3-4 min. If you burn the roux, you need to start over :( Stir in 3 cups of milk, 2-3 diced shallots, salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne or paprika. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add 1 large egg, mixing well, and then stir in 2c/8oz of your favorite cheese. Sometimes I use pepperjack, sometimes I use sharp cheddar, and sometimes I use a mixed italian blend. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste while you melt the cheese. Simmer the cheese sauce until it's bubbly and nice & thick. Fold in the pasta and 3 cooked crumbled strips of bacon, and stir well to combine. Pour the pasta and cheese sauce mix into a baking dish. If you can't get enough cheese, add another half a cup to a cup of shredded cheese on top. Combine 2 tbsp melted butter with 1/2c panko crumbs, and top the casserole. Pop into the oven for approx 30 min or until the top just starts to brown and the sides are bubbly. Remove from the oven, let stand 10 min and serve.
Green Bean Casserole- Paula Deen may have gotten some flack lately from a certain globe-trotting foodie, but she knows comfort food like no one else!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/green-bean-casserole-recipe/index.html
Stuffing- Meat, cheese, bread and mushrooms. Need I say more???
Cube 14c of stale bread- white bread or potato rolls both work great in this recipe. In a large skillet, melt 3/4 stick of unsalted butter. Add 1c diced yellow onion, 1c diced green onion, and 1.5c diced celery. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika, as well as some fresh sage and thyme. Cook for 7 min. Add 3c of low sodium chicken broth. Simmer and remove from heat. Beat 2 eggs and add the bread cubes, the onion mix, and 1lb sauteed sliced mushrooms (saute them in butter or olive oil and season with salt & pepper). Mix in 1lb cooked crumbled sausage- chorizo or sweet italian sausage are my favorites for this recipe. Add 1.5c shredded cheddar. Transfer everything to a 4 quart baking dish, top with 3 tbsp butter (divided, to dot the top of the casserole) and cover with foil. Bake on 375 degrees for 30 minutes, and then uncover and cook for an additional 20-25 min.
Glazed Carrots- Colorful and delicious!
Thinly slice 1lb peeled carrots and place them in a sauce pan with a tsp of olive oil and 1 1/4c low sodium chicken broth. Add 1 tbsp of unsalted butter. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes. Add additional broth if needed- you want the liquid to break down but you don't want your carrots to burn. Uncover and add 2 tbsp more of butter and 2 tbsp of brown sugar. Reduce to low and stir so that the carrots get coated with the glaze.
Potato Gratin- Mix it up from the same ole mashed
Take 4c of yukon gold potatoes (5 average size potatoes), peel them and slice them thin, and cook them in boiling salted water for approx 15 min. Drain the potatoes and placed them in a greased baking dish. While the potatoes were cooking, I made the sauce and preheated the oven to 375 degrees. On medium heat, warm a couple turns of olive oil in a saucepan. Saute 2 diced shallots for 2 min. Add 4 minced garlic cloves, cook 2 min more. Add 1/4c flour and whisk constantly for 2 min. Add 1c of whole milk and bring to a boil. Stir in some salt, pepper, a pinch each of nutmeg and cayenne pepper, and a few dashes of mild green Tabasco. Stir in 3/4c of Harpoon IPA beer and 2c of sharp white cheddar. Reduce to medium low and thicken. Once nice and bubbly, remove from the heat, season additionally if desired and pour over the potatoes, mixing well to distribute the cheese sauce. Bake for 25 min. Top with 1c of french fried onions, pop back in the oven, and cook for 5 additional minutes. Remove from the oven, let sit 10 min and serve.
Balsamic Asparagus- The only thing missing from this is a little crushed red pepper...
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/balsamic-roasted-asparagus-10000001141967/
Risotto- Do it up, Italian-style
On medium-low heat, warm 32oz of chicken broth. In a separate pan, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil and saute 1 minced shallot for 3-4 min. Stir in 1c of arborio rice, mixing constantly so it doesn't stick or burn, for 3 min. Add 1/2c white wine, and fully absorb. Ladle in the broth 1c at a time, making sure that each addition of broth is completely absorbed before you add the next one. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon to keep from sticking to the pan. Remove from heat and add a tablespoon or two of butter. Season with salt and pepper and stir in 1/3c of fresh grated paremsan. Serve with additional parm if desired.
Artichoke Gratinata- Giada is a woman after my own heart!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/artichoke-gratinata-recipe/index.html
