Thanksgiving Vegetable Sides
Every year I go through this: what will be the easiest AND tastiest green vegetable side to serve with the holiday meal? There will be mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, a butternut squash and spinach gratin. Any suggestions for something additional that isn't green bean casserole?
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32 Comments:
Greens (kale or swiss chard, maybe) with bacon, onions, and garlic? Or sauteed green beans with chili flakes and lemon zest.
sobriquet at 10:07AM on 10/28/09
The traditional Thanksgiving meal is very heavy, so I personally like to have a leafy green salad with a simple dressing to lighten the meal and provide some variety.
Also, I always have a crudite platter for nibbling & to provide a fresh vegetable with the meal.
Both are easy & can be prepared ahead of time....
2qrs at 10:17AM on 10/28/09
Arugala, pears, gorgonzola, and candied pecans. I have a fig balsamic vinegar to drizzle on top.
DELICIOUS at 10:20AM on 10/28/09
I like shaved brussels sprouts sauteed with shallots, hazelnuts, craisins and finished off with a squeeze of orange juice and a bit of zest.
dhorst at 10:25AM on 10/28/09
We do a roasted brussels sprouts dish with garlic, red pepper flakes, and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
avaryne at 10:30AM on 10/28/09
i was going to say brussel sprouts as well. you can roast them with some chopped pancetta. delicious.
jaf at 10:30AM on 10/28/09
easiest AND tastiest green vegetable side?
- brussel sprouts with cheddar sauce?
- cucumber-dill salad
- sauteéd green/yellow/red bell peppers with feta cheese
- edemame?
- spinach salad with bacon/honey dressing?
...all super-easy :)
@sobriquet: swiss chard's a good idea; its still in season too, right?
hungrychristel at 10:47AM on 10/28/09
I made this recipe for cream of spinach a few Thanksgivings ago and it was a big hit. Everyone liked it.
yayfood at 10:58AM on 10/28/09
I'm with the rest of the folks on brussel sprouts. Brown butter and toasted bread crumbs on top? (love the pancetta and shaved ideas) Perfect for this time of year.
I'd suggest a vegeatble dish that can be prepped and prepared ahead, just undercooking slightly. Then reheat and garnish right before serving.
How about a vegetable medley? Cauliflower, broccoli and carrots make a colorful addition.. Dress them up with a lemon butter sauce.
Grilled asparagus with a little olive oil, garlic and lemon. (reheat in microwave before serving)
Green bean and red pepper saute.
Stir-fried broccoli with a little soy sauce, sesame oil and cashews or sesame seeds.
Big bowl of mushrooms in butter-white wine sauce.
Sweet onion and bacon pie.
Roasted fennel, fennel salad or slaw.
Cauliflower puree or roasted cauliflower.
Creamed cucumbers
Pickled beets
Roasted beets in orange butter
Asian cabbage slaw or carrot salad.
Carrot-apple-celery salad with walnuts.
Roasted root vegetables Sprinkle with chopped parsley and parmesan to finish.
Balsamic glazed sweet onions (use small ones)
Lightly curried cauliflower (Cook cauliflower pieces in stock or water with a teaspoon of curry powder. Just enough to scent it, not overpower. Drain and pour melted butter over the top. Add a squeeze or two of lemon if you desire.)
Green bean and mushroom saute (add a little vidalia onion too)
CJ McD at 11:38AM on 10/28/09
Maple roasted parsnips
Fresh creamed corn
Carrots and peas
Balsamic roasted
honey roasted
with mint
with ginger
with soy and sesame
with toasted nuts
with fresh herbs
with orange, lemon or lime zest
CJ McD at 11:43AM on 10/28/09
"There will be mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, a butternut squash and spinach gratin."
All the current sides are soft, two that are orange hued, sweet and similar in taste profile and one creamy-green.
Try something fresh-crisp or toasty or tangy in contrast to what's already on the menu.
CJ McD at 11:47AM on 10/28/09
Ah. I didn't see the spinach gratin. Nevermind my cream of spinach suggestion
yayfood at 11:50AM on 10/28/09
we always do brussel sprouts with pancetta, another good option is broccoli rabe with raisins, garlic, pine nuts and wine.
allot at 12:04PM on 10/28/09
oooooo-
allot- Your broccoli rabe with raisins suggestion sounds delicious.
yayfood- I do that ALL the time....
CJ McD at 12:12PM on 10/28/09
yeah its amazing, the recipe is on epicurious. you just cook the pine nuts in olive oil until they are a bit browned, add the garlic and brown that lightly. then put in the wine, broccoli rabe and raisins, cover it and cook until the broccoli rabe is cooked through.
allot at 12:32PM on 10/28/09
I love brussel sprouts and broccoli rabe, but 8 of my 24 guests this year will be young children, so that would never fly.
I do green peas au gratin, a crunchy, homemade apple cole slaw, and a cold wild rice salad tossed with macerated sultanas (golden raisins), toasted almonds, and fresh mint.
salpico at 12:37PM on 10/28/09
Saute kale with tons of garlic and mushrooms. It takes six seconds and it's mighty tasty.
Also, roasted brussel sprouts.
KarynMC at 12:47PM on 10/28/09
ina garten has a super easy pan roasted broccoli with parmesan that is great, and is totally kid appropriate
allot at 1:02PM on 10/28/09
Another vote for Brussels sprouts! Steamed and tossed with chestnuts (you can roast them yourself or buy them at Whole Foods or Williams Sonoma) and a bit of olive oil+salt+pepper.
Onepot
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Onepot at 5:27PM on 10/28/09
I'm a little constrained, because we have the inlaws over and FIL has a short list of veggies he willl eat. So it's usually green beans. Nothing fancy, no sauce, just a little butter. Otherwise I'd probably go with the Brussels sprouts because DH and I both love them.
A veggie medly is nice too. And it's good for the turkey soup, too.
dbcurrie at 5:53PM on 10/28/09
to add to the many votes for roasted brussel sprouts -- I do mine with a drizzle of olive oil, turkey bacon (but use pancetta if you're more traditional), lots of cracked black pepper, toasted nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans work well), and a sprinkling of freshly grated Parm
I also made an apple and mint relish a while back... Involved crisp, tart apples, chopped mint, some kind of nuts and a squirt of lemon juice
ec_washington at 5:59PM on 10/28/09
that barefoot contessa broccoli thing is mighty good. i have it in the oven right now, in fact, minus most of the oil. i do the same thing with brussels sprouts but leave out the basil. it's delicious.
cybercita at 6:10PM on 10/28/09
I made green beans with pancetta and shallots last year. Everyone loved it. I got it from Elise at Simply Recipes:
http://elise.com/recipes/archives/006220green_beans_with_shallots_and_pancetta.php
alosha7777 at 6:51PM on 10/28/09
I always have plain steamed broccoli drizzled with a little butter. I keep it on the crisp side because most of the other food is soft--it's a nice color and textural contrast on the plate.
Or, steam broccoli and cauliflower florets for a minute or two (until the broccoli turns from dull to bright green), then plunge it into ice water. Drain, put the florets in a glass bowl with a pint of cherry or grape tomatoes and drizzle with a nice vinaigrette or a good Italian dressing. It's good chilled, but I like it better at room temp. It's festive, can be used as a side or an appetizer, it's got crunch, and it's lower in calories than anything else on the table.
betteirene at 2:15AM on 10/29/09
I make these every year and they are the BEST green beans!!
Garlic Green Beans
2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter or margarine
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
Place first 3 ingredients in a Dutch oven; cover and cook over medium heat 30 minutes. Drain.
Melt butter in Dutch oven; add garlic and lemon pepper, and sauté mixture over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes. Add green beans, and sauté 5 minutes.
Makes 8 servings
caramel at 7:50AM on 10/29/09
oops - after "drain" it should say remove green beans and set aside.
caramel at 7:54AM on 10/29/09
We do mashed potatoes, chili glazed sweet potatoes, corn, string beans and Serious Eats Brussels Sprouts http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2007/11/serious-thanksgiving-sauteed-brussels-sprouts.html
JerzeeTomato at 5:29PM on 10/29/09
Looks like we have some serious brussel sprouts fans here. Yay for little cabbage!
dhorst at 6:17PM on 10/29/09
Jerzee - how do you make chili glazed sweet potatoes? Sounds soooo good.
Potboiler at 7:50PM on 10/29/09
I think Thanksgiving dinner needs some sharp, definite flavors and some contrasting textures, as there are so many rich, smooth, unctuous dishes. Instead of creamed onions, we do small red onions roasted in balsamic and herbs. Not that green bean thing out of a stack of cans but fresh green beans with some hazelnuts for crunch. No rich soup to start, but plated composed salads: fennel, pear, jicama, bit of bleu cheese, pomegranate seeds, walnut oil and a divine German apple vinegar I can't get any more, sadly. Before dinner we have a few nibbles of smoked salmon with dill. I like the contrast with all the traditional things like mashed potatoes and gravy, then sweet potato spears in chili-maple glaze. We never stuff the turkey - it just gets soggy in there and has to be hauled out as soon as dinner is over, a breeding ground for bad bacteria. We do two dressings baked in dishes, laced with the homemade turkey stock I've been making for a week, and crisp on top: cornbread-apple-fresh sage and my mother's oyster dressing. (Yeah I make the Pullman bread for the dressings from James Beard's recipe). The turkey has inside it only a halved lemon, an onion and some fresh sage. It also cooks faster without all the sludge inside.
I do two cranberry things: the fresh raw one with orange and Cointreau, and a cooked molded one which is SO much better than the canned cylinder with a seam! It's Ann Hodgin's recipe. We haven't missed rolls and eliminated them a couple of years ago, there is so much bread in the two stuffings. My friend and I have been doing this dinner for 23 years; our guest list has been 4 and it's been 15 depending on family plans and how many strays we can corral.. We eat an early dinner, about 6, so we can light the candles, and we have so much fun cooking, the dinner is almost an afterthought. It's the Foody High Holy Day.
amishtoo at 9:57PM on 10/29/09
Brussels sprouts roasted with lots of butter, salt and maple syrup. I can't do it for T-day as I am the only one who eats them!! Yay little cabbage--all for ME!!
PoorOldMama at 10:18PM on 10/29/09
I use a brown sugar and chili pepper glaze. I rub them with olive oil and this rub and roast the potatoes.
JerzeeTomato at 9:57PM on 11/01/09