Fresh ideas and recipes for vegetable and starchy sides for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
Every Thanksgiving it seems your host will give you an assignment. That assignment falls into 2 categories. Desserts or sides. Maybe if you’re lucky you will get an appetizer or even wine and you are secretly thinking “oh goodie I don’t have to get creative.” But year in and year out this holiday is always about the sides.
My absolute favorite is stuffing. I love stuffing! It’s scores way above mashed potatoes for me. According to Woman’s Day, there is actually a preference for stuffing or mashed potatoes depending on where you are from. I’m from NY and stuffing is the state champ. Liz is from Wisconsin and Illinois and mashed potatoes are the clear winner there.
My mother has 2 stuffings she always makes, the first is Sausage, Chestnut Sage stuffing. The second is Jalapeño Cornbread Stuffing. Now that Betty lives in Arizona, I assume it will forever be the stuffing recipe she makes. Regardless, I like both.
As Liz and I sat down to plan this post we assumed 2 things. First that you know how to make a turkey or that you will be looking to a true food blog for that. And second, you were looking for ideas on sides. So here we are.
This post is meant to be a collection of old and new recipes. We’ve made every one leading up to the holiday. Our hope is to take some of the guess work out of what to make.
Vegetables
Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta
& Dried Cherries
Hummus with Roasted Carrots 
Light Seasonal Green Salad with Penzey’s French Vinaigrette
Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta and Dried Cherries – I added dried cherries for sweetness. The rich flavor of the Pancetta works well with the cherries and crispy browned brussels.
Hummus with Roasted Carrots – This hummus is super creamy and fluffy. This is a great vegan dish but also a fresh way to serve carrots. (Jill would certainly approve). It is easily served as an appetizer with fresh pita bread earlier in the day with a side of pickled vegetables.
Fresh Microgreens Salad with Vinaigrette. While we have a section for salads below, I felt like we needed more green vegetables. So here they are! We all love the heavy and delicious Thanksgiving foods, but lets admit it – a nice light salad with seasonal greens, microgreens, radishes and/or apples is so fresh. We make our own light vinaigrette using Penzey’s dressing mixes.
Roasted Delicata Squash 
Swiss Chard with Orange 
Stuffed Acorn Squash
Roasted Delicata Squash – A sweet and savory dish that cooks up faster than acorn squash has it’s own festive skin that looks pretty on the plate.
Swiss Chard with Orange – I make this recipe quite often as an alternative to spinach and is nice with any roasted poultry.
Stuffed Acorn Squash – I have been making variations of this yummy squash dish for both Thanksgiving and fall evening meals. You can use this New York Times recipe as a base and vary it a bit based upon what you have in your house.
Starches
Jalapeño Cornbread Stuffing 
Corn Casserole 
Au Gratin Potatoes
Jalapeño Cornbread Stuffing – Originally from The New York Times in the 1980’s, my mother has been making this family favorite for years. It’s the jalapeño that gives this stuffing its kick.
Corn Casserole – I have been making this corn casserole on Thanksgiving for my brother-in-law (and the rest of my family) for years. I add a can of hatch chilis to the mix as well as some sharp cheddar cheese to make it tangy with a bite.
Au Gratin Potatoes – My Dad has been making these potatoes as long as I can remember. Typically, I change the recipe a bit and make a bernaise sauce with a variety of cheeses; including something with zing like parmesan or sharp cheddar. Also, I don’t add nutmeg as my husband does not like it. Recently I made this recipe using Ski Cheese and it was excellent.
Salads
Kale & Apple Salad 
Butternut Squash Salad 
Cranberry Orange Relish
Kale and Apple Salad – I love Jenn Segal and her blog Once Upon a Chef. This salad comes together nicely and is really colorful it presents well. You can also make this any day of the week for lunch or dinner.
Butternut Squash Salad – Love butternut squash but want a different take? This salad comes together the longer the squash sits out with salt. With fresh feta and sweet dates it’s bound to be a surprise hit. My tip is to pre-cook the squash for 2-3 mins in the microwave to soften.
Cranberry Relish – Neither of us grew up with cranberries in a can. We prefer a fresh, real cranberry relish. Try this recipe. Its a perfect palate cleanser and absolutely delicious. You can cut back on sugar if you like things tart.
For more great recipes from our house to yours visit this page. For other great ideas visit our special Thanksgiving page.
