Category: Holidays

Thanksgiving dinner shines the spotlight on Thanksgiving side dish recipe ideas.

Corn pudding, sweet potato casserole, green peas with mushrooms and pearl onions, buttermilk cornbread, and cornbread dressing pleases the Southern faithful.  Pondering Thanksgiving side dish recipes ideas provided me with delicious inspiration for dishing a new holiday side dish.

Cane Syrup-Roasted Carrots with Garlic-Herb Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients

¼ cup cane syrup

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

¾ teaspoon ground cumin

2 (16-ounce) packages peeled small rainbow carrots with tops (halved, if large)

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

1¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided

¾ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint

1 small clove garlic, grated

½ teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

½ teaspoon lemon zest

Garnish: fresh mint leaves, chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°.  Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, stir together cane syrup, melted butter, lemon juice, and cumin.  Set aside.

Divide carrots between prepared pans. Toss carrots with ¼ cup oil, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.  Roast for 15 minutes.

Brush carrots with cane syrup mixture, and roast until tender, about 18
minutes more.

In a small bowl, stir together yogurt, 2 tablespoons water, mint, garlic, parsley, and zest.  Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper, stirring to combine. Drizzle yogurt sauce over carrots.  Garnish with mint and parsley, if desired.

-Louisiana Cookin’

Potato-Apple Gratin

Ingredients

8 medium Yukon gold or other yellow-flesh potatoes, sliced 1/8 inch thick (8 to 10 cups)

2 cups shredded or finely chopped Granny Smith apples (2 or 3 medium)

2/3 cup sliced green onions (6) or thinly sliced leek

4 slice bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled

1 ½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

3 cups shredded Gruyere, provolone, Swiss, or Jarslberg cheese (12 ounces)

1 1/3 cups whipping cream

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

Green onion slivers (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Layer half of the potatoes, half of the apples, half of the sliced green onions, and half of the bacon in prepared dish. Sprinkle with half of the salt and half of the pepper. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat layers. In a medium bowl combine the cream, garlic, and, if desired, nutmeg.  Pour cream mixture over layers in baking dish.  Cover with foil.

Bake for 1-1/2 hours. Uncover; bake for 15 minutes more or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork and top is golden.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  If desired, sprinkle with green onion slivers.

-Better Homes & Gardens

Classic Fresh Field Peas

Ingredients

2 Smoked Ham Hocks or purchased smoked ham hocks

1 ½ cups finely chopped onion

3 tablespoons bacon drippings

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups shelled fresh field peas (about 1 lb.)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Bring hocks and 2 qt. water to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; simmer 1 ½ to 2 hours or until meat is tender.

Meanwhile, sauté onion in hot drippings in a medium skillet over medium-high heat 6 minutes.  Add garlic; sauté 1 minute.  Add peas and onion mixture to Dutch oven with ham hocks; bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes or until peas are tender.  Remove hocks; drain peas, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Remove and chop ham from hock bones; discard bones.  Stir ham into peas, if desired.

-Southern Living

Roasted Acorn Squash with Maple-Bacon Drizzle

Ingredients

2 large acorn squash

¼ cup butter

2 tbsp. dark brown sugar

1 tsp. Kosher salt

5 black pepper bacon slices

1 tbsp. chopped rosemary leaves

½ cup maple syrup

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

fresh rosemary leaves

freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine butter and next 2 ingredients.  Coat squash with butter mixture; arrange on baking sheets in a single layer. Bake 20 minutes; turn squash over, and bake 10 more minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, sauté bacon in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Remove bacon with a slotted spoon. Drain drippings, reserving 1 tablespoon in skillet.  Cook rosemary in hot drippings 1 minute. Stir in syrup and vinegar and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes or until reduced by almost half.  Arrange squash on a serving platter and drizzle with warm maple mixture.

Crumble reserved bacon over squash and sprinkle with additional rosemary leaves and pepper.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

-Good Housekeeping

Butterscotch Pears

Ingredients

4  large firm pears

1  tablespoon lemon juice

¼ cup packed brown sugar

3  tablespoons butter, softened

2  tablespoons all-purpose flour

½  teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼  teaspoon salt

½  cup chopped pecans

½  cup pear nectar

2  tablespoons honey

Directions

Cut pears in half lengthwise; remove cores. Brush pears with lemon juice. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, flour, cinnamon and salt; stir in pecans. Spoon into pears; place in 4-qt. slow cooker.

Combine pear nectar and honey; drizzle over pears. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours or until heated through. Serve warm.

Taste of Home

Crispy Sweet Potato Roast

Ingredients

5 tablespoons butter, melted and divided

5 large sweet potatoes, washed

6 cloves garlic, smashed

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Garnish: fresh thyme

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°.  Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray; add
2 tablespoons melted butter to bottom of dish.

Using a mandolin or knife, slice sweet potatoes to 1⁄8-inch-thick rounds. Holding slices together, place in pan. Tuck in garlic among slices. Brush sweet potatoes with remaining 3 tablespoons melted butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake until potatoes are tender and crisp, about 1¼ hours. Garnish with thyme, if desired.

-Victoria Magazine

Seasoned Italian Green Beans

Visit the canned good aisle at your favorite grocery store.  There you will hopefully find several cans of Margaret Holmes Seasoned Italian Green Beans.

Buy them.  We are six for Thanksgiving dinner, so I go with three (3) cans, allowing for leftovers.  I add a heaping tablespoon of bacon grease (a staple of the Southern kitchen) and 1½-2 cups of water.  Pearl onions and/or sliced mushrooms dress up this side dish for the holiday table.

Delicious.