Ah, the Thanksgiving side dish recipes we love to feast upon.
The holiday dinner would not be the holiday dinner without a serving (or two) of there’s no place like home for the holidays comfort food.
Company’s coming for the holidays, and what better time to dazzle the gathered together for holiday dinner with one of these Thanksgiving side dish recipes.
I don’t attempt to improve upon the traditional Southern and Louisiana influenced side dish recipes that please, but I love to mix things up with butter, onions, garlic, cheese and flour in new and tasty ways for our Thanksgiving dinner.
Allow me to share with you these Thanksgiving side dish recipes for your Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner consideration.
Roasted Cauliflower with Pecorino Romano
Ingredients
2 heads cauliflower, florets removed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, olive oil, butter, garlic, salt, and pepper. Spread in an even layer on prepared pan. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle cheese evenly over cauliflower, and cook until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Garnish with tarragon, and serve immediately.
~Louisiana Cookin’
Spinach Gratin ~ Adapted from Ina Garten’s “Barefoot Contessa Parties!”
Ingredients
3 pounds frozen chopped spinach, defrosted (5 (10 ounce) packages)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 chopped yellow onion
¼ cup flour
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups milk
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup grated Gruyere cheese
Directions
Transfer your thawed spinach to a large baking dish or bowl. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, and saute until translucent, about 15 minutes.
Add the flour and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add the cream and milk, and cook until thickened.
Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach, and add the spinach to the sauce.
Add ½ cup of the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Transfer the spinach to a baking dish, and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup Parmesan and the Gruyere on top.
Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve hot.
~Ezra Poundcake
Grits with Wild Mushrooms and Sherry Broth
Ingredients
2 cups milk
2 cups water
1 cup stone-ground grits
salt
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (1 cup)
3 cups boiling water
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small carrot, thinly sliced crosswise
1 small onion, thinly sliced crosswise
1 medium celery rib, thinly sliced crosswise
3 medium garlic cloves, lightly smashed
4 ounces large white or cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 parsley sprigs
1 tarragon sprig
5 thyme sprigs
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup dry sherry
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
freshly ground pepper
1 ¼ pounds fresh porcini, chanterelles or stemmed shiitake mushrooms, thickly sliced
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup snipped chives
Directions
Preheat the oven to 300°. In a large ovenproof saucepan, combine the milk with the 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Whisk in the grits and 1 teaspoon of salt and bring back to a boil, whisking constantly. Cover the grits with a tight-fitting lid and bake for 1 hour, or until the liquid is nearly absorbed and the grits are just tender; stir at least once with a wooden spoon while baking.
Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl, combine the dried porcini with the 3 cups of boiling water and let soak until the porcini are softened, about 15 minutes. Drain the porcini and reserve 2 cups of the soaking liquid. Finely chop the porcini mushrooms.
In a large saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the carrot, onion, celery and garlic and cook over moderate heat until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Add the white mushrooms and the chopped porcini mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the fennel seeds, peppercorns, bay leaves, parsley, tarragon and 2 of the thyme sprigs.
Stir in the wine and sherry and cook over moderate heat until reduced to ½ cup, about 10 minutes. Add the reserved 2 cups of porcini soaking liquid and boil until reduced to ¾ cup, about 15 minutes.
Strain the sherry broth into a small saucepan, pressing hard on the solids with a ladle or wooden spoon. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the butter. Season the sherry broth with salt and pepper.
In a large, deep skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the fresh porcini mushrooms and the remaining 3 thyme sprigs and cook over moderately high heat until the mushrooms are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Return the grits to low heat and vigorously whisk in the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter and the Parmesan cheese. Stir in the chives, then season the grits with salt and pepper.
Spoon the grits into warmed shallow bowls. Top the grits with the sautéed porcini and spoon the sherry broth all around.
Make Ahead
The sautéed porcini and sherry broth can be refrigerated separately overnight. Gently reheat the porcini and the sherry broth separately.
~Food & Wine
Click on the links below for full recipe
Grilled Stone Fruit with Almond Mascarpone Dip
Click on the link to view the recipe for 
Creamed Spinach Dip
Salted, Chocolate-Dipped Mandarin Slices
