You most likely already know what you’re serving as a main course for your Thanksgiving dinner. Depending on your household, it’s likely ham or turkey (or – Heaven help us -Turducken.)
But it’s not a meal until you add some fabulous side dishes. Sometimes unique supporting characters can steal the show. These four dishes are quick and easy to make, and use ingredients you’re likely to have on hand. After all, MOMeo time is precious.
By Melissa Kay
Creamy, Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes can be as standard and boring as toast, but it doesn’t have to be that way. To make truly sophisticated mashed potatoes, incorporate cheese(s) chosen for creaminess and taste. Brie, goat cheese or smoked gouda all work well in this recipe; use any of these, or all three. Make sure you remove the rind.
8 cups (2L) cubed peeled russet potatoes
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup (125 mL) hot milk
1/4 cup (50 mL) butter
1/2 tsp (2 mL) thyme, dry or fresh
1/4 tsp (1 mL) nutmeg
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) cayenne pepper
8 oz (250 g) cheese, shredded cubed or crumbled
1. Cook potatoes and garlic in boiling salted water until tender; drain.
2. Add all other ingredients except for the cheese. Mash with a potato masher until smooth (using a food processor or blender will almost certainly give you a wallpaper paste consistency, so mashing by hand is always best).
3. Stir in desired cheese until almost melted.
Serves 8.
Baked Sweet Potato and Peaches
A daring combination that really works, this side dish is a perfect sweet accompaniment to the usual savoury Thanksgiving fare. Fresh peaches could be used instead of canned, but peeling and working around their big pits can be time-consuming, and you want to focus your attention on that turkey in the oven…
2 lbs (.9 kg) sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled, & cut into thick pieces
1 can peach slices, well drained
1/3 cup (79 mL)broken cashews
1/2 cup (125 mL) brown sugar 3 tbsp (44 mL) butter or oil
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt 1/4 tsp (1mL) ginger
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine brown sugar, cashews, salt and ginger in a bowl
In a baking dish layer half the sweet potatoes, half the peach slices and half the brown sugar mixture. Repeat then dot with butter or oil to keep moist
Bake covered in the oven for 30 minutes
Uncover, and bake for another 10 minutes to caramelize
Serves 6 to 8.
Curried Pumpkin and Wild Mushroom Soup
The first Thanksgiving was a feast to celebrate the harvest – fruit, vegetables, game…and fungus? Fall is a great time to find wild and exciting mushrooms like morels, chanterelles, porcinis, or even lobsters. If all you can find is dried mushrooms, make sure you soak them first. And if just want to stick to plain old white mushrooms, well that’s OK too.
4 cups (1 L) pumpkin, pureed
4 cups (1 L) chicken or vegetable stock
3 cups (750 mL) whipping cream
¾ lb (375 g) mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 ½ cup (375 mL) onions, chopped
3 tbsp (45 mL) butter
3 tbsp (45 mL) brown sugar
3 tbsp (45 mL) all purpose flour
1 ½ tbsp (20 mL) curry powder
½ tsp (2 mL) nutmeg
In a large saucepan over medium heat sauté mushrooms and onions in butter until onions are translucent
Add flour and curry powder and blend, stirring for 5 minutes
Add stock, pumpkin, brown sugar and nutmeg, stirring until blended
Transfer to food processor or blender and puree until smooth
Add cream and return to saucepan
Reheat until hot enough to serve
Serves 8 to 10
Green Beans and Asparagus with Cranberries
This is another simple-but-wow dish that won’t command a lot of time, but will delight your diners. It’s a classic case of ingredients making the dish – there’s no sauce to disguise the flavor – and fresh vegetables need no such adornment anyway.
1/2 lb (227 g) fresh green beans, trimmed and sliced
½ lb (227 g) asparagus, trimmed
1 ¼cup (295 mL) cranberries
1/4 tsp (1.23 mL) salt
3 tbsp (45 mL) vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp (15 mL) marjoram
salt and pepper to taste
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt
Add the beans and asparagus and cook for 3 to 4 minutes
Remove and rinse under cold water.
Heat oil in a pan and add the veggies. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
Allow to cook for another 5 minutes.
MOMeo Kitchen
You most likely already know what you’re serving as a main course for your Thanksgiving dinner. Depending on your household, it’s likely ham or turkey (or – Heaven help us -Turducken.)
But it’s not a meal until you add some fabulous side dishes. Sometimes unique supporting characters can steal the show. These four dishes are quick and easy to make, and use ingredients you’re likely to have on hand. After all, MOMeo time is precious.
Creamy, Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes can be as standard and boring as toast, but it doesn’t have to be that way. To make truly sophisticated mashed potatoes, incorporate cheese(s) chosen for creaminess and taste. Brie, goat cheese or smoked gouda all work well in this recipe; use any of these, or all three. Make sure you remove the rind.
8 cups (2L) cubed peeled russet potatoes
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup (125 mL) hot milk
1/4 cup (50 mL) butter
1/2 tsp (2 mL) thyme, dry or fresh
1/4 tsp (1 mL) nutmeg
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) cayenne pepper
8 oz (250 g) cheese, shredded cubed or crumbled
1. Cook potatoes and garlic in boiling salted water until tender; drain.
2. Add all other ingredients except for the cheese. Mash with a potato masher until smooth (using a food processor or blender will almost certainly give you a wallpaper paste consistency, so mashing by hand is always best).
3. Stir in desired cheese until almost melted.
Serves 8.
Baked Sweet Potato and Peaches
A daring combination that really works, this side dish is a perfect sweet accompaniment to the usual savoury Thanksgiving fare. Fresh peaches could be used instead of canned, but peeling and working around their big pits can be time-consuming, and you want to focus your attention on that turkey in the oven…
2 lbs (.9 kg) sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled, & cut into thick pieces
1 can peach slices, well drained
1/3 cup (79 mL)broken cashews
1/2 cup (125 mL) brown sugar 3 tbsp (44 mL) butter or oil
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt 1/4 tsp (1mL) ginger
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine brown sugar, cashews, salt and ginger in a bowl
In a baking dish layer half the sweet potatoes, half the peach slices and half the brown sugar mixture. Repeat then dot with butter or oil to keep moist
Bake covered in the oven for 30 minutes
Uncover, and bake for another 10 minutes to caramelize
Serves 6 to 8.
Curried Pumpkin and Wild Mushroom Soup
The first Thanksgiving was a feast to celebrate the harvest – fruit, vegetables, game…and fungus? Fall is a great time to find wild and exciting mushrooms like morels, chanterelles, porcinis, or even lobsters. If all you can find is dried mushrooms, make sure you soak them first. And if just want to stick to plain old white mushrooms, well that’s OK too.
4 cups (1 L) pumpkin, pureed
4 cups (1 L) chicken or vegetable stock
3 cups (750 mL) whipping cream
¾ lb (375 g) mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 ½ cup (375 mL) onions, chopped
3 tbsp (45 mL) butter
3 tbsp (45 mL) brown sugar
3 tbsp (45 mL) all purpose flour
1 ½ tbsp (20 mL) curry powder
½ tsp (2 mL) nutmeg
In a large saucepan over medium heat sauté mushrooms and onions in butter until onions are translucent
Add flour and curry powder and blend, stirring for 5 minutes
Add stock, pumpkin, brown sugar and nutmeg, stirring until blended
Transfer to food processor or blender and puree until smooth
Add cream and return to saucepan
Reheat until hot enough to serve
Serves 8 to 10
Green Beans and Asparagus with Cranberries
This is another simple-but-wow dish that won’t command a lot of time, but will delight your diners. It’s a classic case of ingredients making the dish – there’s no sauce to disguise the flavor – and fresh vegetables need no such adornment anyway.
1/2 lb (227 g) fresh green beans, trimmed and sliced
½ lb (227 g) asparagus, trimmed
1 ¼cup (295 mL) cranberries
1/4 tsp (1.23 mL) salt
3 tbsp (45 mL) vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp (15 mL) marjoram
salt and pepper to taste
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt
Add the beans and asparagus and cook for 3 to 4 minutes
Remove and rinse under cold water.
Heat oil in a pan and add the veggies. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
