Thanksgiving 101: Side Dishes

So far we have covered all of the basics for our Thanksgiving celebration: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce.  Now it's time for side dishes - yipee!!  Now this is where you can really get creative - the options are endless.  Many of you may opt. for you basic green bean casserole (a classic and very good) and/or some form of baked sweet potatoes (perhaps with marshmallows), but I'm going to skip those two oldies, but goodies and give you several other ideas that you may want to add to your Thanksgiving table this year.

This first recipe comes to you from Martha Stewart herself:  Rose's Baked Artichoke Hearts.  I saw this recipe prepared last year on the Martha Stewart show and thought it just looked so easy and delicious that I had to give it a try.  I served this last year on Christmas Eve with Prime Rib, but I think it would make an awesome addition to Thanksgiving.  It's also something that would be unexpected, but extremely appreciated by all your fellow guests.  Trust me.......if you like artichoke hearts, it is divine!  Click here to check out the recipe for Rose's Baked Artichoke Hearts.


My second side dish I would like to share with you is Creamed Spinach Gratin.  To me this is one of the world's best comfort foods and mixes perfectly with turkey, stuffing, and potatoes.

Creamed Spinach Gratin

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 4 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large)
• 4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups milk
• 3 pounds frozen chopped spinach, defrosted (5 (10-ounce) packages)
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cook bacon in heavy bottom saute pan.  Remove bacon and crumble.  Melt the butter into bacon grease over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 15 minutes (make sure this are fully cooked). 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 1/2 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 1/2 cup Parmesan and the Gruyere on top. Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve hot.

Cottage Mama's Note:

-This recipe will serve 10 people easily - probably even more!

-Another great idea for this recipe (not for Thanksgiving).  Cut the recipe in half and toss with a pound of cooked pasta, then add to casserole dish and bake.  YUM!

Ok and my final recommendation for a delicious Thanksgiving side dish is a recipe I have already posted previously: Ruthie's Spinach Salad.  I brought this to my in-laws last year for Thanksgiving and it was a definite hit.  This recipe would be a fresh addition to your thanksgiving table - with the cranberries, toasted almonds, sliced red onion, feta cheese and a delicious sweet and spicy vinaigrette - it would be the perfect contrast to all of your other creamy and delicious side dishes.

Ruthie's Spinach Salad

Dressing

3/4 C. salad oil

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. red wine vinegar

3-4 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Salad

8 cups washed and dried baby spinach

1 C dried cranberries or cherries

4 ounces feta cheese crumbled 

I/2 to 1 medium red onion thinly sliced

4-6 slices bacon -cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

For dressing--combine all ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid.  Cover and shake well to blend.

For the salad--combine all ingredients--toss with dressing just before serving.

Six servings

Happy Thanksgiving!