FoodHomeFlavor The holiday sides that you serve with your turkey or prime rib should be just as special as the main attraction. Everyone loves that green bean casserole. Some say it is a classic, some say iconic. A Thanksgiving tradition. I will not argue with any of those statements, and if green bean casserole is your holiday tradition I am not going to suggest foregoing it for a different vegetable side dish. After all, family food memories are what I am all about.
I will suggest adding an array of colorful, fresh vegetable side dishes besides that holiday classic. Maybe even something crunchy that isn’t a deep fried onion. I do like those deep fried onions. There are so many fall vegetables like winter squash, brussels sprouts, and rutabaga. Plus colorful vegetables like red and golden beets, rainbow carrots, and even chard. All of which will add fresh flavor, color, and even texture to your holiday table.
Offer a Variety of Vegetables
I know what your thinking. I don’t have time to prepare a lot of different vegetables! Even though it is true that it takes time to produce an array of fresh vegetable dishes, it is possible to do some preparation in advance too. Root vegetables can be cut and stored in the refrigerator several days in advance with little, if any, sacrifice of freshness and flavor. Yes, refrigerator space can often be an issue. Storage bags and stackable storage containers can be a great help. Plus, it only takes a few additional selections to liven-up your holiday table.
Think of it this like this; Instead of preparing 2 pounds of green beans, prepare 1 pound of green beans, and 1 pound of brussels sprouts. That is going to take a little more time to prepare, but it will not take twice as long. And, it will not take up too much additional space in your refrigerator. If you are trying to figure out how much vegetable to prepare for your group, plan for about 3 ounces per person for Thanksgiving dinner. (This assumes that you will be serving mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and dressing as well.) That means for 20 people you would need a total of about 4 pounds of vegetables. This volume will not take up a lot of time or space. Especially if you are able to do some prep work in advance!
Make Time For Roasting
I love roasting vegetables. Especially butternut squash and brussels sprouts. Admittedly, at times I am overzealous in my menu writing. Offering more roasted items than I can fit in the oven. My solution is often to par roast some vegetables ahead of time, and finish roasting them after the turkey comes out of the oven. This can require spending more time in the kitchen on Thanksgiving morning than you would like. If you are like me, you are doing that anyway. If not, another solution is using a tabletop roaster to cook your turkey, freeing-up space in your oven.
I have even roasted my turkey on the kamado grill. This of course requires some attention but is surprisingly “hands free” during the cooking process. This liberates resources for all those delicious roasted vegetables! Of course, this may not work if your turkey is HUGE.
What Can I Serve With Roasted Meats?
If you love the creamy texture of that green bean casserole, try preparing this Creamy Garlic Kale and Parsnips too. The use of fresh vegetables is a definite upgrade to the canned green beans in that holiday classic and is probably more nutritious. Another favorite is this easy to prepare Roasted Mushroom in Sherry Cream! I love this as a side dish with Roasted Prime Rib or a Crown Roast. I usually do not serve it with turkey or ham. You could toss it with some tender steamed green beans and top it with some crispy fried onions and… well, you know.
Speaking of green beans, they are really nice on your holiday table. If you have planned a few unique vegetable sides, a lightly steamed and seasoned bowl of green beans is an approachable option for most everyone. Don’t overcook them, but make sure they are nice and tender. For a minor upgrade, saute’ them with some pecans for a great fall feel to partner with your turkey.
About those pecans… Adding things like bacon, or dried fruits or nuts is an easy way to add an interesting element to your vegetable dishes. I do that a lot, but it is important to know your guests. If you have friends of friends joining your holiday meal it is a good idea to make sure you have a few nut free and meatless side dish options. Pictured here I offer parsnips with horseradish cream and toasted panko, brussels sprouts with pancetta, and cranberry beets with orange glazed walnuts. Of the three dishes, one contains nuts, one gluten, and one animal protein. This helps ensure that guests with dietary restrictions will have several options.
What About the Cranberries?
I have not even mentioned cranberries yet. Cranberries! To me, cranberry dishes make it feel like the holidays. I actually really like the canned jelled cranberry. I know, but that is what my Mom always served at Thanksgiving. (She spent her time baking a lot of pies… a lot!) I also really love fresh cranberry relish and cranberry compote. I use the same cranberry compote recipe, tossed with beets or squash, or brussels sprouts and squash to create several of my favorite holiday side dishes. Of course, I do not serve them all at the same meal, but I think I would serve 2 of them. Like my Cranberry Beets with Walnuts and Butternut Squash with Cranberries and Walnuts. Simply omit the walnuts in the butternut squash.
Remember to Make it Memorable
I read an article recently that discussed the increased prices for turkey this year, and how inflation would affect meal choices for the holidays. It suggested that some consumers still planned to get the expensive turkey and be more economical with the sides. My thoughts? Every thanksgiving meal I have ever joined or served has had turkey. Some more juicy and delicious than others. As good as those turkeys may have been, the memorable part of those meals was the array of side dishes. I love when guests bring a favorite dish to share at thanksgiving because most of the time that dish is their family memory! That must have item to make their holiday meal perfect. And they want to share it. Most of the time guests do not bring the turkey!
I could go on about holiday meal planning all day. But my final thought is this. If you want to make your holiday meal really special you should serve three or four freshly prepared fresh vegetable side dishes. Offering at least one colorful, one creamy, and one green. Several small serving dishes of a variety of vegetables is all it takes to make a huge impact on your holiday table. And have another memorable meal for your friends and family!
