EASY THANKSGIVING SIDES
Remembering Thanksgivings past….to paraphrase weren’t such communally prepared events as they are today. Whoever hosted provided the entire meal. Dishes were neither offered nor asked. If there was a request it was for a guest’s specialty and more of a compliment than a plea. Depending on whether you went to Grandma’s or Aunt Martha’s you knew exactly what to expect. The menus were set in stone and several dishes had themselves become traditions.
Today many Thanksgiving dinners resemble covered dish suppers. Everyone brings something “The groaning board” or table, is an actuality, literally covered with plates and bowls. Quite possibly, the change is primarily due to the disappearance of the full time homemaker. Busy working adults don’t have time for all the planning and preparation this type of dinner requires. Moreover, people are more involved in all aspects of sports than ever before and nearly every school and/or town has an event scheduled for Thanksgiving. This too takes time from the day.
The logical solution to creating an occasion for everyone to gather and celebrate family is for that family to pitch in and make it possible, which is exactly what has happened. The problem isn’t in soliciting contributions to the feast, but rather in controlling and directing them. Too often there is a surplus of one category of food, especially side dishes. I have seen four different varieties of stuffing offered.
Excess food can potentially cause safe-handling concerns before and after the meal. Given that all the dishes have been properly prepared and transported, the average kitchen has only so much oven and refrigeration space. Storing and/or presenting foods at their correct temperatures can be problematic. Lots of leftovers makes clean-up difficult and dealing with them more so, even dangerous. There is the question of adequate packaging and storage. Don’t listen to the person who says: “Just leave it in the dish, I’ll take it home and clean it later” unless it’s your close neighbor who is leaving to go directly home.
The safest way to handle leftovers, especially those of side dishes, is to get a supply of zip-lock bags, a marking pen, clear out your refrigerator or, if expecting a large crowd, dig out the summer cooler and fill it with ice. Ask each person if they want to scrap or keep their leftovers, and if save, bag them, mark to ID and chill them. That way you’re free to watch the game or go to the mall unconcerned that anyone will get sick on your watch. Cleaning the dishes is your option, the contents are safe.
Of course, it’s best to avoid the leftover dilemma in the first place, if possible. Here’s where my standard advice to use organized planning comes in. Organizations can post sign-up sheets, even categorized ones, but that can’t be done with a family. The host may only guide the menu and make suggestions as to what a guest contributes. People who don’t like cooking might bring plain vegetables, even frozen selections in sauce. Skilled cooks can be asked for the more difficult dishes or advice to flesh out the menu and let them volunteer. Another factor is remembering a guest’s economic situation when making suggestions. Be fair.
Start the planning process far enough in advance, to allow everyone time to do their job and assure the day runs smoothly. This includes the hosting duties. Get the house cleaned and ready and have all supplies available. If it’s too time consuming, ask another family member for assistance at least with the planning.
Quantity is also a consideration. Sides are not like pies and cakes, made in units. Nor are holiday dinners like ordinary daily ones, with calculated portions of three types of food on a plate. There are usually several choices, especially of sides. Though I don’t agree that ½ cup is sufficient for an adult portion of vegetables in a normal meal, it is more than enough per person in a holiday dish. It’s like a buffet, where people take smaller amounts so they can sample more things.
Of course the guest list is a big consideration when calculating quantity, not only the overall number but also the proportion of adults to children. Generally, most covered dish events ask each contributor to allow for 8 servings, and that’s a good standard, because it will suffice for a smaller party and stretch to cover 10 or more if it’s a large one with a lot of selection. Be sure to discuss this with people you are asking to bring food and to notify them of any significant change in head count.
Another thing to bear in mind when making sides for a dinner such as Thanksgiving is not to go all out to show off your culinary talents. I know from experience. Many years ago, I was asked to bring sweet potatoes and onions to the dinner. New to the group, I wanted to prove myself. I spent hours reducing cider and spices into a syrup to flavor potatoes pureed to a silken texture. I caramelized the onions as Julia Child directed. The comments I got were that the potatoes were good, but too soft to hold gravy and the onions needed more seasoning. The next year I did a simple Sweet Potatoes Anna recipe and roasted a couple of bags of frozen pearl onions tossed with a bit of oil, salt and powdered rosemary. I got raves and chalked up savings.
The moral here is to keep it simple when contributing to large family feasts. It’s less time consuming and more economical. Save showcasing your abilities for your own smaller parties. You’ll feel far better rewarded and more appreciated. There are a few tips I can add to make it easier to provide side dishes for Thanksgiving dinner. I’ve listed them below before I give my recipe suggestions.
1) Above all remember that heating space will be limited, especially since there will be a large bird in the oven. Avoid recipes that require baking, browning or any other last minute finishing. Choose recipes that only need a quick warm-up, and use containers which can stand both the conventional oven and the microwave, wherever there is room
.
2) If any foods are made into a specific form or shape, such as the Potatoes Anna below, unmold and plate it before transporting it to the party.
3) Refrigeration space will also be limited, so if offering a chilled food, bring it in a container that keeps it chilled, even if wrapped in ice packs in a box or bag. If it’s a salad, remember to include a bowl as well. Leafy greens should be kept moist so a strainer, or a piece of cheesecloth, might be advisable for them as well. Dressing brought in a bottle on the side of course.
All of the following recipes can be made a day or two ahead and kept covered in the fridge. To re
warm them, bring to room temperature and heat through-about 2 min. high in a microwave or in a conventional about 5-8 min at 350 deg.
SWEET POTAPOES ANNA: Serves 6-8
2 lb. sweet potatoes – peeled and sliced thinly
¼ cup melted butter
¾ tsp. ground ginger
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¼ tsp. nutmeg
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
¾ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 Tbs. sugar
1 cup sheered cheddar cheese.
Toss potatoes with seasonings, butter and sugar. Line a 9 inch cake pan with foil and cover the bottom with half the potato slices in an overlapping circular pattern. Sprinkle with the cheese. Layer the rest of the potatoes in another circle on top. Cover loosely with foil and bake in a preheated 425 deg. oven for 60 min, or until potatoes are tender. Invert onto a plate.
CAULIFLOWER AU GRATIN: Serves 4-6 – Can easily be doubled
1 lg. head cauliflower
1 cup milk
2 Tbs. flour
2 Tbs. butter
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 envelope chicken bouillon granules
3 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
Paprika and dried parsley for garnish
Cut green leaves off head and cut the core even with the stalks of the flowerets. Boil the head in lightly salted water to cover for 15 min. starting with the top down for 5 and then turning it bottom down. Remove from pot and stand on bottom in a lightly greased casserole. Make a white sauce by melting the butter, whisking in the flour to form a roux, or paste, and then adding the milk and whisking to dissolve any lumps. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, stirring constantly and continue to stir until sauce thickens. Add cheddar cheese and stir to melt. Pout sauce over the cauliflower, sprinkle with Parmesan and garnish with paprika and parsley. Bake at 350 deg. for 30-40 min. until lightly browned and bubbly.
SWEET PEA PODS WITH MUSHROOMS: Serves 8-10
(2) 1lb. bags frozen pea pods
(1) 4 oz. can stems and pieces mushrooms- 1 Tbs. juice reserved
2 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. Soy sauce
Put mushrooms, butter and soy sauce in a small microwavable dish and heat on high for 30 sec. or until butter is melted. Stir to mix and marinate for 1 hour. Add juice. Cook pea pods according to package directions and drain well. Hold back a few mushrooms for garnish, and add the rest with liquid to the peas. Toss gently to mix well and garnish with the reserved mushrooms.
GREEN BEANS WITH ONIONS: Serves 4-6 – Can easily be doubled
1 lb. bag frozen whole green beans
1 lg. onion
1 Tbs. butter
1Tbs. oil
Salt and Pepper to taste—I use Lemon-Pepper in place of both
Cut the onion crosswise in 4 slices, then cut each slice in quarters. Sauté the onion in the butter and oil until it’s translucent and slightly golden. Cook the beans according to package directions* and drain well. Reserve some onions, and gently toss the rest and the pan liquid with the beans. Arrange the beans facing the same direction in a casserole. Garnish with the reserved onions.
*Alternately, the beans can be lightly tossed with ½ Tbs. oil, spread on a baking sheet and roasted at 400 deg. for about 10 min. Then they are stirred, sprinkled with the salt and pepper or Lemon Pepper, and roasted another 5-8 min. until the tips begin to brown. When cooked toss with the onions.
