Category: Side Dish

How to roast Brussels Sprouts

• Preheat oven to 400 F. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, combine halved Brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt (to taste), and toss to combine. 
• Add Brussels sprouts cut sides down onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and roast in the oven at 400 F for about 20-25 minutes. The cut sides should be nicely and partially charred but not blackened (see my photos).

How to roast Butternut Squash

• Preheat oven to 400 F. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, combine cubed butternut squash (peeled and seeded),1 tablespoon of olive oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon, and toss to mix.
• Place butternut squash in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until softened.
• Note: You can roast both Brussels sprouts and butternut squash on 2 separate baking sheets or on one large baking sheet at the same time, on the same rack in the oven – that’s what I did.

Cook pasta:

• While the veggies are roasted in the oven, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions, usually about 10 or 12 minutes. Drain.

How to toast pecans:

• Toast the pecans for about 5 minutes (maybe a bit longer) in the preheated oven at 350 F until they get darker in color. 
• Note: pecans burn really fast, so make sure to check the nuts after 5 minutes and frequently afterwords. 

Assembly:

• In a large bowl, combine roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash, cooked and drained pasta, pecans, and cranberries, and mix to combine. 

Salad dressing options

• There are 4 salad dressing options that you can drizzle over this butternut squash salad:
• Option 1. Combine 3 or 4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl and whisk to emulsify.
• Option 2. Drizzle the salad with balsamic glaze (store-purchased) or homemade. To make a balsamic glaze, combine 1 cup of balsamic vinegar + ¼ cup of honey or brown sugar and cook it down until reduced at least by half. Consistency should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon but should not be overly thick.
• Option 3. Use 2 or 3 tablespoons of maple syrup plus 2 or 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice (not the bottled kind) as a salad dressing.
• Option 4. Your favorite store-bought Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing (not the creamy kind).
• Option 5. Anything pomegranate based would be good – such as pomegranate molasses mixed with a small amount of olive oil. Or store-bought Pomegranate-based salad dressing (not the creamy kind).

• Pour the turkey drippings in a fat separator. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter or bacon fat over medium-high heat.
• Add flour and roast the lour, whisking constantly, until golden brown with a nutty aroma, about 2 minutes.
• Slowly pour in pan drippings through a fine mesh strainer, leaving the layer of fat in the cup. Add the chicken stock while continuously whisking.
• Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium. Simmer until desired thickness is reached, whisking occasionally. Keep in mind, gravy also thickens a sit cools.
• Serve immediately.
• Make-ahead note: The gravy can be made up to 5 days in advance. Obviously you won't have pan drippings yet, but you can make the gravy without it and add the pan drippings when you reheat the gravy on Thanksgiving day.

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• If using fresh green beans, boil water in a sauce pan over medium-high heat and cook green beans for about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water and set aside.
• If using canned green beans, drain and set aside.
• Fry diced bacon in a large skillet until crispy. Transfer to a plate lined wiht paper towels. Leave about 1 tbsp of bacon grease in the skillet, removing excess.
• ADd mushrooms to the leftover bacon grease and cook for several minutes or until they begin to soften. Add minced garlic to the pan and continue to cook with the miushrooms for 2-3 minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, reserving 1/2 cup of the fried onions and a handful of bacon pieces. Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish and smooth the top.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbling.
• Add remaining fried onions and bacon on top of casserole and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.

• Place the cut potatoes in a large pot and fill the pot with water, covering potatoes.
• Place the pan on the stovetop on medium-high heat.
• Allow the water to come to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium.
• Boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.
• Drain the water from the potatoes.
• Mash the potatoes by hand or with an electric mixer.
• Add the cream cheese, butter, whipping cream, and salt.
• Gently fold the potatoes using a rubber spatula until they are smooth and creamy. Do not mix too hard or potatoes will lose fluffiness.
• Serve warm. Mashed potatoes can be held in a slow cooker before serving. Scrape sides often to prevent browning.

• Chop the giblets and the meat that has been removed from the neck. Using a saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. Add the giblets, bouillon cubes, poultry seasoning, and raw stuffing to the mixture.
• In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch and water, and add to the boiling stock, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the salt and pepper to taste and add the sliced boiled egg.

Southern Cornbread Stuffing

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, combine the chopped celery and onion in butter until transparent, approximately 5-10 minutes. Pour sauteed mixture over cornbread mixture. Add the stock, mix well, taste, and add salt, pepper to taste, sage, and poultry seasoning and mix well. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Reserve 2 heaping tablespoons of this mixture for the giblet gravy. Pour mixture into a greased pan and bake until dressing is done, about 45 minutes. Serve with turkey as a side dish.

Cornbread

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into a greased shallow baking dish. Bake for approxmately 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
• To serve, cut into desired squares and serve with butter.
• Yield: 6-8 servings.

• Cook the chopped bacon in a deep pan until crisp.
• Add the green beans to the bacon and saute until green beans are tender.
• Add the thinly-sliced onion and saute until the onion is tender.
• Remove from heat and place in a serving dish. Top with slivered almonds before serving.

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place cubed bread on a baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until dried out, about 45 minutes. (Bread must be very dry or it will turn to mush.)
• Transfer dried bread cubes to a very large bowl and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9"x13" baking dish and set aside.
• To a large skillet, add 3/4 cup butter and heat over medium-high heat to melt. Add the onions and celery. Cook until vegetables have softened and are just beginning to lightly brown, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer vegetables to bowl containing bread cubes. Add the herbs, salt and pepper, 1 1/4 cups chicken broth and toss well to combine. Set aside.
• To a small bowl, add the remaining 1 1/4 cups chicken broth, 2 eggs, and whisk to combine. Pour mixture over bread and toss well to combine. Turn mixture out into prepared baking dish.
• Dice the remaining 1/4 cup butter into 8-10 pieces and evenly dot the butter over the top of the stuffing. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 40-45 minutes or until top is a lightly golden brown as desired. Serve immediately.