ALT-1 Thanksgiving Sides Dishes

From 3arf

While roasted turkey is the centerpiece at Thanksgiving, the traditional side dishes are necessary to make the dinner complete. Traditions are a regional thing but some traditions such as Thanksgiving side dishes often reach from shore to shining shore. Here are seven traditional side dishes and the various ways they are served.

  • Dressing/Stuffing

No Thanksgiving dinner would be complete without everyone’s favorite side dish, which is dressing. Whether it’s made with fresh oysters, sausage or turkey, chestnuts or apples, toasted bread cubes or cornbread, its one side that is always on the table. The smell of sage is almost synonymous with Thanksgiving.

  • Potatoes

Fluffy mashed potatoes covered with giblet gravy or tangy potato salad rich with eggs, pickle relish, crumbled bacon, onions, oregano and mayonnaise you’ll for sure find the lowly spud glorified on the Thanksgiving table.

  • Giblet Gravy

How do you pronounce giblet; with a “j” sound or a “g” sound? It really doesn’t matter at all just as long as you serve it as a side dish at Thanksgiving dinner. Made from the drippings of the roasted turkey, bits of turkey and dressing and some flour and water, giblet gravy is delicious poured over mashed potatoes, dressing and even the turkey.

  • Green Beans

Zesty green bean casserole, topped with crispy fried onions is a favorite for many at Thanksgiving but there are other ways to prepare the green beans that are just as yummy. Grandma’s method for cooking green beans is also a favorite and involves cooking the green beans with a large piece of fatback for seasoning and adding peeled potatoes about thirty minutes before they are done.

  • Corn

Whether it’s corn on the cob dripping with sweet butter, cream corn or a spicy corn pudding you’ll find corn on the table in most homes at Thanksgiving. The trend seems to be adding paprika or crushed hot peppers to give the taste an extra boost.

  • Sweet Potato Souffle/Candied Yams

Candied Yams topped with lightly browned marshmallow cream, swimming in a sweet lake of brown sugar or any of a number of items such as cinnamon, butter, maple syrup, vanilla flavoring, orange juice, lemon zest, walnuts, pecans or whatever your favorite recipe calls for are the perfect side dish for turkey.

Sweet Potato Souffle is usually more of a casserole than a true souffle but the key to its goodness is the topping, added just before baking. The topping is usually a mixture of butter, coconut, nuts, and brown sugar.

  • Cranberry Sauce

Who doesn’t serve this little gem at Thanksgiving? Jelled from a can or whole berry sauce, with just a little sugar or with orange or ginger added for flavor, cranberry sauce adds the perfect compliment to turkey and dressing.

  • Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs may not be the healthiest side dish on the table at Thanksgiving but they are one of the tastiest. There is a long list of ingredients you can add to deviled eggs to make them uniquely your own but the old favorite of mayonnaise and pickle relish and a topping of paprika is the favorite.

  • Banana Nut Bread

Recipes abound for specialty breads containing fruits and vegetables but one of the oldest found on Thanksgiving dinner tables is the mouth-watering banana nut bread. Made from sweet ripened bananas and filled with pecans or walnuts, it’s a favorite side dish across the country.

  • Pumpkin Pie

Sweet, savory pumpkin pie! It may not be exactly a side dish but it just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving dinner without it. Whether it’s an old family recipe for a classic pumpkin pie or a newer version with whipped topping, it’s a must at Thanksgiving Dinner.

Load your table down with a roasted turkey and these traditional side dishes, watch the Macy’s parade, enjoy time spent with family and friend and maybe catch a game on TV but be sure to give thanks for a very blessed life.

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