ALT-2 Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Attempting to make a Thanksgiving feast all at one time can be very frustrating, if not impossible. There are Thanksgiving side dishes that can be made ahead which will make preparation of the big meal much easier. These side dishes can be prepared ahead of time and will take minimal time to make and will still be fresh days later.
Cranberry-Apple Chutney
This recipe, which ispresented by Good Housekeepingcan be made from 3 hours to 4 days ahead of Thanksgiving. Just refrigerate after preparing.
Ingredients -
1-½ Cup pearl onions8 Dried Calimyrna figs, chopped1-½ cups water1 cup sugar2 Tablespoons cider vinegar1 Teaspoon coriander seeds2 medium Pink Lady or Gala apples, peeled and chopped1 bag 12 oz cranberries, picked over
To make -
Fill a 3 quart saucepan with water, boil on high heat. Add pearl onions, cook, uncovered for 2 minutes. Drain onions and add to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. When cool, cut off root end of onions and squeeze onions from the skin. Discard all the onion skins.
In a 5 quart saucepan, stir together figs, water, sugar, vinegar and coriander seeds and heat to boiling. Add the apples and onions. Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 25 minutes or until the apples are tender. Add cranberries and simmer for another 10 minutes. Spoon chutney into bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Orange-scented Cranberry Sauce
This delicious side dish can be made up to a week ahead of Thanksgiving,according to Martha Stewart.
Ingredients -
2 bags (12 ounce) fresh or frozen cranberries1-½ cup sugar4 wide strips orange zest1 cup orange juiceCoarse salt and pepper
To make -
In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients except the orange juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until thickened, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the 1 cup of orange juice. Cover and refrigerate the orange-scented cranberry sauce until ready to serve.
Thanksgiving dinner prepararion is often hectic, so try to plan ahead by making side dishes before the big day. There are several resources for make-ahead Thanksgiving side dish recipes available at most popular food or cooking websites. When Thanksgiving side dishes are made in advance, there is more time to spend with family and friends, celebrating all there is to be thankful for.
