Editors Adams Media - Holiday Entertaining Essentials: Delicious ideas for easy holiday Celebrations

Holiday Entertaining Essentials:
Thanksgiving Sides

Tasty, fresh, and easy to make!

Adams Media, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Avon, Massachusetts

Contents

Introduction

Cranberry sauce. Mashed potatoes. Candied yams. While the turkey may be the centerpiece of the table, choosing and preparing memorable side dishes can make a Thanksgiving dinner worthy of even the pickiest Pilgrims. With a little bit of know-how and the right recipes, your table will boast the ultimate selection of sumptuous sides so delicious that your guests might even forget about the turkey!

Weve collected 25 of the best and easiest Thanksgiving sides to try at your house this holiday season. Some recipes are classic versions of old favorites, while others are fresh new ways spice up the table and test your kitchen creativity.

The recipes are flavorful, easy, and include everything from Garlicky Mashed Potatoes and Traditional Stuffing to Cheesy Baked Asparagus Puffs and Caramelized Fennel with Parmigiano and Lemon. No matter which dishes you pick, your guests are bound to leave satisfied!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Herbed Stuffed Mushrooms

These stuffed mushrooms are a fantastic finger food to serve alongside your main dishes on Thanksgiving.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 pound fresh button mushrooms

1 small yellow onion

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

3 tablespoons butter

cup bread crumbs

teaspoon salt

teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

cup half-and-half

cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Wash the mushrooms with a damp cloth and remove the stems. Set aside the caps. Chop the mushroom stems into -inch pieces. Peel and finely chop the onion. Roughly chop the parsley.

2. Preheat oven broiler.

3. Heat the butter in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes, until translucent. Add the mushroom stems and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Stir in the bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat and stir in the half-and-half and grated cheese.

4. Using a small spoon, fill each mushroom cap with the mushroom mixture. Place the filled mushrooms on a baking sheet and put under the preheated oven broiler for 5 to 7 minutes, until the tops are browned and the caps have softened and become juicy. Sprinkle the tops with chopped parsley and serve hot or warm.

5. Drizzle with garlic butter or top with an olive slice if desired to add a little extra flavor to these favorite hors douvres.

Dried Mushrooms

Dried wild mushrooms are an excellent way to bring passionate flavors from forests to your dining table. Soak them for a few hours or overnight in room temperature water, then use them as you would fresh mushrooms. The soaking liquid acquires a wonderful flavor; use it in soups or stocks. Pour the water into a clear container and discard any sediment.

Cheesy Baked Asparagus Puffs

Tender asparagus tips, creamy cheese, and flaky pastry make these elegant hors doeuvres irresistible. These puffs are a great addition to a holiday meal because they can be made ahead, frozen, and then baked right before guests arrive

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 bunch fresh asparagus spears

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

4 ounces Swiss cheese, grated

1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Bend a few asparagus spears at the base to snap off the tough ends. Using the lengths of the tops of these spears as a guide, cut off the tough ends of the remaining spears. Discard tough pieces. Cut the asparagus spears in 2-inch pieces and set aside.

2. Roll pastry on a floured board to an 8" 10" rectangle. Use a pizza wheel or a sharp knife to cut twenty 2-inch squares in the pastry by making a row of five squares (along the 10" side) and a row of four squares (along the 8" side).

3. Make egg wash by mixing beaten egg with 2 tablespoons of water. Brush egg wash on the pastry squares, and then sprinkle with the cheese. Place one piece of asparagus diagonally, from corner to corner, on each pastry square.

4. Fold the left corner of pastry across the middle of the asparagus, then the right corner to make a blanket for the asparagus. Pinch pastry together in the middle and place filled pastries on a cookie sheet in rows so they are not touching. Brush egg wash on each pastry.

5. Bake for 1215 minutes. Serve warm.

Sweet Potato Soup with Minced Ginger

This soup is a light and refreshing first course to an elegant Thanksgiving meal. The ginger brings just a hint of spice to an otherwise smooth and creamy dish.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pounds butternut squash

4 large sweet potatoes

1 large russet potato

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion

2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger

8 cups chicken broth

cup plain yogurt

1. Peel, seed, and dice the squash. Peel and dice the sweet potatoes. Peel and dice the potato. Peel and chop the onion.

2. In a soup pot, heat the oil on medium for 30 seconds. Add the onion and saut until translucent, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the ginger and cook for about 1 minute. Add the squash, sweet potatoes, russet potato, and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover; cook until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Working in 1-cup batches, pure in a food processor or blender until smooth.

5. Pour into a clean pot, stir in the yogurt, and reheat gently. Ladle into bowls and serve.

The Squash Bowl

Use squash as a soup bowl. Many small squash make excellent complements to soups and stews. Cut them in half, remove the seeds, and prebake in the microwave or oven. Ladle your soup or stew into the squash for a festive look.

Creamy Apple-Butternut Soup

This is a quintessential autumn soup with all the flavors of the harvest. Some possible garnishes include bacon bits, crme frache, chives, and dried cranberries.

Serves 4

Ingredients

cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons butter

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups peeled and chopped butternut squash

cup peeled and chopped Granny Smith apple

salt to taste

white pepper to taste

1. In a soup pot, saut onions in butter until translucent.

2. Add chicken broth, squash, and apples.

3. Bring to a boil; then turn down heat and simmer until squash and apple are tender, about 45 minutes.

4. Pure soup in a blender until smooth.

5. Season with salt and white pepper.

Classic Cauliflower Vichyssoise

Serve the soup in warm soup bowls and garnish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of freshly minced chives.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 medium-sized leeks

1 medium-sized white onion

1 large head cauliflower