Thanksgiving: It’s All About the Sides

Turkey may be the centerpiece of Thanksgiving dinner, but for many of us, it’s all about the sides: stuffing, potatoes, and more. This year, we put a spin on the traditional holiday menu with new, creative dishes that showcase fall veggies at their finest — perfect for the year’s most special meal.

 

Kale Salad with Quinoa, Pistachios and Pomegranate Seeds Tuscan kale is abundant at farmers’ markets in the fall and winter, making this pretty salad studded with bright red pomegranate seeds the perfect side dish for a Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. Bonus: you can prep and dress it ahead of time.

Mushrooms with Shallots and Sherry Mushrooms and sherry are a classic combo in Spain, where chefs know that a good sherry brings out the best in woodsy mushrooms. This simple saute is a wonderful way to showcase wild mushrooms.

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Shallots and Currants With a little advance preparation, this dish comes together quickly at the last minute—a boon for those throwing a dinner party or preparing a Thanksgiving dinner. With bitter, earthy brussels sprouts, sweet shallots and bright currants, it has a little bit of everything.

Honey-Roasted Spiced Carrots These lightly spiced and glazed carrots are a fun twist on traditional roasted carrots, but they are subtle enough not to overwhelm the other side dishes on the Thanksgiving table. Another plus? They are also delicious at room temperature.

Cauliflower Steaks with Brown Butter, Capers and Parsley Here, cauliflower is roasted at high heat until tender and slightly caramelized. Cut into thick slabs, the vegetable makes a hearty side dish to accompany a Thanksgiving turkey or other roast meats, or you can serve it as a light vegetarian entrée with along with a hearty salad.

Wild Rice Pilaf with Dried Cherries, Apricots and Butternut Squash This pretty pilaf is festive enough for a celebratory meal and gets its hearty texture from chewy, nutty-tasting wild rice. If you like, you can substitute raisins for the dried cherries and omit the apricots.

Jalapeño Cornbread Stuffing with Chorizo and Pepitas Use our Jalapeno Cornbread Stuffing mix to assemble this slightly spicy Southwestern-inspired stuffing in a snap. It will bring some welcome heat to the holiday meal.

Herbed Potato Gratin Thinly sliced potatoes soak up heavy cream perfumed with garlic and fresh herbs in this decadent gratin, a luxurious accompaniment to a Thanksgiving turkey or any sort of roasted meat. It’s a delicious alternative to traditional mashed potatoes.

Roasted Broccoli with Pine Nuts and Parmesan If you’ve only eaten broccoli that has been boiled or steamed, then you’re in for a treat with this dish. Roasting the broccoli at high heat brings out its sweet side and preserves all of the flavor of this nutrient-dense vegetable.

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Pecan-Bacon Streusel and Marshmallows For many, sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows are a nostalgic Thanksgiving favorite. In this recipe the traditional dish gets a new twist with and fun new topping in the form of mini-marshmallows that are lightly browned using a kitchen torch.

 

See more recipes and ideas in our Thanksgiving Guide.