Seven Bean Salad (My Go-Big Version of the Dense Bean Salad Trend)
My seven bean salad recipe uses seven different beans and legumes in a savory olive oil dressing, no sugar needed. More variety, more texture, more staying power.
Side Dishes
Five Bean Salad (The Potluck Classic BeanTok Just Rediscovered)
Classic five bean salad with green beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, and a sweet-tangy dressing. The original dense bean salad, decades before it had a name.
9 Thanksgiving Side Dish Ideas That Become the Thing Everyone Asks About Before the Turkey Gets Carved
9 Thanksgiving side dish ideas that turn into the dish everyone asks about, from candied yams to au gratin potatoes, each linking to its own full recipe.
Wild Rice Stuffing with Cranberries & Pecans
Wild rice stuffing with cranberries is a side dish made by simmering wild rice in stock until the grains split and go tender, then baking it with sautéed onion and celery, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and fresh herbs until the top turns golden. I make some version of this every year starting in October, long
Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Goat cheese mashed potatoes are made by mashing boiled Yukon Gold potatoes with warm butter and cream, then folding in softened goat cheese off the heat, using about 4 ounces of cheese per 2 pounds of potatoes so the tang stays in the background instead of taking over. I love goat cheese, but the first
From-Scratch Green Bean Casserole, No Canned Soup
A green bean casserole recipe without cream of mushroom soup swaps the canned condensed soup for a quick homemade mushroom cream sauce made with butter, flour, fresh mushrooms, and cream, so you get that same rich, creamy casserole without the tinny, oversalted flavor of the can. I used to think green bean casserole just came
Cowboy Caviar (My Cheapest Crowd-Pleaser)
My cowboy caviar recipe uses canned pantry staples, a tangy homemade dressing, and one trick that keeps it from turning soggy at parties.
Why I Always Make Black-Eyed Peas on New Year’s Day (and How)
Black-eyed peas are eaten on New Year’s Day because they’re believed to bring luck and money for the year ahead, a tradition that traces back to West African cooking and enslaved communities in the American South, usually served with collard greens for cash and cornbread for gold. I grew up thinking this was just something
Garlic Cauliflower Mash (The Mashed Potato Swap Nobody Can Tell Isn’t Potatoes)
Garlic cauliflower mash is a low-carb mashed potato swap made by steaming cauliflower until fork-tender, draining and drying it thoroughly, then blending it with roasted garlic, butter, and a little cream cheese until smooth. I used to roll my eyes at cauliflower mash. My first attempt came out of the food processor looking more like
Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes (No Marshmallows, No Regrets)
Maple roasted sweet potatoes are cubed sweet potatoes tossed with maple syrup, olive oil or butter, and salt, then roasted at high heat until the edges caramelize and the inside turns soft, usually 25 to 30 minutes at 425°F. I make these more than almost anything else in my fall and winter rotation. They taste
Green Beans with Crispy Shallots (The Grown-Up Green Bean Casserole Glow-Up)
Green beans with crispy shallots means blanching fresh green beans until they’re bright and just tender, then topping them with thin shallot slices fried low and slow until deeply golden, no canned soup or tinned onions required. I grew up on the version with the cream of mushroom soup and the crunchy things from a
Cornbread Dressing Recipe (The Real Southern Method, Baked Separately)
Cornbread dressing is crumbled, deliberately staled cornbread mixed with sautéed onion and celery, broth, eggs, and sage, then baked separately in its own dish rather than stuffed inside the turkey. Dressing and stuffing get used interchangeably by a lot of people, but they’re not the same thing. One goes inside the bird. One doesn’t. And
Turkey Gravy Recipe (Made From Real Pan Drippings, Plus a Make-Ahead Base)
Turkey gravy is made by separating the fat from your turkey’s pan drippings, building a roux with that fat and flour, then whisking in the drippings and stock until thickened, with a make-ahead version possible using roasted turkey wings for the base. Gravy is the one part of Thanksgiving that has to happen in the
Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe (Marshmallow or Pecan Streusel)
Sweet potato casserole is a smooth, mashed sweet potato base baked until set, then topped with either mini marshmallows or a pecan streusel and browned in the oven, a distinctly different dish from candied yams, which keeps the sweet potato in whole sliced pieces. I used to think candied yams and sweet potato casserole were
Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe (Real French Technique, Cheese Included)
Au gratin potatoes are thinly sliced potatoes layered with cream and cheese, usually gruyere or sharp cheddar, then baked until the potatoes are tender and the top is browned and bubbling, distinct from scalloped potatoes, which traditionally skip the cheese entirely. Most people use these two names interchangeably, and honestly, most recipes online do too.