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 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
My cowboy caviar recipe uses canned pantry staples, a tangy homemade dressing, and one trick that keeps it from turning soggy at parties.
A whipped feta dip recipe works by blending block feta with cream cheese or Greek yogurt in a food processor until it turns silky, then topping it with hot honey for a sweet, spicy finish. The cream cheese is the part most people skip, and it’s the part that actually makes the texture work. I’ve
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
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 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 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 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.
Southern green beans are fresh green beans simmered low and slow in broth with bacon, ham hock, or smoked turkey for 45 minutes to an hour and a half, until they’re soft enough to fall apart on a fork, not crisp-tender. If you grew up on the quick-blanched, still-snappy version of green beans, this recipe
Candied carrots are sliced carrots simmered first in water until just tender, then finished in a butter and brown sugar glaze that reduces until it clings to every piece. Carrots are the side dish nobody plans around and everybody finishes first. Glazed properly, they go from an afterthought to the thing people ask about before
Cranberry sauce is fresh or frozen cranberries simmered with sugar and a little water or orange juice for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the berries pop and the natural pectin in the fruit thickens the sauce on its own as it cools. Canned cranberry sauce is a texture, not really a flavor, and the
Candied yams are sliced sweet potatoes simmered in a butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon syrup until tender and glazed, made on the stovetop or finished in the oven, with marshmallows entirely optional depending on which side of the family you grew up in. The name bothered me for years before I finally looked into it.
Creamed corn is fresh or frozen corn kernels simmered in butter and cream until the sauce thickens into something rich and slightly sweet, made without any canned cream-style corn at all. I spent years assuming creamed corn came from a can, the pale, oddly sweet stuff sitting next to the green beans on the Thanksgiving