(Not) Talking Turkey: What's Your Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dish?
Turkey gets all of the attention at the Thanksgiving feast, but we all know it's the sides that make the annual November feast. What's your favorite? Vote in our poll and add your favorite twists to the classics in the comments.
Think Thanksgiving and the taste of turkey - be it grilled, roasted or fried - isn't far behind. And deservedly so. Who doesn't love a well-prepared bird?
But the not-so secret secrets to Thanksgiving are in the sides. Traditional feasts require some traditional dishes, but we all have our favorite twists and accents to classics like stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, beats, carrots, rolls and on and on.
So what's your favorite? Vote in the poll and then whet our appetites with your favorite twists to Thanksgiving mainstays or side dishes we left out of the poll. What's the strangest thing you've ever had for Thanksgiving? Anything new you're trying this year?
We want to hear about it all!
Dustin Block
7:02 pm on Monday, November 14, 2011
I love brown rice stuffing ... like this recipe: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/brown-rice-and-cranberry-stuffing-2947
Cheryl Sanders
7:16 pm on Monday, November 14, 2011
I know people will probably think I am weird after I say this, but my favorite thing at the Thanksgiving meal is jellied cranberries! It has to be the Ocean Spray kind that slides out of the can and keeps its shape. I don't know why, but I've loved it since I was a kid and still do! I'm sure my in-laws think it's an abomination - they all love the whole-cranberry kind of sauce, but my m-i-l is kind enough to serve the jellied kind for me every year. (Thanks, Sandy)!
Jay Sykes
6:05 am on Tuesday, November 15, 2011
So Cheryl, how do you get the jellied cranberry out of the can undamaged. As of a few years ago, with the new Ocean Spray can, one can no longer use the opener on both ends of the can, and then just push it out. I find a need to nudge it out of the can with a spoon, causing damage the beautiful ridged pattern.
I began bringing the jellied cranberry sauce, to our extended family Thanksgiving (25-30 people), during my high-school years. It started as kind of a joke, but I get the request to 'make it' every year. It's the highlight of my favorite Pilgrim Holiday!
Cheryl Sanders
8:41 am on Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Jay - you are so right about spoon damage to the cranberries. The only solution I've found thus far is to try to put the 'damaged-side down' in the serving dish (although if they slide around it can be hard to control this). Maybe we could start a petition to Ocean Spray to go back to the old can, lol?!
mau
8:09 pm on Monday, November 28, 2011
Ocean Spray Cran-Raspberry, yum. I will sometimes roll the can in my hands and then shake the can upside down and it will plop out. If that didn't work I use a table knife and gently slide it between the edge of the cranberries and the can. This may be enough to get the cranberries moving.
James R Hoffa
7:23 pm on Monday, November 14, 2011
I always love the perfectly prepared fresh buttered veggies like carrots or green beans!
Amy Gilgenbach
8:00 pm on Monday, November 14, 2011
I have to pick just one?! Well, I can't decide. Stuffing (nothing fancy, the bag kind is fine as long as it's done properly with all the bits), green bean casserole and cranberry sauce (the "real" kind, sorry Cheryl!) are my faves, all with a little gravy! Love, love, love Thanksgiving food!
Laura Mishefske
8:39 pm on Monday, November 14, 2011
i love the candied yams my mom makes. she makes them with butter, brown sugar and orange juice. so good!
Denise Lockwood
9:16 pm on Monday, November 14, 2011
Laura... my grandma used to make those. But my favorite "side dish" is her rum balls.
Jeff Rumage
10:23 pm on Monday, November 14, 2011
I was just talking about this the other day. My family always had Norwegian lefse at the table: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lefse
Denise Konkol
11:21 pm on Monday, November 14, 2011
Not on the list, and I may be marking myself as weird, but I usually park sour cream cucumbers next to the mashed potatoes, also a favorite. It's the only time of year I make this side.
Craig
4:58 pm on Tuesday, November 15, 2011
I am banned from having sour cream and cukes on Thanksgiving, but I manage to have them several times a year when not having house guests. Nothing like them, great as a hot weather dish to cool you off in Summer.
AWD
5:04 pm on Tuesday, November 15, 2011
My favorite Thanksgiving dish is anything my Mother in Law didn't cook.
Jay Sykes
5:09 pm on Tuesday, November 15, 2011
@AWD.... That comment fully explains your using a nom de guerre.
mau
8:05 pm on Monday, November 28, 2011
We must have the same mother-in-law.
Denise Lockwood
8:38 pm on Monday, November 28, 2011
Wow... we can have a discussion sans politics!
Bob McBride
8:53 pm on Monday, November 28, 2011
You're tempting fate, Denise.
mau
9:40 pm on Monday, November 28, 2011
We're talking food, everybodies favorite subject.
Denise Lockwood
8:55 pm on Monday, November 28, 2011
If only my grandma had taught me how to make her rum balls and not how to knit....
mau
9:44 pm on Monday, November 28, 2011
Grandma probably didn't want to share her rum.
Denise Lockwood
9:53 pm on Monday, November 28, 2011
Grandma was more of a Tom Collins kinda girl.
mau
1:08 pm on Tuesday, November 29, 2011
My dad's mom had a shot of blackberry brandy every night before bed. Kept her heart strong :) Never had a holiday family gathering on either side without a bottle of Mogan David wine (yuck). Neither grandma's could make a potica without rum.
Bob McBride
8:58 pm on Monday, November 28, 2011
My favorite side dish this past Turkey Day was a stuffing that, in addition to the regular stuff, contained chicken liver, Italian sausage and bacon and which should have come with a coupon for a complimentary angioplasty w/stent for the artery of your choosing. Absolutely delicious and the chest pain was tolerable.
Dustin Block
8:36 am on Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Denise is right! It's nice to read comments without the words "occupy" or "recall" in them. Anyone want to blog about food? If so, send me an email at: dustin.block@patch.com