Last night we had a Thanksgiving sides meal 2.0 where I created a couple more of my favorites. What's great about these recipes is they are simple and it’s a cinch to source the ingredients. If you're still undecided about what to make on Thursday, these are dishes that you could still shop for. They also lend themselves to early preparation, so in future years when large gatherings and big meals are once again a staple of the holidays, these dishes can be made earlier in the week and warmed up just prior to dinnertime.
Cranberry Sauce The first and possibly easiest of all three is cranberry sauce. To be honest, I don’t know that I’ve ever had cranberry sauce out of the can. Growing up, my mom made a citrus cranberry relish (perhaps I’ll share that recipe in the future as well), so I was fairly unfamiliar with any sort of sauce other than the bad reputation the canned variety offered. I’m not sure where I came across this sauce recipe but it’s something that can be adjusted to taste in various years and is easy enough for any cook (or a great thing to delegate to junior chefs). I don't know if cranberry sauce actually qualifies as a "side" or not, but it's a staple to Thanksgiving and this allows for a tastier option.
1 Bag of Cranberries
2-3 mandarins (oranges also work) – zested and juiced
1 oz bourbon
1 tsp of ground cloves
1 tbsp cinnamon
¼ cup of maple syrup or brown sugar
Place a bag of fresh (not frozen) cranberries into a small saucepan and heat on medium heat. As the berries warm, they will begin to “pop” adding moisture and juice. Stir occasionally to ensure that they do not burn. You can also add a couple tablespoons of water to help prevent burning.
Stir until almost all berries have opened. Add spices and sweetener.*
Continue to stir until liquid has evaporated enough to thicken into a sauce consistency.
Remove from heat and allow to cool before placing it into a serving dish.
(So Easy!)
*A note on the spices and flavorings – I change this up just about every year depending on what sounds good and what I have in the house. The ingredients included here are some of my favorites.
When making this last night we didn’t have any mandarins, so I used the top part of some frozen orange juice concentrate (about 2 tbsp)
We also didn’t have any bourbon or whiskey on hand, but my husband had opened a bottle of red wine. I added about ¼ cup of wine to the pot as a replacement. The alcohol will cook off, so this recipe works for kids and people who don’t drink. Alcohol flavored extracts like rum would work as well.
Generally speaking, I try to add a citrus element, sweetener (anything from maple syrup, white sugar, molasses, etc), fall spices (pumpkin pie spices, cloves, star anise…), and an alcohol flavoring for a bit more depth to the cranberries.
Nuts, raisins, and candied citrus peel would all be great additions to this simple dish as well.
Kale Gratin
I made this on a whim a couple years ago for Matt’s family on Thanksgiving and to my surprise it won over even the most discerning of palates. (I’ll admit that within the family we’ve started to refer to this dish as simply “cheesy kale”)
2 lbs kale – My preference for this dish is Tuscan kale though last night I use plain old “juicing kale” that had been prewashed and chopped because, well, 9 months pregnant...
Peeled fresh garlic
5 ounces Gruyère
Fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
2 cups milk (the higher the fat % the better)
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
1 ounce grated Parmesan
Prep ingredients -
Heat the oven to 450ºF.
This is truly a mise en place dish. Cooking happens quickly and risks burning if you take a breather at the wrong time. Having everything pre washed, chopped, grated and at hand makes it all much easier.
If using Tuscan kale (or other varieties), strip the kale leaves from their stems; wash and coarsely chop
Wash and chop parsley
Grate the gruyere
Smash and chop garlic
Pre-measure milk and flour, place seperately into small bowls
In a saute pan over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons oil until hot but not smoking. Add the kale and 2 tablespoons water, season with salt and pepper, and cook until wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the kale to baking dish.
Finely chop enough garlic to measure 1 tablespoon
Strip the parsley leaves from their stems; coarsely chop the leaves.
In a small sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter until foamy. Whisk in the flour, garlic, nutmeg, and as much crushed red pepper as you like. Cook, whisking constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk. Bring to a vigorous simmer over medium-high heat, whisking, just until the milk thickens. Immediately remove from the heat. Add the grated Gruyère and half the parsley, whisking to melt the cheese.
Pour the mornay sauce over the kale and stir to coat evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and Parmesan. Bake until lightly browned and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
This dish serves easily in its original baking dish or can be easily transferred to a serving dish – simply top with some extra parmesan cheese and parsley upon plating.
*I’ve also made this dish with leeks along with the kale. The process is almost identical. Simply swap 1 lb of kale for 1 lb of leeks. Chop leeks and rinse with a water bath. Cook leeks and kale together to soften. Follow all other directions above as listed.
Pumpkin Risotto
This is another recipe that has won over my in-laws who are a big rice family. While rice isn't necessarily my favorite side or starch, I love risotto for it's flavor and texture. This is a great way to add an elevated rice side to any meal or serve as the main dish. The pumpkin makes it feel especially fitting for Fall and Thanksgiving without giving off an overwhelming "squash" flavor.
2 cups arborio rice
2 tbsp of olive oil
5 tbsp of unsalted butter (divided)
1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree (I like Trader Joe’s organic pumpkin, it has a fresher taste and consistency to me)
1 onion, chopped
Salt and white pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups white wine
5 cups chicken stock - sub vegetable stock to make vegetarian
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Fresh sage
Fresh thyme
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
In a medium to large Dutch oven, heat olive oil with 2 tablespoons of butter until melted together and the butter’s foam has calmed.
Add chopped onion and garlic and stir until softened. Add risotto rice and cook until rice has absorbed all the butter, about 2 minutes. Add white wine. Stir until all liquid has been absorbed by rice. Add 2 cups of chicken stock. Partially cover and stir occasionally. When most liquid has been absorbed (but not burning) add 2 more cups of chicken stock.
Once this is heated through, add pumpkin puree.
While this is cooking, toast sage leaves and thyme in a separate pan. Melt 3 tbsp butter until it froths and add herbs. Allow to toast. It’s ok for butter to brown but be careful not to burn.
Remove herbs and let them cool on a paper towel.
Chop and add half to the Dutch oven (reserve the second half for garnish)
Once all liquid has been absorbed by rice, test to see if it’s cooked al dente. Add extra chicken stock as needed.
Serve up in a large dish, topping with parmesan cheese and remaining herbs.
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