Thanksgiving Side Dishes – Recipes!

Although turkey is the centerpiece of a Thanksgiving meal, I’ve noticed that any and all side dishes get almost as much attention. Sweet potatoes are always on the menu but often change their presentation from year to year. This is a recipe that cuts back on the calories a bit (sorry, no marshmallows!) but still has all the taste.

Pecan Sweet Potatoes

3-6 yams or sweet potatoes (depending on how many will be gathering around the table.)
½ cup packed, dark brown sugar
½ cup butter, melted
1 cup roughly chopped pecans
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Peel, slice, and simmer sweet potatoes until just tender. They will finish off the last bit of cooking in the oven.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Vegetable oil a baking dish large enough to contain your sweet potato slices.

Combine the brown sugar, butter, pecans, orange zest, and cinnamon in a bowl. Mix well.

Place half the sweet potatoes in the prepared baking dish and spread half of the brown sugar/butter mixture over them. Cover with the rest of the potatoes and cover with the rest of the brown/sugar mixture.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, uncovered until there is a few brown edges and the potatoes are fork tender and heated through. Serve!

And, if you are tired of mashed potatoes or want to provide something extra for those who want something to go with the ham, Scalloped Potatoes make the meal smell most welcoming.

Scalloped Potatoes

5-6 medium white potatoes
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 cup whole milk

Peel and thinly slice the potatoes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Vegetable oil spray a deep, oblong baking pan or one of your choice that will accommodate the ingredients.

Place half of the potato slices in the prepared baking dish. Slice up the butter and put down half over the potatoes. Sprinkle one tablespoon of flour or flour blend over the butter and cover with 1 cup of the cheddar and 1/4 cup of the Romano or Parmesan. Sprinkle with half the salt and pepper. Cover with the rest of the potatoes and ingredients. Carefully pour the milk over the potatoes, cover, and bake for 45-60 minutes until fork tender. For a brown top to the dish, remove the cover for the last ten minutes of baking.

Thanksgiving Thinking . . . Snacking Oatmeal Cookies!

November first shows up and you know it is countdown to Thanksgiving. I try and plan ahead but there are always last-minute panic attacks that disappear once the turkey exits the oven and friends and family are nothing but happy with the holiday food placed in front of them. The days leading up to the feasting day can be testy, however, My thought is making a big batch of something fun and sort of healthy to ward off unhappy ‘spirits’ as they get anxious for the real day and are tired of quick meals in order to make time for the big, Thursday meal in November.

My favorite go-to snack has always been oatmeal cookies! I have a multitude of recipes but this is one of my favorites. They go together easily and if things get really testy in the preceding days, I’ve found that sandwiching two  cookies around a small scoop of ice cream is a miraculous tonic.

Barbara’s Favorite Oatmeal Everything Cookies

Recipe:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, well-beaten
1 Tablespoon (yes tablespoon) vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 cups oatmeal (quick cooking or old fashioned, not instant)
1 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Zest of one orange

The key is to soak the raisins or dried cranberries. This makes all the difference in the world. Beat eggs and vanilla together and then add the raisins or dried cranberries, stir. Soak for about an hour.

Directions:
Preheat to 350 degrees

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Stir the dry ingredients until well blended. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and mix well. Now add in the egg and raisin or cranberry mixture. Then add oatmeal and chocolate chips/nuts. zest and combine well. Form into balls on cookie sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for 2-5 minutes or until firm enough to transfer to wire rack.