Some Side Dish Suggestions for Thanksgiving

As you read this, Thanksgiving is six days away. Maybe you are
going to Grandma’s house. Maybe you are going to a restaurant.
As you read this, Thanksgiving is six days away.

Maybe you are going to Grandma’s house.

Maybe you are going to a restaurant.

Or maybe you invited everybody to your house this year.

Besides being a daunting project for even confident cooks, the Thanksgiving meal is perhaps the most rigidly traditional of any meal not prescribed by a religious tradition.

Some families require mashed potatoes; others sweet potatoes with browned marshmallows. Some families like the cranberry sauce that comes out of the can in a quivering cylinder; others make the cranberry-orange-blender business.

And the cook deviates from these at her or his peril.

I say it’s time for the cooks to take back the meal. Go ahead and offer the traditional basics: the turkey, the stuffing, the relish tray (celery and carrot sticks and black and green olives, in my family) and the pumpkin pie.

I offered recipes for pie crust and a pumpkin pie last week, but by far the easiest way to have a delicious pie when you’re cooking the rest of Thanksgiving dinner is to ask a good cook to bring one.

But then for starters and some of the side dishes, I found some recipes that offer intriguing variety as well as the distinct advantage of being able to be prepared in advance, allowing you to devote your full attention to the large roasting project.

Speaking of carrot and celery sticks, these can be prepared a couple of days in advance, and if you prepare more than you’ll need for the meal you’ll have a healthy snack available to keep your strength up while you cook and fend off bored and hungry children.

Endive with Smoked Trout and Herbed Cream Cheese

(From epicurious.com; about 34 leaves)

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup minced fresh dill (from about 3 bunches)

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 teaspoon (packed) grated lemon peel

4 heads of Belgian endive (green and red, if available)

8 ounces smoked trout fillets, broken into 1-inch pieces

Fresh dill sprigs

Step 1: Mix first 4 ingredients in small bowl. Season with freshly ground black pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)

Step 2: Separate endive into leaves. Spread small amount of cheese mixture on base end of each leaf. Top with trout piece; garnish with small dill sprig. Arrange filled leaves on platter. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover; chill.)

Make-in-the-morning Bruschetta

(From the San Jose Mercury News)

These can be made in the morning and set aside until just before you top them with the white bean topping given here or your favorite tomato & basil or other fresh topping.

1 baguette, cut on the diagonal into 3/8-inch-thick slices

Olive oil, for brushing

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 (16-ounce) cans cannellini or navy beans, drained and rinsed

For gremolata:

Grated zest of 2 lemons

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 cloves garlic, minced

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Lemon slices and parsley sprigs, for garnish

Step 1: To make bruschetta: Preheat broiler. Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil and place on baking sheet in single layer. Place 6 inches under broiler and brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes total.

Step 2: In medium bowl, mix together 1/2 cup olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss with beans and set aside.

Step 3: To make gremolata: Combine zest, parsley and garlic. Place on a cutting board and chop together until finely minced.

Step 4: Mix gremolata with beans and place a large spoonful of bean mixture on top of each slice of toasted bread. Drizzle tops lightly with olive oil. Arrange bruschetta on a large platter garnished with lemon slices and sprigs of parsley.

Make-ahead: Bread slices can be toasted up to 4 hours in advance and kept at room temperature in an airtight container The topping can be made up to 4 hours in advance. Assemble just before serving.

Cranberry Sauce with Marmalade and Cinnamon

(From epicurious.com; makes about 3 cups)

1 1/2 cups orange marmalade

2/3 cup orange juice

1 cinnamon stick, broken in half

1 12-ounce bag cranberries

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

Freshly ground black pepper

Step 1: Combine first 3 ingredients in medium saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until mixture comes to boil

Step 2: Mix in cranberries; return to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until berries burst and sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Step 3: Transfer sauce to medium bowl; cool completely. Mix in parsley; season with pepper. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.)

Mashed Potatoes with Sage and White Cheddar Cheese

(From epicurious.com; makes 10 servings)

4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

2 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage

3/4 cup whipping cream

3/4 cup whole milk

2 1/4 cups (packed; about 9 ounces) coarsely grated sharp white cheddar cheese

Step 1: Butter 8- to 10-cup baking dish. Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 12 minutes.

Step 2: Meanwhile, melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons sage; stir until butter begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Add cream and milk; bring to simmer.

Step 3: Drain potatoes; return to pot. Stir over medium heat until excess moisture evaporates. Add cream mixture; mash potatoes. Stir in 1 3/4 cups cheese. Season potatoes with salt and pepper. Transfer to prepared dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese and 1 teaspoon sage. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with plastic; chill.)

Step 4: Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake potatoes uncovered until heated through and golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Elizabeth Gage is a writer who lives in Hollister. She can be reached at ee******@***oo.com.