what should I cook...?

Question

Ok so this is the first year in my house and I wanted to cook for Thanksgiving. There will be between 8 and 10 people. I need suggestions for side dishes. Something besides rolls and salad please.

Thanks everyone. You all have great ideas and I really appreciate the recipes too. Happy Holidays.

Answer 1

Well, there's the classic (brown sugar-glazed) sweet potato cassarole with the mini-marshmallows baked on top just till they get golden brown.

You could go for stuffed mushrooms... bacon bits, mozzarella and chives make them quite yummy, and they'll complement turkey very well.

If you're looking for a twist on mashed potatoes, I use sliced new potatoes and lightly bread them with a mixture of flour, season salt, and lemon pepper, then pan fry them in about 1/4" of oil. They're very flavorful, and most people seem to like it.

If you're looking for a good turkey recipe, Jamie Oliver made one on the Today Show 2 years ago that I think you can still access from their website. His stuffing had some ground pork in it and was stuffed under the skin on the breasts, and a pierced orange was put into the cavity to flavor the turkey from the inside... We made it with a slight error (my husband had already accidently mixed the pork SAUSAGE into the stuffing before I realized that the roll of GROUND pork was still in the fridge) last year, and it was quite good, boo-boo and all.

Good Luck! and Happy Holidays!

Answer 2

Well stuffing is a must, and I am not talking about the Stove Top variety. For a 12 to 15 pound bird, shred 2 loaves of cheap white bread the night before and allow to harden a bit overnight. Then saute one yellow onion chopped and 5 stalks of chopped celery with some garlic salt, celery salt and pepper. Once the veggies are soft allow to cool a bit. Add 3 eggs to the bread crumbs and mix together. Once the veggies have cooled add them to the bread mixture and season with some oregano and thyme and a bit more salt and pepper. Stuff it into the cavity of the turkey until full. You will have some stuffing left, lift the skin from the breast and stuff it under the skin. This will taste good as well as keep your turkey from drying out. This is how my grandmother and my mother have been doing it for years. It is a great side!

Answer 3

You should have the usual stuff. Do they think your a chef. mashed potatos(really mash them), stuffing, sweet potatos with maple syrup, cranberry sauce, corn bread, pumpkin seeds (baked), pasta with tomato gray and of course turkey! have fun and enjoy.
PS i don't know where you guys will eat probably in the dining room or kitchen but you should put chips and dip, shrimp with certain dip(forget what it's called) and the pumpkin seeds out in the living room or the family room or the kitchen or where ever people will be sitting down other then the dining room so the can pick on orderves before the meal. its looks really nice if you do that.

Answer 4

Ambrosia Salad

INGREDIENTS
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
3 bananas, sliced
2 cups flaked coconut
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup pecan pieces
1 (16 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup maraschino cherries

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine mandarin oranges, crushed pineapple, bananas, coconut, marshmallows, and pecan pieces. Fold in whipped topping. Garnish with maraschino cherries. Chill for 1 hour or overnight

Yes it is a salad, but not your typical salad. We had it every Christmas and Thanksgiving at my in-laws.

Answer 5

Well, you have to have deviled eggs and other snacks like olives and cheese stuffed celery.

Fresh green beans with garlic and slivered almonds always go over well as a hot vegetable.

And then, of course, homemade mashed potatoes (put some sour cream in them in addition to butter and milk) Yum!

Good Luck!

Answer 6

How about corn pudding - box of cornbread mix mixed per directions + one can cream of corn + one can whole corn. Bake @ 350 for about 25 minutes
Crackers, cheese, and grapes to start
mashed sweet potatoes --- boil sweet potatoes and mash add salt, brown sugar and pecans to taste. Top with mini marshmallows and bake until marshmallows have melted.
Good Luck

Answer 7

1. fried cream corn*****
2. purple hull peas
3. baby new potato's and english peas in a cream sauce
4. broccoli casserole
5. green bean casserole*****
6. squash casserole
7. hashbrown casserole
8. scalloped potato's
9. potato casserole
10. mash potato's and gravy
11. fruit gelatin salad
12. english peas cooke with chicken bouillon cubes

go to allrecipes.com!

Answer 8

Pate?
Garlic Mushrooms?
Garlic Bread?
Cheese and Crackers?

Answer 9

our standard Thanksgiving at my mother-in-laws is stuffing, sweet potatoes, green beans w/bacon, and ambrosia. and pies. my aunt, she goes bigger, there is usually turkey, ham, pork roast, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, lima beans, sweet potatoes. kinda depends of what you want, what you like. green bean casserole is good, easy. you probably wanna start with easy, basic things, for your first time, and anything you've never made before, try a trial run a week or so before. good luck

Answer 10

home made cranberry relish, 1 bag of ocean spray fresh cranberries, 4 navel oranges, sugar to taste. take cranberries and add them to a blender cut up oranges skin seeds and all to the blender. plus till you get a nice mix .place in bowl add suger to taste and frig till ready to use.