These dishes are made for beginners who want to bring something appropriate to share at Thanksgiving dinner or for those who are tired of being the one who brings "chips and drinks." They are traditional Thanksgiving side dishes and are simple and inexpensive to make. One is elegant, one is comfort food, and one is the easiest dish ever. Pick one and practice before Thanksgiving - they all have very few and inexpensive ingredients.
Elegant Roast Carrots and Potatoes
Ingredients:
- Raw Carrots - any quantity, suggest 6 large carrot sticks
- Raw Potatoes - any quantity, suggest 5 medium potatoes
- 1 jar Italian Dressing (or mix 3 parts Olive Oil, 1/4 part water, and 1/2 part balsamic vinegar)
- Herbs & Spices:
- Black pepper
- Parsley
- Basil
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Rosemary
Recipe for Baked Carrots and Potatoes
- Prepare potatoes
- Rinse potatoes but do not peel.
- Cut potatoes into chunks a little larger than steak fries - for an average sized potato, cut in half and then cut three wedges from each side.
- Prepare carrots
- Rinse raw carrots.
- Cut the tips and the heads of carrots off, but do not peel.
- Cut raw carrots into pieces slightly smaller than the potatoes - cut wide bottom chunks in half.
- Seasoning
- Put cut vegetables into a plastic bowl with a lid.
- In a small bowl, mix dressing with herbs - sprinkle lots of parsley and basil into the dressing and then add a teaspoon each of oregano, thyme and rosemary.
- Pour dressing into bowl of vegetables & shake plastic bowl with lid tight until veggies are coated with dressing.
- Baking
- Spread vegetables on cookie sheets or pizza pans.
- Sprinkle black pepper over vegetables before baking.
- Bake vegetables at 375 degrees for an hour and a half, sprinkling or brushing occasionally with more dressing and loosening from pan with a spatula.
- Put fork through the largest carrot. If it is soft, they are ready. Some edges or skin will be burnt but this is normal for roast vegetables.
- Scoop vegetables into serving dish.
Comfort Food - Creamed Corn
Ingredients:
- Two 1 lb. bags of frozen corn or 2 - 3 16 oz. cans of plain corn
- 1 package cream cheese
- 1 stick of butter
- If canned corn is used, drain liquid from corn.
- If frozen corn is used, let thaw to room temperature.
- Pour the corn into a combination baking/serving dish, such as Corning ware.
- Cut up butter and cream cheese into cubes and mix into corn.
- Sprinkle generous amount of black pepper on corn casserole and mix.
- Bake at 350 degrees until cream cheese and butter melt.
- Mix with spoon and cool, refrigerate and reheat before bringing to holiday dinner.
Very Easy - Faux Baked Beans
Ingredients:
- 3 cans pork & beans (15 - 16 oz.)
- Jar of dark (blackstrap) molasses (12 oz.)
- Ketchup
- Empty 3 cans of pork & beans into casserole.
- Mix with 1/4 cup dark (blackstrap) molasses.
- Mix in 1/4 cup ketchup.
- Heat in oven at 375 degrees until bubbling.
- Bake another 30 minutes at 350 degrees to give beans an oven-baked texture (dry top and sauce underneath is not too liquid).
With the flavorings of molasses and ketchup and extra baking to dry out the fluid in the canned beans, these beans will taste like oven-baked beans. This recipe is probably the easiest and safest of all for the aspiring cook who wants to make a contribution to Thanksgiving dinner.
Easy Side Dishes for Thanksgiving - Less Stress and Great Taste
If one does not cook often or is is a beginner, these are easy but appropriate dishes to contribute to a Thanksgiving meal. The dishes are inexpensive enough to do a trial run and adjust as needed or to add your own special touch. If guests love your dish, you can make it your "signature" dish for such occasions.
