Sunday, November 21, 2010

What's in Your Sexy Thanksgiving Side Dish Drawer?

Thanksgiving, the holiest of American foodie holidays, is almost here. I'll assume you already have a great turkey and gravy recipe, so today we are focusing on the side dishes (if you don't, please check out our critically acclaimed, two-part video series, How to Make Turkey and Gravy).

Any Thanksgiving dinner expert will tell you, it's not a great turkey that makes the meal, it's what you pair it with. What good is a beautiful bird dressed with a bunch of so-so sides?

I was just about to make an inappropriate "gorgeous dress, with shabby lingerie" analogy, but I think you get the point.

So, without further adieu (that's French, like
the good lingerie), here are some of my favorite side dish recipe videos, all of which would make a lovely addition to your holiday spread. Enjoy!

Creamed Spinach










Creamy Corn Custard










Pecan and Apricot Sourdough Bread Stuffing












Green Bean and Blue Cheese Gratin











Lime and Chipotle Glazed Sweet Potatoes










Celery Root and Potato Puree









Cold Broccoli Salad











Cheesy Broccoli Gratin










Butter Roasted Cauliflower


12 comments:

John's Weight Loss Blog said...

I'm trying two new ones this year:

1) Roasted Brussel Sprouts, tossed with a little bit of pomegranate salad dressing, arils and chopped walnuts.

2) Milk braised fennel, finished with a layer of crusted parmesan.

I'm sure I'll be the only one in the family happy with them since they are not green beans or carrots but the dishes satisfy my need for creativity.

Chef John said...

sounds great!

Unknown said...

Wow, Chef John. You sure do know a lot about lingerie. :)

The sides look amazing. I think we'll try to incorporate some of them this year. We cooked our first turkey last night with the aid of one of your videos. Literally the best turkey I've ever had.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jack Parker said...

I'm going to try your Butter Roasted Cauliflower. It sounds really good.

My personal favorite is Vanilla Mashed Sweet Potatoes. No added sugar and just a little butter. I use 1/3 of a vanilla bean, a tablespoon of orange zest and some white pepper to accentuate the flavor.

Anonymous said...

Chef John, you fully rock (and not the bad type of rock, I mean the good type, like Led Zeppelin and Kansas)! Anyway, I've tried out several of your recipes and a few of your technique examples and they all were amazing. Just wanted to show my appreciation.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Jennifer said...

All of the photos on your blog and youtube channel are mouth-watering. Kudos!

bebop gastelum said...

I love your stuff. The food is absolutely delicious! Sausage Cherry Pepper Poppers are my fav!

<3

Anonymous said...

Chef,

Are turkey/chicken wings considered white meat or dark?
Many opinions out there on this, but your's (or I suppose Alton Brown's)is the only one that matters.

Chef John said...

dark meat!

Ryan said...

Any suggestions for sides without butter or milk products other than the standard grilled root veggies or steamed veggies?

Chef John said...

sorry, dont think so. you can check the side dish category, there may be a few, but I likes my butter and dairy! ;-)

Unknown said...

Chef John, Chef John, OMG!!! i finally got it right!!! What a delicious turkey we had last night!!! It was so juicy and flavorsome that both my sons who usually don't have any turkey at Thankgiving, agreed it was awesome. Thanks Chef John, you are the best chef ever!!!