What's Your Favorite Side Dish? (And 3 of Our Best Recipes)

Country Living

Mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, dinner rolls...the list of delicious sides is endless! I'm partial to turkey stuffing, but what about you? Tell us about your all-time favorite Thanksgiving side dish and then get three recipes that we just had to share with you. It's the season for giving after all!




#1. "PERFECT MASHED POTATOES"

INGREDIENTS



2 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook the potatoes: Heat oven to 250 degrees F. Place the potatoes in a pot and fill with enough water to cover. Add the salt and bring to a boil over high heat.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are tender -- 12 to 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes, transfer to a baking pan, and place in the oven until thoroughly dried out -- 7 to 8 minutes. (Shake the pan occasionally to ensure all excess water evaporates.)

3. Puree the potatoes: Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it simmers. Mash the potatoes until smooth, taking care not to overwork them. Alternately add the butter and milk in thirds -- gently folding with a rubber spatula. Stir in the pepper.

TIP: To keep mashed potatoes warm until the meal is served, place them in a heat-proof bowl and cover with foil. Set that bowl in a pot of barely simmering water that reaches halfway up the side of the bowl.




#2. "FRESH GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE"
An updated version of the classic comfort food dish, this Fresh Green Bean Casserole boasts plenty of flavor (thanks to garlic and breadcrumbs) and minimal fat and calories.

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds green beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups fresh bread crumbs, made from 5 slices country bread
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water, and set aside. Bring a large stockpot with water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until tender -- about 5 minutes. Immediately transfer beans to the ice water to cool. Strain and blot dry. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, and cook until soft. Remove from heat, toss in the bread crumbs, butter, salt, pepper, and the blanched beans. Transfer to a 6-cup baking dish.

3. Bake until the beans are tender and the bread crumbs are golden -- 18 to 20 minutes. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.




#3. "CORNBREAD AND APPLE DRESSING"
A holiday favorite, this stuffing is the perfect accompaniment to a golden roasted turkey.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound sweet Italian sausage
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2 cups finely chopped yellow onion
2 cups chopped celery
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups crumbled cornbread
4 cups (from 10 slices country bread) fresh bread crumbs
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the casings and crumble and brown the sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat -- about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside the sausage and reserve 1 tablespoon of fat.

2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with the fat, add the peppers, onions, celery, salt, and black pepper, and cook over medium-low heat until vegetables are soft -- about 15 minutes.

3. Toss in the sausage, cornbread, breadcrumbs, apples, parsley, sage, and thyme. Transfer to a 9- by 13-inch baking pan, pour the broth over the dressing, and dot with remaining butter.

4. Bake until the dressing is heated through and golden -- about 1 1/2 hours.


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