Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means a lot of you have already begun preparing for next Thursday’s festivities. And many of you may be facing the annual dilemma: what else do I cook besides a turkey? If so, we’ve got a few traditional side dishes for you to check out. They’re all pretty easy to cook, and should be big hits with your family this Thanksgiving. We’ll start off with a deliciously sweet cranberry-based stuffing, followed by some creamy whipped mashed potatoes (insert mouthwatering emoji here). Moving right along into a savory Parmesan & Balsamic-flavored dish of Brussels sprouts, only to end with an Abt-made video of a mini sweet potato casserole recipe, which is super easy to make and a fun way to incorporate cooking with your kids this Thanksgiving!
Thyme & Sage Cranberry Sausage Stuffing
What's better than the traditional flavors of thyme & sage incorporated into a Thanksgiving staple, stuffing? This recipe is great for a crowd and tastes great with other Thanksgiving side dishes.
Preheat oven to 300°F (149°C). Spread bread cubes out on two large baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes until browned and crisp. Transfer to a large bowl.
Place butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, salt, and pepper. Sauté for about 4 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. Add mushrooms, thyme, sage, and parsley. Continue cooking for another 3 minutes. Squeeze the sausage meat out of the casings into the skillet. Break up with a spoon, then add the apples. Cook for about 4 minutes, until sausage meat, is just about cooked through.
Remove from heat and stir the sausage/apple mixture in with the toasted bread. Pour the broth on top, then the cranberries. Give everything a stir.
If using to stuff a turkey, allow to cool completely before stuffing. If baking the stuffing separately like I did in these photos, heat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a casserole dish (I use an 11×7-inch– use a similar size) or spray with nonstick spray. Spoon stuffing into the dish, then bake for 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp on top. Garnish with fresh herbs before serving, if desired. Serve warm. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 300°F (149°C). Spread bread cubes out on two large baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes until browned and crisp. Transfer to a large bowl.
Place butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, salt, and pepper. Sauté for about 4 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. Add mushrooms, thyme, sage, and parsley. Continue cooking for another 3 minutes. Squeeze the sausage meat out of the casings into the skillet. Break up with a spoon, then add the apples. Cook for about 4 minutes, until sausage meat, is just about cooked through.
Remove from heat and stir the sausage/apple mixture in with the toasted bread. Pour the broth on top, then the cranberries. Give everything a stir.
If using to stuff a turkey, allow to cool completely before stuffing. If baking the stuffing separately like I did in these photos, heat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a casserole dish (I use an 11×7-inch– use a similar size) or spray with nonstick spray. Spoon stuffing into the dish, then bake for 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp on top. Garnish with fresh herbs before serving, if desired. Serve warm. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave.
Whipped Mashed Potatoes
Creamy mashed potatoes are another Thanksgiving favorite and this recipe does not disappoint! These whipped mashed potatoes are rich, fluffy, and buttery delicious.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until soft (15 minutes). Drain.
Using a stand mixer, slowly whip milk and butter into potatoes until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ingredients
Directions
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until soft (15 minutes). Drain.
Using a stand mixer, slowly whip milk and butter into potatoes until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Parmesan Balsamic Slow Cooker Brussels Sprouts
These Brussels sprouts are the perfect addition to any Thanksgiving meal. All you need is a slow cooker and you're set!
To make the balsamic reduction, add balsamic vinegar and brown sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a slight boil and reduce by half, about 6-8 minutes; set aside and let cool.
Place Brussels sprouts into a 3-qt slow cooker. Stir in olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with butter.
Cover and cook on low heat for 3-4 hours or high for 1-2 hours.
Serve immediately, drizzled with balsamic reduction and topped with Parmesan.
Ingredients
Directions
To make the balsamic reduction, add balsamic vinegar and brown sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a slight boil and reduce by half, about 6-8 minutes; set aside and let cool.
Place Brussels sprouts into a 3-qt slow cooker. Stir in olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with butter.
Cover and cook on low heat for 3-4 hours or high for 1-2 hours.
Serve immediately, drizzled with balsamic reduction and topped with Parmesan.
Mini Sweet Potato Casseroles
Check out a few of the kitchen tools we used to make these delicious mini casseroles, including a set of ramekins, a stock Pot and knives.
Place sweet potatoes over high heat in a pot of water, make sure the potatoes are immersed, cover and cook for about 30 min or until tender on the outside, but slightly resistant on the inside.
Remove potatoes from boiling water and place on paper towels to cool down and dry. When potatoes are cool enough to handle – peel and cut into large chunks and place into a bowl (large enough for mashing).
Mash potatoes with potato masher until slightly lumpy.
Fill ramekin less than half way with sweet potatoes, add a layer of brown sugar on top of potatoes, and sprinkle cinnamon on top of the brown sugar layer. Add a layer of chopped nuts on top of the cinnamon and place 2 1/2 tbsp pats of butter on top of the nuts.
Repeat steps 1-5 for each ramekin.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Place ramekins on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake for 30 min. Top with marshmallows. Place in oven on broil for 2 min longer or until desired brownness is achieved. Remove from oven and let casseroles sit at least 20 min before serving.
If you want to turn this into a delicious dessert, try adding vanilla ice cream!
This recipe is just a guide line, you can add or take away any ingredient you like – as these fun little casseroles are meant to be tailored to your choosing!
Ingredients
Directions
Place sweet potatoes over high heat in a pot of water, make sure the potatoes are immersed, cover and cook for about 30 min or until tender on the outside, but slightly resistant on the inside.
Remove potatoes from boiling water and place on paper towels to cool down and dry. When potatoes are cool enough to handle – peel and cut into large chunks and place into a bowl (large enough for mashing).
Mash potatoes with potato masher until slightly lumpy.
Fill ramekin less than half way with sweet potatoes, add a layer of brown sugar on top of potatoes, and sprinkle cinnamon on top of the brown sugar layer. Add a layer of chopped nuts on top of the cinnamon and place 2 1/2 tbsp pats of butter on top of the nuts.
Repeat steps 1-5 for each ramekin.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Place ramekins on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake for 30 min. Top with marshmallows. Place in oven on broil for 2 min longer or until desired brownness is achieved. Remove from oven and let casseroles sit at least 20 min before serving.
If you want to turn this into a delicious dessert, try adding vanilla ice cream!
This recipe is just a guide line, you can add or take away any ingredient you like – as these fun little casseroles are meant to be tailored to your choosing!
Cook the food, enjoy the food, & don’t forget to relax.
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