Thanksgiving is only two weeks away! Let’s hear it for my favorite holiday! And let’s talk about the showcase of Thanksgiving day: the dinner. Of course we’re all having turkey but today I want to know what else you are having. Tell me your 10 Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dishes.
- Mashed potatoes. Is there anyone reading this who didn’t know this would be first on my list? Yeah, that’s what I thought.
- Gravy. Because you cannot have mashed potatoes without the gravy.
- Stuffing. Dressing. Call it what you want but make sure it’s loaded with sage, celery and onions.
- Boiled onions. Not those little ones with cream sauce but full sized onions, boiled whole.
- Cranberry sauce. Homemade, whole berry cranberry sauce if I’m being truly specific.
- Parsnips. I love all the root vegetables but parsnips are my true favorite.
- Brussels Sprouts. Because you’ve got to have at least one green vegetable on your plate!
- Stuffed dates. I can remember making these on Thanksgiving Eve with my mom. Split open a date, stick a walnut half inside, smoosh it back together and roll it in sugar. I loved them then and I love them now.
- Celery stuffed with cream cheese & olive. We also made this on Thanksgiving Eve, usually with my Nana would would make one, eat one, make one, eat one and then my mom would come over to the table and wonder where there were so few pieces done.
- Dinner rolls. Soft, yeasty ones, warm and shiny with butter.
And now I’m hungry! Pass the gravy, would ya? If you wrote a post about today’s topic, don’t forget to add your link below. And if you want to subscribe to the Ten on Tuesday email list just click here.
Oh I would sell my soul for Brussels sprouts on the table!
Oops…your list is wonderful Carole! I love the bit about your Nana!
Wow! It’s snowing outside here in NYC! I used to make stuffed dates with my grandmother and we’d send some to my uncle as a Christmas present. My mother’s Thanksgiving was delicious but tended to be on the beige side, while I like a colorful plate. So in addition to mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and cranberry sauce, here’s a link to a persimmon salad recipe that is now essential to Thanksgiving in our home:
http://www.latimes.com/features/food/thanksgiving/la-fo-persimmonsalad,0,3508463.story#axzz2kR6ANbsw
And although we don’t need any more additions to the groaning board, I’m thinking of making this recipe for roasted sweet potatoes with figs from the Jerusalem cookbook:
http://www.tastingtable.com/entry_detail/chefs_recipes/10925
My favorite sides are trips! 🙂 Thanksgiving is not my favorite food holiday, the reason for which may or may not be obvious.
Growing up there was always so much good food and we couldn’t possibly even taste it all. It was a joyous family day with lots of extended family. We had celery with cheese whip inside (make one, eat one also applied) and also made a similar date candy at Christmas.
We usually end up with green beans or broccoli, but if I found some good-looking brussels sprouts, you can be we’d have those!
I have never heard of stuffed dates. Simple yet yummy idea. I love that. I think we are all going to have some different dishes at the table this year.
My Grandma & Mom always made stuffed dates just the way you described. My sister hosts Thanksgiving dinner now and we always have stuffed dates.
I love everything on your list, and have to add green bean casserole and sweet potatoes (I don’t care how they’re made, just pass them to me, please)!
Hummmm. Reading today’s lists made me hungry. No one mentioned green bean casserole (oh please, I am not talking about the Campbell’s soup version). We seem to have a new tradition in the past few years–cream cheese with red pepper jelly while waiting for the turkey to cook. The celery is on the side.
First I read Kym’s list and now yours. Not fair! I haven’t even had breakfast yet. Now I’m starving. 😉
I like EVERYTHING! This year, Thanksgiving and the beginning of Hannukah coincide, which is apparently extremely unusual, so there may be some alterations in the menu – nothing too drastic! One cannot do without mashed potatoes! But there might be sweet potato latkes with cranberry infused applesauce, and there might be pecan rugelach instead of pecan pie.
Good list, Carole!
In Lancaster County (PA), we eat dates stuffed with peanut butter. Sometimes they’re rolled in sugar afterwards, sometimes not. 🙂
Here are mine:
1 – Green Been Casserole – with French’s Onion Strings on the top
2 – Sweet Potato – sliced into chunks with walnuts and brown sugar and baked in the oven- Yum
3 – Tom and Anne’s famous stuffing – hmmmm
4 – Mashed Potatoes – a must – whipped up in the Kitchen Aid with tons of butter and a little light cream
5 – Butternut Squash – whipped up with cinnamon – yum yum
6 – Homemade rolls or even better, Anne’s unbelievable Finish Pulla Bread – with cardamom and slivered almonds
7 – Of course homemade gravy – from all the drippins!
8 – believe or not, canned Cranberry Sauce – I love the other, especially when someone put’s Bourbon in it, but canned is awesome
9 – Orange Date Nut Cream Cheese ball and crackers for an appetizer – we got this recipe from an old friend of the family and have it every year
10 – Turnip – boiled and mashed – one of Anne’s Mom’s favorites
Thanksgiving is also my favorite Holiday – such a wonderful time to get together with family and close friends! – Hell, we even have a Friendsgiving each year as well 🙂
I’ll have to try making dates your way! My mom just stuffed them with cream cheese (and I can only take so many of those…)
🙂
Great list. (and it’s MY favorite holiday, too!)
(((hugs)))
Much menu almost exactly. Yummy. I cannot wait. This is actually my favorited holiday. I get to cook, which I love, have friends and family gather, which I also loveand just being together. Nothing else.
what a yummy list! the stories really make the food special.
Aaaand now I’m really ready for Thanksgiving! I’ve seen a couple of posts about mashed potatoes lately and I’m dying for them.
Carole- I just love Thanksgiving… the food… the family… the games… and the decorations!! I love your little Pilgrim pair- did you make them?? They are so cute- I have a pair I made in 1991 when I was into tole painting!! I still have a ton of paints- but have not painted in years!! Not enough time in the day- now I knit and do counted cross stitch when I have a few extra minutes in the day!! Love your blog!!!
I love everything about Thanksgiving…food…family…games… and of course the decorations. Carol- I have the same pair of pilgrims among my decorations. I was into tole painting ages ago- I made a few extra pair and gave them away as gifts- in 1991!! I do not tole paint anymore- not enough time in the day to do the knitting and primitive counted cross stitch that I enjoy. Did you paint your pilgrims?? One of these days I have to get over to eastern Mass. and see all the sights!! Happy Thanksgiving- Oh I really enjoy your blog!!