Thanksgiving Appetizer/Side dish ideas?

[Narawen]

Hey all,

I'm hoping to try a new fun dish for thanksgiving this year and not sure what to do. I've typically done a pumpkin pie and another dessert for our family dinner, but this year there will be less people (6 or 7) and another family member is doing a pecan pie; I think two dessert choices will be more than enough. Any ideas/recipes for a great side dish or appetizer? Here's what we typically have:

Turkey
Dressing/Stuffing
Sweet potatoes with brown sugar
Cranberry Sauce
Spinach artichoke dip with pita
Dinner rolls/bread
Salad
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan pie

I don't want to try to replace anything we already have or make something too close. What's the point of doing a sweet potato casserole with marshmallows if we already have something so similar? I was thinking maybe some type of potato, or soup, but I'm open to anything.

One more note- no one really likes the green bean casseroles in my family, so we don't have those for a reason. Also, no pork or shellfish please. Thanks in advance for any ideas!

[Alyantavid]

How about mashed potatoes? We always have those. Twice baked potatoes are great too.

[Narawen]

Sounds great Alyantavid, is there anything special you put in the mashed potatoes? I love garlic, but maybe something special for thanksgiving?

[velochic]

Originally Posted by Narawen

Sounds great Alyantavid, is there anything special you put in the mashed potatoes? I love garlic, but maybe something special for thanksgiving?

Roast the garlic first. It makes it sweeter and creamier.

[mumkimum]

Last year I did a broccoli gratin and before I've done creamed spinach. We've also made this green bean and lemon dish (not really a casserole, though it is called that) that is real tasty and good for big gatherings. Stuffed mushrooms might also be another good idea.

[LVale]

A vegetable platter with dips and I always do deviled eggs, and fresh green beans simmered with bacon.

[momof3boys3702]

we always have homemade mac and cheese (not the boxed stuff) and my sister-in-law makes her sweet-potato cassarole.... what else, oh yeah my FIL makes his potato salad

[columbusmomma]

This thread is making me hungry!
We like a pumpkin based soup, good rolls, and a creamy slaw. in addition to many of the PP's dishes.

[mysticmomma]

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes-a...-10/index.html

[lil_earthmomma]

Looks like you don't have anything green (other than salad!), so how about mascarpone peas?

Mascarpone peas:

Cook peas. Drain. Take one third of peas and throw into food processor with a pkg of mascarpone cheese, 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, 3 - 4 cloves of garlic, 1/2 a purple onion, salt and pepper. Process until smooth and creamy, then add to remaining peas and top with snipped chives. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

[mumkimum]

Oh, wow! We may try this out. It sounds amazing!

Originally Posted by lil_earthmomma

Looks like you don't have anything green (other than salad!), so how about mascarpone peas?

Mascarpone peas:

Cook peas. Drain. Take one third of peas and throw into food processor with a pkg of mascarpone cheese, 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, 3 - 4 cloves of garlic, 1/2 a purple onion, salt and pepper. Process until smooth and creamy, then add to remaining peas and top with snipped chives. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

[bluebunny]

It looks like you need another vegetable:
broccoli and cheese casserole
green beans -- roasted with olive oil and garlic
squash casserole
sauteed squash and zucchini
roasted brussel sprouts
roasted cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots

(For roasting, I just put in a dish with olive oil, salt and pepper on 400 or 450 degrees for 30+ minutes until tender)

[bluebunny]

Or butternut squash soup!!

[Narawen]

Thanks for all the great ideas guys! I'm actually seeing all the people that will be at Thanksgiving this afternoon, so I'll ask them for input. I'm really considering mashed potatoes, pumpkin soup, or those mascarpone peas.

[witchypants]

This thread is so inspiring especially since this year my parents are doing the turkey and we're in charge of the sides!

[columbusmomma]

Can someone post a sweet potato dish?

[MidnightCommando]

I made this last year and it stole the show

Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds with Garlic Oil and Fried Sage

[MammaG]

I'm doing roasted sweet potato wedges with rosemary. We also always have a big pan of roasted winter veggies....potatoes, turnips, parsnips, onions, etc. My Mum always makes brussels sprouts with roasted chestnuts. I like to do some sort of wild-rice based recipe, usually with wild mushrooms and lots of nuts and fruits in it like raisins and cranberries.

We also have at least two stuffings....my Mum makes an English sausage stuffing (oops, that's a pork one, but you could do it with chicken sausage maybe?), and I like to do one with chestnuts and lots of sage, plus bread.

This year, we've been inspired by a cooking show I saw on PBS this week and making one stuffing in muffin tins...apparently they come out lovely and crispy....perfect for topping with gravy!

And isn't something with corn in it traditional? I've had corn mold which I didn't care for, but there's gotta be some inventive corn-based recipes out there (I spend a lot of quality time with Epicurious.com this time of year!)

A few years ago, I made a pumpkin-seed puree served with veggies and bread just to have on the coffee table as people arrived and had a cocktail. It was a huge hit.