What to Prep Today, Tues. Nov. 26, for Thanksgiving, Part 4 of 5
Day Four...almost there. I reluctantly agree that vegetables are part of Thanksgiving, but they'll never replace my beloved potatoes.
Tuesday's Vegetable Victory
TODAY TAKES A BIT MORE THOUGHT. Most vegetable side dishes for Thanksgiving can be made entirely ahead of time, as most are roasted, casseroled, or simmered.
Depending on what you're opting for, you might need to do some prep today and finish the dish on Thanksgiving.
For instance, I've made these glazed carrots two days ahead of the holiday with no problem. And you can, too. Just store them properly, and Thursday's reheating will be a breeze.
The same goes for The One's favorite sweet potato soufflé. You can make this today up until step 3. On Turkey Day, take the dish out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. Then just cover with the pecan streusel, and bake!
On the other hand, for this green bean casserole, it's best to make all the component parts, as stated in the recipe, and assemble it on Thanksgiving. If you want to make it even easier on yourself, nix the homemade onion rings and buy a can of French's Fried Onions. I've done it. And I won't tell if you won't tell!
Remember those gougères hanging out in the freezer? Check their wrapping—you don't want any freezer burn crashing your holiday.
Classic Green Bean Casserole
There are countless cans of string beans quaking on their shelves. This baby is the real deal. So, just say no to the can opener and make this from scratch. I'll allow one concession: You may use French’s onion crisps. The last thing you want to be doing Thanksgiving week is deep frying. That is, unless you’re jonesing for a deep fried turkey.
Classic Sweet Potato Casserole
The classic. It’s made with marshmallows, half-and-half, spices, and sugar. Just like grandma's.
Sweet Potato Soufflé
This soufflé has been part of our Thanksgiving ritual for 16 years.It’s simply sweet potatoes turned into a purée with some butter, sugar, vanilla and then buried beneath a satisfyingly buttery and not-too-sweet pecan and brown sugar streusel.
Braised Carrots with Orange and Rosemary
Talk about a showstopper! these carrots are gently cooked with orange and rosemary until the carrots are tender, buttery, and fragrant. Oh, and a little BTS: those stems snapped off, so I had to stick a toothpick in the top of each carrot to keep them attached. (don't bother zooming in. I'm a wiz Photoshop.)
Creamed Spinach
This is a wicked easy version of the classic, made with fresh spinach and a mascarpone, Parmesan, and cream sauce. Here's how to make it.
Candied Carrots
These babies are lightly seared in olive oil then tossed in honey, turning out sweet veggies that taste almost like candy...even to picky eaters of all ages. Don't get out of shape if you can't find multicolored carrots. It works well for plain-ole Bugs Bunny-orange carrots.
Carrot Ribbon Salad
Really quick to put together, this salad will happily sit alongside many other dishes. It is delicious and an oh-so-different side for the Thanksgiving table.
Broccoli and Blue Cheese Gratin
This little gratin number is a simple comforting casserole that makes the perfect Turkey Day side dish. And it's healthy-ish.
Ina Garten’s Caramelized Shallots
These orbs of sweetness are from the Barefoot Contessa are made by roasting shallots low and slow in butter, sugar, and vinegar until softened and sweet and tangy. An exceptionally swanky side dish for any occasion.
Roasted Broccoli With Walnuts, Raisins, and Ricotta Salata
This melange will likely steal the spotlight at your dinner table. It's sufficiently impressive to stand in as the main course, though it's equally adept at playing second fiddle…to the taters.
Wednesday is all about turkey and timing.
Chow,
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