For many of us, Thanksgiving dinner isn’t so much about the turkey, but the homemade dishes that complement it. Most families have traditional dressing (usually the cornbread variety in the South) and sweet potatoes in one form or another, but in this issue, we’re featuring some different side dishes from our readers we think you’ll enjoy trying. Happy Thanksgiving!
When notified that she’d won Cook of the Month honors this month, Cheryl Kelly was quick to tell us that her recipe for Butternut Squash Casserole is really the work of her sister-in-law, Wendy Weston. Her family first tasted it some 15 years ago after they’d taken their mother on an 80th birthday cruise to Mexico and Wendy had them over for Thanksgiving/birthday dinner. “We loved it,” Cheryl remembers and has made it many times since. She bakes the butternut squash (cut lengthwise and seeded) in the oven first, on a baking pan with about 2 inches of water, face down, for about 90 minutes until tender. But if you’re in a hurry, pre-cut squash found in most grocery vegetable aisles can be used. “I make it every Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter,” says Cheryl. “It’s delicious.” — Lenore Vickrey
Butternut Squash Casserole
- 3 cups (about 1 medium-sized) butternut squash, cooked and mashed
- ⅓ cup butter, softened
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish. Mix together all of the ingredients until smooth. Pour into a buttered dish and bake for 40 minutes. Mix the following toppings while the casserole is baking.
Topping:
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup flour
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup nuts, chopped
Sprinkle on top of the casserole and bake for 5 minutes or until it begins to blend. Cook’s note: I like a lot of topping, so I sometimes double it.
Ranch Potatoes
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 ½ pounds red potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 (1-oz.) dry ranch seasoning packet, divided
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup buttermilk or whole milk
- Chives or dill, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Pour 4 tablespoons of oil onto the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheet into the oven. In a large pot, add the potatoes, salt and water to cover potatoes by 1-inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook the potatoes until they are almost tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Place the lid on top of the pot and shake the pot vigorously for 30 seconds. Remove the lid and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of ranch seasoning. Fold to combine. Remove the prepared baking sheet from the oven. Spoon the seasoned potatoes onto the hot oil, folding to combine. Roast the potatoes until crisp, 30 to 35 minutes.
In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream, buttermilk or whole milk and the remaining ranch seasoning until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Spoon and spread the ranch dressing onto a serving platter. Top with the hot potatoes and sprinkle with chopped chives or dill.
Amy Forehand, Wiregrass EC
Glazed Autumn Duet
- 2 10-ounce bags fresh Brussels sprouts
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8-oz. pecan halves
- ¼ cup butter
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar, firmly packed
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Rinse sprouts and trim bottoms. Steam sprouts with salted water until fork tender. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine brown sugar, allspice and nutmeg. Melt butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave and mix well with the sugar and spices. When sprouts are cooked, let stand about 3 minutes and mix with the pecans and sugar/butter mixture, gently toss and serve. Makes 6-8 servings.
Sheila Bellingar, Baldwin EMC
Cranberry Jell-O Salad
- 1 large can crushed pineapple in juice, drained
- 1 can whole cranberry sauce
- 2 small packages gelatin (raspberry, cranberry-
- raspberry, your preference)
- 2 cups boiling water
Drain pineapple and set aside. Mix gelatin with 2 cups boiling water until gelatin is dissolved. Add crushed pineapple and whole cranberry sauce (smashing to break it up.) Pour into gelatin mold. Refrigerate until firm. Unmold onto a lettuce lined plate and serve.
Marsha S Gardner, Wiregrass EC
Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs with Bacon
- 12 eggs
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons pimentos
- ½ cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 strips bacon, cooked
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Chives, chopped, for garnish
Gently lower 12 eggs into a large pot and fill with cold water until they are covered. Heat the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Immediately lower the heat to low, cover and cook for 7 minutes, no more, no less. Set a timer! As soon as the timer goes off, remove them from the heat, drain in a colander and add them to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
While the eggs are cooking, start cooking the bacon, shred the cheese and measure all other ingredients. Add the mayonnaise, pimentos, cheddar cheese, Worcestershire, salt and pepper to a food processor or a stand mixer or electric beaters. Place the boiled eggs in a bowl of warm water before removing shells. Start by cracking the tops of the eggs, then the rest of the egg. Keep the eggs submerged under the water while peeling to help the shell come off easily. Cut the eggs in half and remove the yolks. Add the yolks to the rest of the filling ingredients. Puree all ingredients until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Fill the eggs with a small ice cream scoop, a spoon, or a piping bag (which can be made by cutting a snip from the corner of a ziptop bag.)
Top with crumbled bacon and chopped chives. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. If you are not serving immediately, add the crumbled bacon right before you serve so it’s room temperature. These can be made 3-4 hours in advance. Optional: top with a slice of jalapeno.
Beth Rich, North Alabama EC
The Buttered Home
When I learned the topic for this month’s recipes, Thanksgiving Side Dishes, I was so excited!
Honestly, I didn’t know which one to choose because I have so many. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday! It holds so many fond memories and is the one holiday when we probably keep the truest food traditions. My granddaddy, Daddy Joe, loved it and it always makes me think of him.
While I could have shared so many recipes that follow this strict food tradition, I thought it was a good idea to shake things up a bit. This Spaghetti Squash Gratin recipe has become a favorite for our family over the last few years. And this is not one of those new recipes that you try on Thanksgiving and you get in trouble for. It is easy and certainly delicious. It is probably my best “no fail” new recipe for the holidays. While you can find prepped spaghetti squash in the frozen section of some stores, nothing beats doing it from fresh. For easy instructions on how to do that, search our website at thebutteredhome.com
Spaghetti Squash Gratin
- 3 cups spaghetti squash, cooked and separated
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, mix prepared, cooled squash with eggs, cheese and Greek yogurt. Mix well.
Season with salt, pepper, garlic and thyme. Mix well. Pour into a lightly greased casserole dish. Top with parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until top is slightly browned. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
