Delicious Thanksgiving Sides

When we think of side dishes, we often think of small plates that are meant to accompany the main dish—the star of any meal. While Thanksgiving side dishes definitely pair well and complement turkey, they are also terrific on their own. In fact, the Thanksgiving sides are often the best part of the feast. This year, make sure to keep this in mind when planning your Thanksgiving side dishes list. You want to have a well-rounded meal planned that includes different food groups such as grain, vegetable, and starch.

Here are some tips and ideas for Thanksgiving side dishes:

• Starch: For your starch, the most obvious choice is the best—the potato. Whether you serve creamy mashed potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, or a roasted mix, you can’t go wrong with this favorite.

• Sauce: Thanksgiving sauces are essential for bringing all of dishes together. Somehow cranberry sauce and gravy always seem to go well with everything else on the plate. Keep this in mind and make sure to put some extra care into sauces this year. Make a variety of homemade cranberry sauces instead of buying just one. Keep the gravy on the stove until it reaches the perfect flavor. Experiment with some new sauce options!

• Bread: No Thanksgiving meal is complete without a side of bread to soak up all of the leftover sauce and gravy. The trick with bread is to have a variety, as everyone likes different kinds. Serve fluffy biscuits, hearty multi-grain rolls, squares of buttery cornbread, and slices of French baguette.

• Vegetables: For vegetables, your best bet is to stick with warm, roasted vegetables. Get a mix of hearty veggies such as carrots, beets, squash, and onions and roast them all together in a big pan. Though this may sound overly simple, this preparation is a crowd pleaser and will pair very well with the rest of the meal.

• Stuffing: Everyone has their favorite stuffing preparation, full of different kinds of bread crumbs and other ingredients. Some people prefer a hearty stuffing with sausage in it, while others like sweet stuffing mixed with dried fruit and nuts. A fun idea to incorporate all of your guests’ tastes is to ask guests to make and bring their favorite stuffing. This way, people can mix and match or just have a heaping portion of their favorite!

• Grain: A grain isn’t a necessity on your Thanksgiving menu, especially if you are already serving a starch and bread. However, grains can make great side dishes for Thanksgiving and also help soak up all of the extra sauce. Wild rice, for example, is a tasty companion for other Thanksgiving fare.

Enjoy these suggestions for Thanksgiving dinner side dishes!