New dishes can spruce up Thanksgiving

By Susan McClanahan

November is here and I simply cannot believe we are already talking about planning the Thanksgiving menu. It seems like we were just planning it not too long ago, and now here we are, an entire year later.

I thought today we would think about side dishes to go along with the turkey and dressing meal. Every family has its own traditional foods, but sometimes you might choose to incorporate one or two new sides. This may send everyone into a spin and they may wonder just what in the world you are up to, but it is fun to try new things and step out, just a little bit, from your traditional side dishes.

Cranberry Relish

This recipe is a family tradition. My dad always got out the grinder and attached it to the table to grind the cranberries for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I can vividly see Dad in my mind helping the little grandkids turn the handle and doing it just right.

He always ground the orange peel and some of the frozen cranberries on the smaller blade of the grinder, then changed to the larger blade for the rest of the berries, and it was just perfect. We still have the grinder and we continue this tradition every year.

Choose navel oranges with bright-colored peels that are clear of spots or blemishes. We don't recommend using a food processor, as most people over process the relish into mush with no texture.

• 2 bags fresh cranberries, frozen in the package
• 4 navel oranges
• 2 cups sugar, adjust to your liking
• 1 to 2 cups pecans, adjust to your liking

Using a paring knife, peel the top orange layer of the orange leaving the bitter white layer underneath. Reserve the peeling. Peel the white layer off and discard. Remove all bitter white membranes and center stripe. Divide the oranges into sections.

Sort through the frozen cranberries and discard any shriveled and damaged berries. You can easily and quickly do this as you add the berries into the grinder.

Using an old-fashioned meat grinder grind the berries and oranges and orange peel, alternating between ingredients. End with berries to make sure you've pushed all of the peel through the grinder. Stir in chopped pecans and sugar. Cover and refrigerate.

This is perfect eaten as-is, with turkey or chicken as a side dish. It can be added to sandwiches or into cranberry or cherry gelatin for a congealed salad. I love it so much I eat it from Thanksgiving through the Christmas season.

Cranberry Sauce

If you prefer your cranberries cooked into a sauce, this recipe is for you. Adjust the sugar and orange, as you can always add more if needed.

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 package (12 ounces) fresh cranberries
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• Kosher salt

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine sugar and water until sugar dissolves. Add cranberries and cook until they burst, about 10 minutes. Stir in orange zest and a pinch of salt.

Remove saucepan from heat and let cool completely, then transfer to a resealable container and refrigerate.

Holiday Sweet Potato Casserole

Topping:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon orange zest, or to taste
• 1/3 cup melted butter

Casserole:

• 2 large cans sweet potatoes, drained, or equivalent of fresh, cooked and drained
• 1 stick butter, room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Mash sweet potatoes and butter together, until no lumps remain and they are light in texture. Stir in rest of casserole ingredients. Place in a greased 9x13-inch or oval baker.

Combine all topping ingredients together to make a crumble texture. Spoon or sprinkle all topping over the casserole in the baking dish.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes until heated through and topping is crunchy.

Cranberry Orange Honey Butter

I made this a few years ago for our family Thanksgiving dinner and I was teased and I've never heard the end of it. It was delicious on the fresh homemade hot rolls coming out of the oven.

• 1 cup softened butter
• 1/3 cup finely chopped dried cranberries, or fresh ground
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Beat ingredients until blended well. Serve with fresh warm rolls.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Makes 24 servings.

Broccoli and Corn Casserole

• 1 box Chicken in a Biscuit Crackers, crushed
• 1/2 stick butter, melted
• Dash garlic powder
• 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 can cream style corn
• 1 can white shoe peg corn, drained
• 1 bag frozen broccoli florets, thawed and patted dry
• 1/2 pound Velveeta, cubed (you can now buy Velveeta shredded, which would work well)

Crush crackers in a plastic bag, then add the melted butter and garlic powder. Mix well. Set aside.

In a bowl add the 3 cans of corn to the thawed broccoli. Add one half of the cracker mixture and the Velveeta cubes and mix well. Pace in a greased casserole dish. Cover with remaining crackers. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, until bubbly and lightly browned on top.

Quinoa Salad With Roasted Squash, Dried Cranberries, and Pecans

This recipe is proof that quinoa salads are anything but boring: This recipe, loaded with sweet roasted squash, kale, and feta, is a total flavor bomb.

• 1 cup quinoa
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium Delicata squash, seeded and thinly sliced into half moons
• 1 bunch Tuscan kale, thinly sliced and stems removed
• 1/3 cup pecans, toasted
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and season with salt and pepper. Spread out on a sheet tray to cool completely.

Meanwhile, arrange squash on a baking sheet and roast until tender and golden, 15 minutes. Let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, toss together quinoa, squash, kale, pecans, and cranberries. In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Drizzle over salad and toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper, crumble feta on top, and serve.

Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower Gratin

• 4 cups fresh cauliflower florets
• 4 cups fresh Brussels sprouts, quartered
• 4 bacon strips, chopped
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups 2% milk
• 2/3 cup half-and-half cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup Panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan and Romano cheese blend

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place cauliflower florets and Brussels sprouts in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels with a slotted spoon; drain, reserving drippings. Saute onion and garlic in drippings until tender. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add the milk, cream, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cauliflower mixture and bacon. Transfer to a greased 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Cover and bake 15 minutes.

Combine bread crumbs and cheese blend. Uncover vegetables; sprinkle with bread crumb mixture. Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 8 servings.

Classic Green Bean Casserole

• 1 pound green beans, trimmed
• 6 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 onion, sliced into half moons
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups French's fried onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an ice bath. In a large pot of boiling water, add green beans and cook until bright green, about 6 minutes. With a skittle spoon or tongs, quickly transfer green beans to ice bath to cool, then drain and transfer to a large bowl.

In a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are golden, about 5 minutes more. Stir in garlic then transfer mixture to the bowl with the green beans.

Melt remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat then add green bean mixture and toss until even combined.

Pour into a buttered casserole dish. Bake until warmed through and bubbling around the edges, about 20 minutes. Top with fried onions and bake 5 minutes more. Serve warm.

Thanksgiving Roasted Vegetables

• 3/4 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scatter vegetables on a large sheet pan. Toss with enough olive oil to coat each piece, then toss with balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Scatter herbs around the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the vegetable are tender, shaking the pan halfway through.

Before serving, toss roasted vegetables with pecan and cranberries.

Sweet Potato Bites

This recipe would be especially nice for a small gathering of only a few people.

• 3 to 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• Kosher salt
• Marshmallows, for topping
• Toasted pecan halves, for topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray or grease a baking sheet.

Slice sweet potatoes into 1/4-inch coins. Toss with melted butter and maple syrup and place in an even layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle each coin with salt. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until tender, flipping the sweet potatoes halfway through. Remove baking sheet from oven and turn on the broiler.

Top each cooked sweet potato round with a marshmallow. Place under broiler and broil until the marshmallow is puffed and golden. Immediately remove from oven and top each marshmallow with a pecan half.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.