What Is Your Favorite Thanksgiving Vegetable?

It is tradition for me to make my Apple Bacon Green Beans. Super easy, always delicious and a big favorite.

Butternut squash steamed, mashed ... Add butter, brown sugar, salt, and pepper and bake til slightly browned on top. Yummy!! I don't get it for Thanksgiving anymore though, because we go to my BIL's every year and I'm not allowed to bring anything. Well, occasionally, I'm permitted to bring a pie or two.

Green bean casserole when it's made the right way!

Fresh green beans, steamed, tossed with almonds and butter.
Simple, classic and YUMMY!

Brussels sprouts tossed with duck fat and roasted in the oven.

Well, next to sweet potato casserole, broccoli casserole is my FAVORITE!!! Even my hubby eats it and he HATES broccoli!

2 packages of frozen broccoli spears (not chopped)
1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 c Mayo
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 c Cheez-Its

*Cook Broccoli- put in glass dish
*Mix all other ingredients (except cheez-its); pour over broccoli
*Crush Cheez-Its and spread on top

Bake 350/25 minutes

Martha Stewart's website, has MANY good and easy, holiday recipes and side dishes.
That is where I get mine, and bring to our relative's house and it is always a big hit.
Brussel Sprouts is one dish I made that was a big hit even with my kids.
And easy too.
And another one was glazed pearl onions.
Super easy and good.

Mashed turnip (rutabaga) is my favourite, and a must have with turkey.

Butternut squash!
We like it mashed with butter, nutmeg, salt and just a little brown sugar.
It's not as heavy as potatoes/sweet potatoes.

Sauteed Green beans with toasted pecans.

Broccoli rice Casserole

Steamed peas with just pearl onions and a bit of butter..

brussel sprouts blanched, then pan fried with bacon drippings, tossed with pralines, carmelized onions and a bit of salt & pepper.

unstuffed mushrooms- mushroom caps, seasoned bread crumbs, egg, milk, parmesan cheese parsley salt and pepper all mixed together in a pyrex and baked until the mushrooms are cooked and the top is browned.

enjoy,
F. B.

Fresh green beans, parboiled for about 3 minutes. Then sauteed in a bit of OO, garlic, squeeze of lemon, white pepper and salt. Yummy!

Roasted root veggies!
Cut whatever veg you like into 1" dice. I do carrots, beets (a couple colors), butternut squash, turnips, a couple sweet potatoes or whatever else sounds good. Toss with grapeseed or olive oil, salt and pepper. You can add fresh rosemary if you like it. Roast in one layer. Can be cooked ahead and reheated. I cook the fresh beets separately first. They will stain your hands, cutting board, but it's so worth it!

Roasted veggies:
You cut these veggies (red potatoes, onions, carrots) into big chunks, toss w/olive oil, salt & pepper. Spread out on sheet pan. Roast at 400 degrees for 45-60 min. Check them for done-ness. You should be able to pierce them w/the tip of a steak knife.

Dressing. Not stuffing. It's a soul food version.

Baked acorn/buttercup/carnival squash halves stuffed with a wild rice mixture. It may look like a lot of work, but it isn't.

Split 4 to 6 winter squashes in half lengthwise and bake them (upside down on a cookie tray) in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes, until a fork goes easily into the flesh.

For the stuffing, I use a mixture of long-grain brown rice, wild rice, sunflower seeds, onions, garlic, sage, some thyme, and salt. A cup of wild rice and 2 cups of brown rice should make plenty of stuffing--extra is good!. Put the cooking water (ratio of 3 cups water per 1 cup wild rice, 1 1/2 cups water per 1 cup brown rice) on to boil while sauteing the seasonings. 1-2 chopped onions and garlic--crushed 2-3 cloves) are sauteed first in 2 TBSP oil, and then I add the sunflower seeds. After they have softened a bit, I add the sage and thyme (adjust to taste) to cook together a bit. Then I add the rices (rinsed beforehand!), saute a little, and then pour in the hot water. Salt to your preference (1/2-1 tsp per cup grain), bring to a boil, and let simmer for 45-60 minutes or so, until the grains are cooked.

Turn over the squash and stuff the cavities, warm them up together in the oven for 10-20 minutes, cut each half into four pieces each, and serve.

creamed corn...lots of recipes that are extremely easy online. Use frozen corn.

Roasted asparagus, creamed spinach, and green bean casserole are my three faves! Lots of recipes online. Now I'm hungry!!

We made a brussels sprout gratin one year and it was quite tasty. I don't even like brussels sprouts! I think it was a Bon Appetite recipe, so you could probably google it.

Butternut Squash, a cheesy version with diced onions.

Roasted Spiced Carrots! Contains all kinds of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ceyenne pepper, cumin, black pepper, ginger, etc. that is then topped off with a drizzle of honey and lemon juice. So easy to throw it all into a large roasting dish to be able to feed a lot of people. Look up the recipe on Whole Foods.com. This has been a hit for years at our Thanksgiving.

Brussels sprouts. Steam them then roast with olive oil lemon and salt. My picky daughter even loves this.