Thanksgiving Dinner: Side Dishes

Tomorrow (I guess techinically today as it's 1 am) I cook my first ever Thanksgiving dinner.

I'm so ready. I'm approaching this like it's the most important thing I'll do this year.

I've figured out how I'm flavouring the turkey and the necessary items have been purchased.

Desert is decided.

The side dishes required a lot of thought and I wasn't sure I'd be able to narrow it down.

Traditionally, my mom makes mashed potatoes, turnips, stuffing, and peas.

All of which I load greedily onto my plate and drown in gracy.

 

I have this need to impress my parents so I wanted to make some sides that were variations on the classics.

 

These are the choices I narrowed it down to.

Only 2 of the 3 made the cut for tomorrow. The other side is going to be steamed asparagus, because there really should be some kind of green vegetable on that table.

 

 

1. Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing

 

*I looked everywhere in the grocery store today and could not for the life of me find cornmeal. So I'm substituting in sourdough bread. Fingers crossed it works as well!

2. Carrot Spoon Bread

 

*This was the poor recipe that didn't make the cut. I didn't want to load everyone up on stuffing AND spoon bread, on top of all of the potatoes.

3. Turnip and Sweet Potato Gratin

 

*Turnips with a twist.

Trying to locate a turnip led to a discussion about the difference (if any) between turnips and rutabagas. Result of a google search: rutabagas are a cross between turnip and cabbage.

I bought a rutabaga. Here's hoping it doesn't taste wildly different than a turnip.

 

 

Fingers crossed I don't ruin any part of dinner tomorrow.

We've got a ton of wines to pair with things including a desert wine from Stoney Ridge that I've been dying to open.

 

Pictures to follow!

I bought a new camera so that I could take pics of my food again.