Unconventional Thanksgiving side dishes

Cafe Society
1

I think we all have a good idea of what the “standard” Thanksgiving dinner includes - turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, rolls, and pumpkin pie.

When I started cooking Thanksgiving dinners myself a few years ago, I decided I wanted to mix it up a little. I’ve experimented with a few unconventional side dishes over the years.

I made bread pudding one year. It worked out pretty well and i’ve made it every year since.

I tried French onion soup once. It was tasty, but it didn’t gel well with the rest of the meal.

I tried creamed onions once, but it was too bland.

What side dish do you serve up with Thanksgiving dinner that’s decidedly not part of the traditional ouevre? What have you tried that hasn’t worked out so well?

2

My brother-in-law insists on having macaroni and cheese with Thanksgiving dinner. The Kraft boxed stuff. A little different, but it makes him happy so we go with it.

I’ve made what we call “sausage stars”, and they go pretty well. Brown up some sausage, break up into tiny chunks, mix with shredded cheese and ranch dressing. Put a wonton wrapper in the bottom of each well of a mini-muffin pan. Add a scoop of the sausage filling and bake until the wrappers are crispy. I’d find the official recipe but I’m at work.

3

We have to have wild rice/broccoli casserole. AND green bean casserole.

4

I think my mom’s frozen cranberry loaf is pretty unconventional (well, maybe not so much in the South). It’s basically a bag of frozen cranberries, coolwhip, canned pineapple, marshmallows…frozen in a loaf pan and cut into slices (there’s gotta be some sugar in there, I guess, don’t have the actual recipe). It is a beautiful pale pink and I just love it. I think I’m the only one in the family that loves it, but mom always makes it!

5

Your first one is unconventional (but sounds nice). This one, though, is fairly canonical. Durkee onion crisps and all, I hope?

6

Black Beans and Rice and Cuban Pork are staples at our house. I could do without mashed potatoes, but others like them, so we have those too.

Also, Natilla. A custard dessert.

7

I made a sweet potato pie a few years back that is now expected by my gf’s family. Then, last year I made a coleslaw recipe that has minced chile peppers in it. It has some kick. My gf suggested we not take it, but I did and now it is expected.

8

Broccoli with cheese, either Birds Eye with both in the same bag or cooked broccoli topped with with Campbell’s condensed broccoli cheese soup.

9

Banana pudding with vanilla wafers and marshmellows in it always graced my family’s T-day feast. Don’t ask me why.

10

My family has always had mashed turnips. I like them, but the degree of success seems to depend somewhat on the particular turnips used.

11

Brussels sprouts cooked with bacon. If I don’t serve it at a family holiday meal, I am in big trouble.

12

I was working at Disney World during Thanksgiving of 2009. I got together with a bunch of my friends and everyone just cooked whatever they felt like making. I made ravioli with red sauce. :smiley:

13

Nothing says Thanksgiving like fried oysters.

14

Squash soup. It might be pretty common is some families, I’m not sure. I just know I love it.

15

We have meat pies every year but that’s actually a traditional French Canadian holiday dish.

16

Mostaciolli
Sauteed Mushrooms

17

We have garlic cheese grits fairly often, but while it’s not unusual, it’s off the meat-potatoes-stuffing-green bean-cranberry list.

I would just like to say homemade cranberry sauce is the best thing in the world, ever. Everyone should make it.

18

We don’t like traditional gooey sweet potatoes with the marshmallows or syrup, but wanted to find a way to include them in our first Thanksgiving on our own. I ended up using a recipe online for spicy roasted sweet potatoes, it was a huge hit. Peeled, cubed sweet potatoes, tossed in olive oil, and seasonings like cinnamon, garlic, cayenne and S&P, roasted in the oven until the outside edges were all carmelized. The sweet/hot combination was excellent.

19

That sounds great, Queen Tonya. I toss cubed sweet potatoes in a mix of chili powder and cayenne, and you are right: just shy of burned makes the best batch. Sweet potatoes carmelize beautifully.

Have any of you cruised foodgawker? This link shows the most favorited dishes,but the search term “Thanksgiving” brings up a crazy mix of seasonal sides that all look yummy. (This site should come with a warning. If you aren’t hungry, you will be after five minutes of surfing through it. foodgawker is guaranteed to sabotage any diet.)

20

Cabbage rolls and perogies.

Then again, I’m Ukrainian, so really those are just present at every holiday.