Whew... things are busy over here, but I promised so here goes... :)Thankfully a neighbor plans to smoke our turkey all day Wednesday, so that takes a huge (like 20-lb.!) weight off my shoulders. Instead I can focus on the other goooood stuff... side dishes, baby!
Maybe one of these can help fill in a gap on your menu...
1. The kid-in-all-of-us friendly option... mac and cheese. A couple of years back when it was my side of the family's turn for Thanksgiving, I was determined to make a crock pot recipe that got rave reviews. I tried it for the first time on the day and, let's just say, noodle soup wasn't exactly my cup of cheese.
This time my wiser, older self (ha!) tried a new recipe ahead of time. The family loved it! Score... finally a homemade mac and cheese that's a keeper. Our only change was one cup of cottage cheese instead of two.
2. The more adult friendly option... pear and walnut salad. We try out all kinds of salads pretty frequently, but I taste tested this combo for my hubby's recent birthday. I had to use up a bunch of pears given to me, so that was my inspiration. Two for two... more rave reviews!
In a big bowl mix arugula and/or Romaine lettuce, sliced pears, and thinly sliced red onion. Toss with a raspberry dressing (our FAVE from the bottle variety is Trader Joes). Serve each bowl individually and top with walnuts and crumbled bleu or feta cheese.
3. The everybody crowd pleaser... sweet potato custard. A couple of years back I tried Rachael Ray's spin on the old sweet potato classic. The maple syrup on top helps this one to stick around. In fact, if you have that ingredient already, this is a pretty easy addition to any menu.
4. Whoa, almost forgot something... the BREAD! Courtesy of the Pioneer Woman this year. No kneading required, and I already had all the ingredients on hand... tested this recipe yesterday and it made so many I went ahead and froze them for the holiday. If they make it that long! :) Mine didn't turn out quite so pretty with the three cute sections, but still keepers.
Nothing too terribly complicated and all too delicious!
Come quickly, Thursday...
And happy, happy Thanksgiving from the three of us to you and yours!
Katrina
