Thanksgiving. When you hear the word, the first thought that comes to mind, after being thankful and helping others out, is food. Good food.
But among the many traditions of Thanksgiving is the wonderful meal shared with loved ones.
In preparation for Thanksgiving, here at Yard Couch we are looking at the best options for each category. We will be rolling out reviews for popular dishes served on the holiday.
This review will be focused on sides, also known as the best part. Appetizers don’t fill you up completely, by dessert you have no room left in your stomach for food, and does anyone really like turkey enough that it should be the main dish? Sides save the day, and there’s plenty of options for what to serve.
The Essentials
These are the must-haves. Unless you’re celebrating Thanksgiving like Charlie Brown, these are staples at most people’s tables.
I have cranberry sauce once a year, never more than that. I am not sure the back story of how it got tied in with Thanksgiving, but some traditions never change. Since it’s not the greatest side, you can buy a can already prepared and save on some of the work.
I’m not sure if stuffing truly classifies as a side since it’s prepared with the turkey. But we are going to treat it as a side. There are many different options of what you can include in your stuffing, try out something new and see how it tastes.
In general, potatoes are great. There are so many ways they can be prepared. For Thanksgiving, the best option is to make mashed potatoes. The choice is ultimately yours, but I’ve never seen anyone say no to mashed potatoes. Don’t forget to add extra butter.
And lastly, don’t forget rolls. People love their carbs. Throw them in the oven for a few minutes to get them warm and serve with butter for the ultimate experience.
Broccoli Casserole
Some people make green bean casserole, some people make mac and cheese. I prefer broccoli casserole over them all. With that said, I don’t see the need for more than one of the three options. It is too much of a cheese overload. But maybe some people are into that sort of thing. If you do end up making a broccoli casserole, you can now serve plain old green beans as a side as well, and vice versa if you make a green bean casserole and want to serve plain broccoli as a side.
Other Options
Carrots are a healthy side. But by carrots, I do not mean pulling out a bag of cold carrots from your fridge and throwing them on the table as so. For Thanksgiving dinner, if you are serving carrots they need to be cooked and prepped.
For some reason, corn is always associated with Thanksgiving. It’s not that corn is bad; I just don’t believe it is good enough to be a staple at so many houses year after year. The benefit is you can buy frozen corn and cook it quickly and simply.
Yams are controversial because of their resemblance to potatoes. They are a healthier option, and like potatoes, can be prepared in many ways. I’d consider them a 50/50 toss-up for if they should be served.