SIDE DISH: In Holiday Recipes of 2022

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

In light of making the holidays less stressful, if you have a side dish idea, cooking and serving tip, or recipe, how about sharing it with us?

The goal is easy to prep, cook and serve, and cleanup! Make ahead is great.

CoffeeNut · ‎03-15-2010

I've always do a big batch of roasted veggies. 2 large sheet pans filled with cut up sweet potatoes, baby carrots, cauliflower, green beans, onions, mushrooms with a little bit of salt, pepper and olive oil. Easy and no stress.

Nonametoday · ‎03-09-2010

@CoffeeNut wrote:
I've always do a big batch of roasted veggies. 2 large sheet pans filled with cut up sweet potatoes, baby carrots, cauliflower, green beans, onions, mushrooms with a little bit of salt, pepper and olive oil. Easy and no stress.

@CoffeeNut

I have learned to make it that way and an easy way. Sweet potatoes cubed, Brussel sprouts halved, sprinkle with olive oil, bake, then remove and sprinkle with Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning and a little more olive oil, return for about 5 minutes. That is quicker and more easy and gives it a great flavor. By the way, @CoffeeNut, I used to do it the way you do, but I found it is so much chopping and washing and drying and so forth, that I take a short cut and do some mashed potatoes (instant but add a lot of half-and-half instead of water and some wonderful real butter). I do green beans with fried bacon and some more HV Ranch seasoning. Three dishes which makes it appear you had more and less trouble.

CoffeeNut · ‎03-15-2010

@Nonametoday I've never done Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning. Thanks for the tip and I'm going to try that.

deepwaterdotter · ‎03-09-2010

My SIL makes these mashed potatoes a couple days before she has a houseful of diners for Thanksgiving:

5 lbs Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2" pieces

1 tbsp kosher salt

8 oz cream cheese, cubed

1/2 cup butter, cubed

3/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp pepper

Topping(added just before baking):

1 cup panko crumbs

6 tbsp melted butter

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and return to pot.

Place cubed cream cheese and butter on top of potatoes and cover. Let soften and melt for a couple minutes. Mash in sour cream, milk, garlic powder, and pepper.

Spread potatoes in greased 9X13" baking dish. Tightly wrap in plastic or foil to store in refrigerator.

Toss panko and butter in dish, then store in Ziploc bag in refrigerator until ready to cook.

To bake: Remove foil or plastic and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Evenly sprinkle topping and bake until golden, 40-45 minutes.

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

@CoffeeNut wrote:
I've always do a big batch of roasted veggies. 2 large sheet pans filled with cut up sweet potatoes, baby carrots, cauliflower, green beans, onions, mushrooms with a little bit of salt, pepper and olive oil. Easy and no stress.

I did this last Thanksgiving and it was amazing. So easy to do and everyone loved it. Perfect way to do the vegetables. I also did a pan of roasted potato wedges.

GloriBee · ‎03-24-2010

@CoffeeNut wrote:
@Nonametoday I've never done Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning. Thanks for the tip and I'm going to try that.

@CoffeeNut we buy a container at BJ's and we use it in a lot of recipes. We never make a cheeseball without it! We like to add it to any potatto dish.

OOPS! I now realized @Sooner asked for make ahead recipes!

By the way, you asked for make-ahead recipes. At Christmas we make a make-ahead mashed potato dish. I am not home, so I cannot share the recipe. However, there are tons of them on Pinterest. The recipe I had was from an old Food & Family Magazine. It calls for cream cheese. However, as I always do, I doctor the recipe: we use a chive & onion cream cheese instead. We add sour cream, butter and shredded cheddar. You mix it all together and refrigerate. We make it the day before, take it out to get it a bit to room temp and bake it covered.

Found it! I think this is it: https://www.myfoodandfamily.com/recipe/062579/tracys-make-ahead-mashed-potatoes?categoryid=407. Basically, this recipe is a springboard mostly to get the idea of baking temp, how long to bake, etc., but I really do my own thing. I don't add onion powder or onions, but I do add freshly ground pepper, a bit of salt (be careful because the cheese has salt), dried Italian seasoning and a bit of garlic powder. Oh...and the cream cheese mentiioned above, sour cream and some shredded cheddar. By the way, I am not saying these are healthy, but I literally make these once a year at Christmas!

If you click on the link above, be sure to scroll down on the page. The make-ahead directions are on the bottom left.

We make these pretty much every year and they are good! I have a lot going on in the kitchen on Christmas and I don't want to be whipping mashed potatoes!

Gloria

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@CoffeeNut wrote:
I've always do a big batch of roasted veggies. 2 large sheet pans filled with cut up sweet potatoes, baby carrots, cauliflower, green beans, onions, mushrooms with a little bit of salt, pepper and olive oil. Easy and no stress.

@CoffeeNut Sounds perfect! Healthy, pretty and tasty.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@GloriBee Nope. Just make ahead or easy!!!!!! I'm thinking little or no prep, reheat, etc. NO bunch of dirty dishes, pots or pans generated the day of.

I remembered my favorite:

Blanch or steam some of those nice thin green beans (tips and tails off of course--no 911 wanted day of) until they are about the doneness you like. Drain, dry and put in a ziplock bag.

Day of: Toss some finely chopped shallots or onions and if you want some finely diced red bell pepper for color (can be prepped day ahead) with some BUTTER in a skilet until they are softened a little, throw in the green beans and heat until serving temp or even browned a little if you like them that way, add a squirt of LEMON JUICE and they are wonderful.

Hint: If you buy the fresh beans in a packet, keep them all lined up, and lined up through all steps and they are SO easy and pretty to serve and easy for people to take with small tongs!