Sides That Sit Well For Thanksgiving

About author / Amy Powell

World traveler; gourmet 30 minute meals; lover of exotic ingredients; winner on FoodTV's Chefs vs City; graduate French Culinary Institute. Her recipes will tantalize your taste buds.

I don't know about you, but one of the hardest parts of organizing Thanksgiving dinner is figuring out the timing. The bird is in the oven at 350 but you are supposed to be roasting Brussels sprouts at 425 at the same time. The bird is resting and you are ready to make the gravy, but you realize the burners are all full with mashed potatoes, simmering cranberry relish, blanching green beans, and toasting pecans.

There never seems to be enough space when it comes down to that final push. Every burner is occupied, the oven is at the right temperature for one dish but not another, even counter space is at a premium. There is not much one can do about the turkey, that takes precedence. But when planning for the side dishes that surround the bird, there are strategies one can take to cut down on the last minute kitchen traffic jam.

1. Make a few sides that can be served at room temperature.

2. Make it ahead days ahead then reheat in the slow cooker.

3. No-cook salads to stand in for traditional sides.

For the next three weeks I’ll focus on one of these strategies a time. The recipe ideas will cut down on the stress and ease up on the kitchen chaos, while still tasting totally festive.

Room Temperature Sides

In Italy, little side dishes of vegetables are called contorni. These can range widely from braised fennel to stewed sweet peppers. Although this definition covers about every kind of side dish, what is interesting about the Italian interpretation is that many times contorni are not served warm but more at room temperature, as an accompaniment to a main course of fish or meat, or as an appetizer in and of itself.

Taking an Italian perspective on temperature to some Thanksgiving appropriate vegetables, I have thought up a few ways to cook ahead and then chill overnight (or for several days). The day of, just bring these dishes out of the refrigerator a couple of hours before mealtime so they can come to room temperature.

Cranberry sauce is the perfect dish to get done, get out of the way, and serve cold. My mom cooks hers the day before. Cranberries and sugar simmer till the fruits bursts and sugar dissolves. She stirs in garlic and chopped jalapeno then into the fridge to firm up. This sweet and spicy salsa is lucky if it makes it to mealtime once she pulls it out of the refrigerator.

Green beans are another good one for the room temperature table, as long as they aren’t covered in a creamy sauce (so leave the mushroom soup in the cupboard). Blanched a day ahead, green beans can be tossed with a nutty vinaigrette, sprinkled with sliced almonds and sent right to the table.

Probably my favorite veggies to eat after they’ve been sitting are--anything roasted in olive oil. Root vegetables like carrots and rutabagas, fennel and endive, broccolini and cauliflower all transform into caramelized goodness when roasted with plenty of olive oil and some herbs. Pulled out to room temperature, they retain the sweetness of the oven while but with a bit more of a salad quality than if they were served piping hot.

The cauliflower has been particularly good this year in the Northeast. I’m thinking of ditching green beans entirely and going for a hearty side of roasted cauliflower with chickpeas. I’m sure I’ll pick at while it sits at the table and others may too. It is hearty enough for the vegetarians, and different enough from the usual fare to surprise my guests. Best of all, by making it a couple days ahead, my cauliflower will be resting easy, far away from the pile up at the stove.

Serves/Makes: 6

• 1 large head cauliflower
• 1 can (15 ounce size) chickpeas
• 1/2 cup mixed olives, pitted
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1 teaspoon chili flakes
• salt
• black pepper
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley