Thanksgiving Sides Roundup

I saw a t-shirt the other day that said, “I’m just here for the sides” and I felt like it should be mine! Thanksgiving is all about the sides for me. I could honestly do without the turkey…shhhhhhhh don’t tell anyone, but it’s true. Give me allllllll the potatoes, rolls, stuffing, veggies, sweet potatoes, salads and gravy!! And the pie…always save room for a slice (or 5) of pie! But that’s a whole different post! So here’s a roundup of all our favorite Thanksgiving sides…

Potatoes

Let’s start with the potatoes. Are you a classic mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving person? Or do you like to mix it up? We have recipes for roasted potatoes, baked potatoes, and several cheesy potato casseroles. No matter which way you want to potato, we have you covered!

Mashed Potatoes

This is your classic, creamy mashed potato recipe that is buttery and totally irresistible! Topped with some turkey gravy and you’ve entered turkey day euphoria!

Steakhouse Smashed Potatoes

These masked potatoes have a little texture to them so we call them “smashed potatoes”. We leave the skins on and leave the potatoes a little more chunky.

Read more

Browned Butter Sage Honeynut Squash

If you have never tried honeynut squash, get your buns to the grocery store, buy a couple and then make this browned butter sage version!

Have you ever heard of honeynut squash? It’s a cross between buttercup and butternut squash, and it’s one of my absolute favorite squash varieties ever. You can easily sub butternut or buttercup or even sweet potatoes ps.

We started making this based off of a ravioli with brown butter sage we had in Florence Italy, and slowly it has evolved into a veggie dish instead of just pasta. We use lemon instead of white wine to brighten the heaviness of this root veggie.

Why You Will Love This Squash Recipe

My favorite part of the dish, well ok I’ve got a few, but first up is that it’s just in one skillet. No need to turn on an oven, though you could certainly roast them and then finish in a pan if need be. Honeynut squash is much more tender than butternut, so cooking it is much quicker and easier.

Number two is even more important, it’s all about the nuttiness of browned butter. Simple, aromatic, and rich without much work.

Finally, throw in a little sage, salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon if you have it and youR

Mouth-Watering Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Roasted sweet potatoes that are crispy and seasoned to perfection make the best side dish for any meal! We are sharing all the tips for making them the best.

Years ago I started to piece together different recipes for the most incredible roasted potatoes ever until I had what I thought was the best recipe ever. And then I saw a post all about adding baking soda to the water that you boil the potatoes in followed by a toss in an empty pan to make the edges all shaggy thus creating a crust on the potatoes and I’ve been sold ever since. Obviously I had no choice but to try the method on sweet potatoes (yams are fine) and my goodness, BEST DECISION EVER!!!

They are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, and I literally cannot stop putting them into my mouth.

Ingredients for Roasted Sweet Potatoes

You only need a few ingredients to make these crispy sweet potatoes and you’ll feel like you’re eating at a fine dining restaurant. Good grief, I’m totally craving them now! Here is what you will need:

• Kosher Salt – seasons the water for boiling which will add flavor to the sweet potatoes
• Baking Soda – boiling the potatoes in baking soda draws out the starch and allows the outside to get brown and crispy
• Sweet Potatoes – yams work fine too
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – gets infused with rosemary and garlic and is the key to getting that crispy exterior
• Rosemary (fresh) – you want fresh for sure to get the max flavor, can you fresh thyme instead if desired
• Garlic – infuses the oil with tons of flavor
• Black Pepper – fresh cracker preferred
• Parsley (fresh) – used for a topping after roasting, add a fresh pop

Southern Macaroni and Cheese [+ Video]

When we think of macaroni and cheese we always think of Grandma Carol’s ultimate comfort food, her cheesy Southern Macaroni and Cheese!

It’s so nice when we get to go back to the Carolinas to visit family; we wish we could go more often. There’s so much history there, and we love to see it all. As much as we love to visit all the places, we can’t wait to get together with family for some good old family food favorites and great chats. When we get together with Grandma Carol and Grandpa Lou, it is a sure bet that one of the dishes will be macaroni and cheese and that not one morsel will be left in the dish at the end of the meal.

We

Brown Butter Spaghetti Squash Recipe

Tonight was “see-what-you-can-make-for-dinner-with-whatever-is-in-the-fridge” and this brown butter spaghetti squash recipe was the result. It is seriously one of my absolute must-haves for fall! Buttery squash with a hint of nuttiness from the pine nuts and savory goodness from the squash, gosh it’s good!

You could easily substitute any veggies or meat that you like-or leave the meat out for a vegetarian meal.

When I was younger one of my friends decided to be a vegetarian. I was shocked! I grew up in a meat and potatoes home. My mother was from Idaho and my father from Oregon so we ate meat with every single dinner. That was the farm way. It was not however her way. I didn’t understand what a vegetarian was really other then you didn’t eat meat. That was enough to stop my inquiries as who could possibly eat dinner without meat? I don’t think it was a nutritious decision at all either.

As soon as she went vegetarian she also went overboard on the candy. No joke. She wouldn’t eat meat so she ate quite the plethora of candy instead. Whaaaaa? I think she missed the boat there a bit, but I’m quite certain she is back to meat eating. And even if she wasn’t, I’ve personally discovered that eating vegetarian for a few meals a week is actually quite awesome. Our bodies actually love the whole “meat sparingly” concept. Fancy that. 😉 We have several plant based and vegetarian recipes on the blog now, and they are some of my favorites!

Read more