‘Tis the season for feasting, where star-studded main courses share the spotlight with the unsung heroes of the table: delicious side dishes! This time of year, the kitchen becomes the most popular place in the house – where classic comfort foods and innovative renditions of traditional recipes converge to delight the taste buds. It’s easy to focus on the turkey or ham during the rush of holiday cooking, but don’t forget those all-important sides – they play a crucial role in elevating the dining experience! Sometimes, they steal the show altogether! Dish ’em up and dig in!
Corn Creme Brulée from Steak 48
This sweet and savory corn creme brulée from Steak 48 in Houston is a showstopper! It could easily pass as dessert! This recipe calls for a lotta’ cream, a lotta’ butter, and a lotta’ sugar. If you’re watching your waistline, skip it, but if you’re looking for a side dish that’s going to keep your guests talking long after they leave, this is the one for you!
Portobello Mushrooms Stuffed with Green Bean Casserole
This versatile dish can be used as a bite-sized appetizer for a crowd or as a unique side dish for your holiday spread. A twist on the traditional (and beloved) green bean casserole, this dish kicks up the cool factor with that yummy green bean casserole you know and love packed into little bite-sized portobello mushrooms. Green beans never tasted so good!
Savory Sweet Potato Spoon Bread from Cabernet Grill
This sweet potato spoon bread from Cabernet Grill in Fredericksburg is a tasty twist on a Thanksgiving staple – the sweet potato. The contrasting flavors and textures in this dish make it shine – sweet potatoes, bacon, aged white cheddar cheese, heavy cream, and more. That flavor layering really ups the wow factor of this side dish!
Hasselback Potato Gratin with Winter Herbs and Fontina
If you’re looking for a dish to steal the show, let us introduce you to this magnificent Hasselback potato gratin. It’s crispy, cheesy, and addictive. The trick to this masterpiece is to thinly slice the potatoes and then arrange them vertically in the baking dish. The result is a gratin with extra-crispy edges on top and creamy, cheesy potatoes below. The semi-soft cow’s milk cheese fontina is a great choice as it melts beautifully and has a buttery, nutty flavor with a bit of honeyed sweetness.
Macaroni and Cheese from Backstreet Cafe
Who doesn’t love mac and cheese? This classic side doesn’t make it to all holiday tables, but it sure is a popular seasonal favorite in the South (and hey! We’re in Texas, y’all)! This indulgent rendition of mac and cheese from Backstreet Cafe in Houston (of Chef Hugo Ortega fame) is a 1930s-era take on this American Classic. Hot tip: This recipe requires making a béchamel sauce. To keep the sauce from breaking, scald the milk before incorporating it into the roux.
Rich and Creamy Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
This is a Goodtaste original recipe and boy, is it good! Put your patience to the test by cooking the potatoes low and slow in milk, cream, and aromatics until the potatoes are super tender and have absorbed the flavor of the cooking liquid. When they’re cooked in water, potatoes lose a surprising amount of flavor. Cooking them in a slow cooker gives those potatoes a more intense flavor. Mash the potatoes right in the slow cooker or use a potato ricer for a smoother texture. We recommend Yukon gold potatoes for their rich, buttery taste.
Balsamic Bacon Brussels Sprouts from Dish Society
When Brussels sprouts are done right, they’re irresistible. Trust us when we say this Brussels sprout sensational side from Dish Society in Houston is done right! The bacon and sweet and tangy honey balsamic vinaigrette pair perfectly with the nutty earthiness of the Brussels sprouts. These crispy flavor-packed morsels might just steal the show!
Norma Jean’s Beans from The Original Black’s Barbecue
If you’re having Thanksgiving in the Lone Star State, you better have a little slice of Texas on the table. We couldn’t talk about sides without celebrating what might just be the most famous beans in Texas! The “Queen of Texas Barbecue” herself, Norma Jean Black, has never revealed the secrets behind her famous barbecue beans … until now, that is! This was the first side dish ever sold at The Original Black’s Barbecue and it’s been a mainstay on the menu ever since. The special technique Norma coined called “bumpin’ the beans” is what makes the recipe so rich!
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