Healthy and Delicious Last-minute Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner or a guest at someone else’s table, these healthy, delicious, and easy (very forgiving!  unlike that one relative!) side dishes will be on your table in 45 minutes or less, with under 5 minutes of prep time, too! The “mac” and cheese can be made days ahead of time and reheated, too.  These sides are good hot, at room temperature, or even the next day.

Cauliflower “Mac and Cheese”

Why I like it better than the “real thing”: barely any carbs = more pie later on…you might fight me on the “healthy” designation since the recipe calls for heavy cream, but I think it’s a win since you’re avoiding the simple starches of all that pasta.

Ingredients (for 6 side servings):

• 1 bag riced cauliflower
• 3/4 cup milk of your choice – I recommend whole milk, half and half, or even heavy cream, but you do you
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese
• 1/2 cup freshly shredded (or cubed) cheddar, jack, swiss, or other melty cheese, plus more for the top if you’d like
• black pepper, nutmeg (optional), and a squeeze of dijon mustard (optional) to season

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a medium sized baking dish (up to 9×9 square will work, but no bigger than that).  Empty the bag of cauliflower into the prepared dish.
2. Heat the milk and cream cheese in a saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally.  When the cream cheese has melted, lower the heat and add the shredded cheese and seasoning, whisking constantly for about 1 minute until the cheese has dissolved.  Remove from the heat.
3. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower, scraping the pan clean with a silicone spatula.  Use the same spatula to fold the cheese sauce into the cauliflower, mixing as evenly as possible.  Top with remaining cheese if desired.
4. Bake for at least 20 minutes; if it will be in the oven more than 40 minutes, be sure to cover the top with foil to avoid over-browning.  If you made it ahead and need to reheat, cover with foil before heating.

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Two Ways

Vegetables ready to go straight from the bag = life savers on heavy prep days like Thanksgiving.  I get my shaved brussels sprouts from Trader Joe’s, but I’ve seen them in nearly every grocery store.  Both options are flavorful disguises for any cooked greens, so substitute kale, chard, or your green of choice if you prefer.

Ingredients (for 4-6 side servings):

• 1 bag shaved brussels sprouts
• 1-2 tablespoons of butter or your favorite mid-heat oil
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream, 2-3 slices cooked and crumbled bacon, and a pinch of grated Parmesan OR
  1 small apple, diced, 1/2 cup chopped onion, and salt to taste OR(or, if you want to make both, just make sure to cook the apple ones first – then you don’t even have to wash the pan before moving on to the second bag of sprouts!)

Method:

1. Heat the butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. For the apple variation, add the onions and allow to soften until transparent.  Add the sprouts and the apples and cook, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts have softened.  Remove from heat and season with salt to taste.
3. For the bacon variation, add the sprouts and cook, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts have softened.  Turn up the heat to at least medium-high and add the cream, bacon, and cheese, stirring constantly until the sauce has thickened (this happens fast! less than two minutes). Remove from heat.

Baked Squash Rings with Pomegranate Seeds

Add a little sparkle to your table with this pomegranate seed garnish.  If you are short on time, just buy the pomegranate seeds (arils, technically) already separated!  This method would work for any squash, but I like delicata because it forms nice, even rings and, even though I am not a fan of the skin, the skin is technically edible, so you’re totally safe to leave it on.

Ingredients (for 4-6 side servings):

• About 3″ of delicata squash per person (they come anywhere from 4′ to 12″ long, so you will have to eyeball)
• A pinch each of cinnamon, salt, and ginger OR sage, thyme, and oregano (or make a tray of both!)
• 1/4 cup pomegranate arils (or 1 pomegranate)

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone liner, or lightly oil a baking dish.
2. Wash your squash well and slice into rings of even thickness (I recommend about 1/2″ thick rings – they will cook in about 20 minutes).  Lay the rings evenly on your prepared pan or sheet, without any overlap.  Sprinkle with your choice of seasoning and bake for 20 minutes or until soft.
3. Did you notice I didn’t say anything about the seeds?! Leave them in there for now (if there are any)!
4. While the squash is baking, seed your pomegranate (if you don’t know this underwater method, it’s great for leaving minimal cleanup duty).
5. When the squash is soft and just starting to brown at the edges, remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.  Before you transfer each ring to the serving dish, use the tip of a spoon to draw a circle around the inside of the ring (or a round cookie cutter) and leave the seeds behind on the cooking tray.  Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and serve.