30 Days of Splendid Sides

November 01, 2011
Photo: Charles Masters
Find the perfect accompaniment to turkey or a seasonal side for your weeknight meal.
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Truffled Pommes Anna

Photo: Charles Masters
View Recipe: Truffled Pommes Anna

Cooks doing something more elegant (say, with the turkey roulade) can put out white truffle-scented pommes Anna and sit back for the oohs and aahs. A small amount of truffle oil infuses the whole dish with loads of earthy essence. If you don't have truffle oil, you can use olive oil for a more subtle flavor.

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Balsamic-Glazed Green Beans and Pearl Onions

Photo: Charles Masters
View Recipe: Balsamic-Glazed Green Beans and Pearl Onions

Tangy and delicious: these green beans are simple, yet elegant.

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Rosemary Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Shallots

Photo: Jonny Valiant
You don't need butter and cream to make wonderfully creamy mashed sweet potatoes. Heart-healthy olive oil adds flavor and silkiness without saturated fat.

View Recipe: Rosemary Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Shallots Recipes  

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Carrot Soufflé

Photo: Randy Mayor
Because this dish contains no beaten egg whites, it is not a true soufflé. The name, Carrot Soufflé, is derived from its light airy texture. Similar in color and flavor to sweet potato casserole, it pairs well with ham or turkey.

View Recipe: Carrot Soufflé

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Baked Apples

View Recipe: Baked Apples

Served as an accompaniment to pork or poultry, these baked apples are a sure way to take advantage of the season’s bounty while adding flair to your meal. Leftovers?  These apples can be served over oatmeal or slices of breakfast bread the next morning.

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Herbed Couscous Pilaf

Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Herbed Couscous Pilaf

Chopped shallots and fresh thyme and parsley come together with quick-cooking couscous for a versatile, no-fuss side dish.

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Green Bean Casserole with Madeira Mushrooms

Photo: Charles Masters
View Recipe: Green Bean Casserole with Madeira Mushrooms

Here's a deliciously updated version of the classic, with fresh green beans and wine-infused mushrooms. We just had to keep the fried onion topping, which is arguably the best part.

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Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Feta Vinaigrette

Photo: Lee Harrelson
View Recipe: Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Feta Vinaigrette

Orzo pasta is a versatile base for dishes, and this one is chock-full of zesty ingredients. Red onions add crunch and the combination of artichoke hearts, feta cheese, and kalamata olives all add fresh brininess to the salad.

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Steamed Carrots with Garlic-Ginger Butter

View Recipe: Steamed Carrots with Garlic-Ginger Butter

Steaming vegetables helps to retain all of the healthful water-soluble vitamins, and these carrots are no exception. The addition of the garlic-ginger butter gives an exotic flair to an otherwise classic dish.

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Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole

Sprinkle a buttery, brown sugar and pecan mixture over the top of the creamy potatoes in this casserole side dish that's sweet enough to be dessert.

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Spicy Sautéed Broccoli Rabe with Garlic

Photo: Charles Masters
View Recipe: Spicy Sautéed Broccoli Rabe with Garlic

Bring some bold Italian flavor to your holiday table with this speedy stovetop side. The recipe, which serves six, doubles easily if serving a larger crowd.

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Haricots Verts with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Photo: Ellen Silverman
View Recipe: Haricots Verts with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Haricots verts are tiny, fresh French green beans. If you can’t find them, substitute regular fresh beans, which you’ll need to cook a few minutes longer. You can also use white wine vinegar instead of Champagne, if necessary.

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Buttermilk-Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Photo: Ellen Silverman
View Recipe: Buttermilk-Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Be sure to purchase a crumbly wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano for this super quick potato side dish. The salty flavor will give just the right bite to these melt-in-your-mouth mashed potatoes.

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Roasted Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes

Photo: Charles Masters
View Recipe: Roasted Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes

These potatoes are perfect for a holiday meal: quick and convenient, but still plenty dressy. They cook in about the same time it takes for a large roast to rest before carving. Bake the potatoes in their jackets so the outsides get nice and browned while the buttery interiors gently cook through.

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Winter Jeweled Fruit Salad

Photo: Jonny Valiant
In Mexico, copas de frutas (fruit cups) are popular street food. They typically consist of fresh fruit sprinkled with lime juice and chili powder and are the inspiration for this jewel-colored fruit salad.

View Recipe: Winter Jeweled Fruit Salad

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Sausage and Sourdough Bread Stuffing

Photo: Jonny Valiant
View Recipe: Sausage Sourdough Bread Stuffing

Lots of tastes and textures to sample as you travel around your plate—that's our idea behind having lots of sides. Start the journey with this rustic stuffing.

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Garlic Fries

Photo: Randy Mayor
Rated 5-stars by readers and named an all-time favorite by our staff, these oven-baked fries are so good (and easy!) that you'll never go back to deep-fried fries. Fresh parsley, minced garlic, and Parmesan cheese add a burst of flavor that's a surefire pleaser for kids and crowds alike.

View Recipe: Garlic Fries

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Italian-Style Escarole

Photo: Ellen Silverman
View Recipe: Italian-Style Escarole

Peppery mustard greens and slightly bitter escarole combine with raisins and pungent garlic for a tasty green veggie side. If you can’t find mustard greens or escarole, you can make this dish with fresh spinach.

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Corn Bread, Chorizo, and Jalapeño Dressing

Photo: Charles Masters
View Recipe: Corn Bread, Chorizo, and Jalapeño Dressing

On the corn bread side, our version veers away from Dixie toward the Southwest, with chorizo sausage and a little kick from a jalapeño pepper.

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Sherried Green Beans and Mushrooms

Photo: Randy Mayor
Add color and crunch to your meal. Associate Food Editor Julianna Grimes created this recipe: "Everybody expects to see green beans at the holiday table, but I wanted to add some unexpected flourishes."

View Recipe: Sherried Green Beans and Mushrooms

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Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Photo: Jonny Valiant
Braise the Brussels sprouts and toast the bread-crumbs up to a day ahead. Before serving, add cooked, crumbled bacon to the toasted breadcrumb mixture, and then sprinkle the mixture over the sprouts. Broil 3 minutes or until golden and thoroughly heated.

View Recipe: Brussels Sprouts Gratin

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Swiss Chard with Crème Fraîche

Photo: Charles Masters
View Recipe: Swiss Chard with Crème Fraîche

If your audience favors a creamier approach, serve Swiss chard enriched with crème fraîche—a dish that's ready in about 15 minutes.

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Fennel, Sausage, and Caramelized Apple Stuffing

Photo: Charles Masters
View Recipe: Fennel, Sausage, and Caramelized Apple Stuffing

Go traditional with a twist: Sourdough bread, sausage, and apple is a classic combo, but our bread stuffing also has licorice notes from fresh fennel.

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Smoked Gouda Macaroni and Cheese

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Smoked Gouda Macaroni and Cheese

This classic macaroni and cheese recipe has been updated for heightened flavor with the addition of Gouda and Parmesan cheeses and fresh spinach.

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Fresh Vegetable Barley

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
This budget-friendly side dish full of fresh flavors is a great option after a heavy Thanksgiving meal. Look for barley in bulk bins at natural food markets.

View Recipe: Fresh Vegetable Barley

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Honey-Roasted Root Vegetables

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
Honey amplifies the natural sugars of the caramelized vegetables in this dish. If you can't find tupelo honey, substitute another medium-color, floral variety, such as dandelion, loosestrife, or orange blossom.

View Recipe: Honey-Roasted Root Vegetables

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Butternut Squash Gratin with Blue Cheese and Sage

Photo: Randy Mayor
Besides being a great side to simple roast chicken or beef tenderloin, seasonal squash provides more than a day's worth of vitamin A and about half the daily recommended vitamin C.

View Recipe: Butternut Squash Gratin with Blue Cheese and Sage

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Twice-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle

Photo: Charles Masters
View Recipe: Twice-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle

Twice-baked sweet potatoes get mixed with a spicy-smoky chipotle butter that balances the sugar. Look for similar-sized sweet potatoes so they'll cook at an even rate. To make ahead, stuff the potato halves, cover, and refrigerate up to one day. Set out at room temperature as the oven preheats to take the chill off.

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Orange and Red Onion Salad with Red Pepper

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Orange and Red Onion Salad with Red Pepper

The sweetness and tartness of citrus provides a nice respite from the earthy and hearty flavors of most other winter produce. This simple dish dresses raw orange and red onion with just olive oil for a nice, light flavor whose acidity and pungency make an excellent counterpoint to cold-weather dishes made from fattier cuts of meat, such as beef stew.

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Mashed Potato Casserole

Photo: Charles Masters
View Recipe: Mashed Potato Casserole

The combination of buttery Yukon gold and fluffy baking potatoes offers richness and a nice contrast both in flavor and texture. We recommend using a food mill to ensure the potatoes are evenly mashed and, just as important, not overworked, so they won't get gluey. If you don't have a food mill, cream the potatoes and cooking liquid with a potato masher.

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