Try it yourself: How to make 3 alternative Thanksgiving side dishes

Published 6:39 pm Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Every year, hundreds of Thanksgiving dinners are populated by the same dishes. 

Sure, you can stick with the usual Thanksgiving dishes, but why not try something different? Why not change things up?

Abstract questions aside, here are three recipes that Oxford foodies and chefs have at their Thanksgiving dinners, which are different than the usual potatoes, casseroles or box stuffings we consume every year.

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Try them out:

Vish’s roasted brussel sprouts, with a twist

2 cups pecans, chopped and toasted with salt and pepper

3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 shallots, minced

8 cups of tender brussel sprouts, eighthed

½ cup bacon, chopped

2 lemons

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Render the bacon down in a pan, and when the fat renders out add the garlic and shallot and sautée.
  2. In a separate pan, toast the pecans in a dry pan over a medium heat with salt and pepper for about 5-7 minutes. Remove when thoroughly toasted.
  3. Into the bacon, garlic and shallots, add the sprouts. Cover the pan, and reduce to a low heat to let the sprouts steam for about 15 minutes.
  4. After about 15 minutes, or when the sprouts are tender, remove the lid and grate the zest of the lemons on the sprouts, as well as the juice.
  5. Cover the pan again, and cook the lemon juice out for no longer than 5 minutes.

Elizabeth’s Cornbread Dressing

4 cups coarsely crumbled biscuits

4 cups coarsely crumbled cornbread

1 cup chopped celery

½ cup chopped yellow onion

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh/dried sage

2 cups chicken/turkey broth, warmed

½ cup salted butter, melted

1 cup whole milk

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together the biscuits, cornbread, celery, onion, salt, pepper and sage in a large bowl.
  2. Add the hot broth to the mixture, and stir well. Stir in butter and milk. Pour into a greased 13- by 9-inch baking dish.
  3. Bake in preheated oven until the top is well browned, and the dressing is set. This should take about 45 minutes.

Corbin Evans’ Heavenly Hash:

3 ounces of cream cheese

½ cup of Miracle Whip

½ cup of whipped cream

½ cup of peeled grapes

½ cup red maraschino cherries, diced

1 cup of cup of crushed pineapples, drained

1 ½ cup of marshmallows

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Blend the cream cheese and Miracle Whip.
  2. Fold in the whipped cream to the cheese and Miracle Whip mixture.
  3. Add the grapes, marshmallows, pineapple and cherries to the mixture, and fold those in.
  4. Chill and serve.