My Go-To Thanksgiving Side Dishes
It’s almost Thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays! I love everything about this holiday, I love the food, I love having the family around, I love the smells and colors, I love making my notorious tablescapes for both the dining room table and the kids table! I have my pine cones out, my chocolate turkeys bought, and my groceries in the fridge. I do my tables when I find a moment a couple of days ahead of time so that I’m not rushing around on the holiday like a turkey with my head cut off! The day before, I set out all of my recipes, the ingredients, and whatever I am going to be using to cook and serve. That way, it is all ready and waiting for me tomorrow – my plan is to be super organized, so that I can enjoy friends and family and not be stressed out!
I must say, while I love turkey, my favorite part of the meal is the side dishes. Stuffing, my favorite Cranberry-Strawberry-Pineapple relish with crushed walnuts, baked sweet potatoes, and two staples that are ALWAYS on our table: corn pudding, and my Baked Broccoli Puff.
Here are a few of my recipes; I guarantee that they are super easy and definite crowd-pleasers:
Corn Pudding
(for Thanksgiving I double or triple these amounts)
1 can creamed corn
1 can kernel corn (drained)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 stick butter (melted)
2 beaten eggs
1 pkg. Jiffy corn mix
Mix both cans corn, 1 package corn muffin mix , 1/2 cup sour cream, and melted butter.
Add beaten eggs. Mix thoroughly using wooden spoon.
Grease bottom of 8 x 8 pan. Pour in pan or glass dish (Pyrex).
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when placed in center of pudding.
Broccoli Puff
2 (10 oz.) pkg frozen broccoli cuts
1 can mushroom soup
1/2 cup sharp cheese, grated
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Cook broccoli; drain.
Place in a 10 x 6 x 1-1/2" baking dish.
Stir together soup and cheese. Gradually add milk, mayonnaise and egg to soup mixture, stirring till well blended.
Pour over broccoli.
Combine bread crumbs and melted butter; sprinkle over soup mixture.
Bake 350° F. 45 minutes until crumbs are lightly browned.
What are you making this Thanksgiving? I always love new recipes and it’s not too late to run to the store and add to my menu!
Enjoy your family and friends this holiday!
Joan Lunden truly exemplifies today’s modern working woman. An award-winning journalist, bestselling author, motivational speaker, successful entrepreneur, one of America’s most recognized and trusted television personalities, this mom of seven continues to do it all. As host of Good Morning America for nearly two decades, Lunden brought insight to top issues for millions of Americans each day. The longest running host ever on early morning television, Lunden reported from 26 countries, covered 4 presidents and 5 Olympics and kept Americans up to date on how to care for their homes, their families and themselves.