Side dish for Christmas dinner

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

I don't want to make the same old dish to take to our family's Christmas meal. I was asked to bring a vegetable.

I have an aversion to green bean casserole, I don't like the cream soup or mushy green beans. But, if 7-8 of the other guests would want or expect it to be served, I would make it. I really would like to try something new, a twist on an old favorite. I usually make Cope's baked corn, but since MIL "canned" corn over the summer I need another option.

On the menu-turkey, corn, potato filling & a salad w/apple, pear & cranberries...which rules out my making an apple pear crisp for dessert, doesn't it?

Would you like to try
zucchini bread pudding,
sweet potato "souffle",
ranch vegetables, or
green bean casserole?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

How about none of the above? Sorry. I vote stuffing.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

We have potato filling and oyster filling, not usually a stuffing. It's a PA Dutch thing.

 

[Christine]

Wow, I *hate* to say this but none of those appeal to me.

That menu seems to be lacking a simple veggie to me, like sauteed green beans or some glazed carrots or something.

 

[powellrj]

I voted for green beans but really any of them except the zucchini bread pudding would be fine.

 

[bballmom56]

Wow, I *hate* to say this but none of those appeal to me.

That menu seems to be lacking a simple veggie to me, like sauteed green beans or some glazed carrots or something.

I agree. You have enough starch in the meal with corn and potato filling (not sure what that is, but obviously has potatoes). I would go with simple buttered asparagus, broccoli or green beans.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Out of the choices I like sweet potatoes the best. For Thanksgiving I followed Tyler Florence's Ultimate Thanksgiving "Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Honey", which were covered with a crunchy layer or caramelized pecans.... sooooo good. Easy to re-heat

But if you are going for easy and yummy then Green Beans Almondine is a favorite of mine. Fresh green-beans boiled and drained then mixed with almonds lightly browned in butter, with the butter of course but this can't really be made too far ahead of time or the beans get mushy

 

[walden]

I voted green bean casserole, but I use a variation of this recipe: http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2006/11/worlds-best-green-bean-casserole.html

Fresh beans and mushrooms, very different from the Campbell's soup mushy stuff, and really delicious! The make-ahead cook from frozen version is very good too.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

We have potato filling and oyster filling, not usually a stuffing. It's a PA Dutch thing.

Oh ok. I wondered what the heck potato filling was.

I like the "ranch with veggies" but I would prefer them as a raw side and not cooked.

ETA...if you do cook them I would prefer that as the side. I like veggie medley's.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

A little clarification:

Potato filling is sauted onions and celery, and toasted bread cubes mixed into mashed potatoes and then baked in a casserole dish until golden on top.

Oyster filling is oysters, milk and oyster crackers that are combined and baked in a casserole dish.

Thanks for your opinions. I'm surprised that many of you didn't like the choices, but then maybe seeing a picture or looking at the recipe would change your mind.

I do have to keep in mind that one of our guests is now diabetic and I'm trying to be concious of his dietary needs, as well as my own reduced fat diet.

Perhaps a simple dish of glazed carrots or buttered green beans is the way to go.

 

[Christine]

A little clarification:

Potato filling is sauted onions and celery, and toasted bread cubes mixed into mashed potatoes and then baked in a casserole dish until golden on top.

Oyster filling is oysters, milk and oyster crackers that are combined and baked in a casserole dish.

Thanks for your opinions. I'm surprised that many of you didn't like the choices, but then maybe seeing a picture or looking at the recipe would change your mind.

I do have to keep in mind that one of our guests is now diabetic and I'm trying to be concious of his dietary needs, as well as my own reduced fat diet.

Perhaps a simple dish of glazed carrots or buttered green beans is the way to go.

Yeah, with the exception of the ranch veggies, it all sounds a little heavy to me. And, I don't know, something about cooked veggies with ranch dressing absolutely did not appeal to me but everyone is different. I just had a hard time finding one that stood out to me because it all sounds heavy and it all seems like stuff that just gets "spooned" in a lump on the plate. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just seemed like overkill.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Also if you are trying to go low fat and watching intake, I prefer the plain veggies with nothing added. A little butter is OK but ranch flavoring or cream soups is something that I do not care for in my cooked veggies.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

Yeah, with the exception of the ranch veggies, it all sounds a little heavy to me. And, I don't know, something about cooked veggies with ranch dressing absolutely did not appeal to me but everyone is different. I just had a hard time finding one that stood out to me because it all sounds heavy and it all seems like stuff that just gets "spooned" in a lump on the plate. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just seemed like overkill.

LOL. You are right, I thought the same thing about the spooning and lumping, no texture to the meal. Plus everything on the plate is beige. The salad will be the only thing with some color.

I don't know if it's weird to have both mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes. I like the suggestion of the fresh green beans. I'm probably going to bring a bowl of fruit as well - cateloupe, honeydew, grapes and strawberries since the salad will have apple and pear.

 

[Christine]

LOL. You are right, I thought the same thing about the spooning and lumping, no texture to the meal. Plus everything on the plate is beige. The salad will be the only thing with some color.

I don't know if it's weird to have both mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes. I like the suggestion of the fresh green beans. I'm probably going to bring a bowl of fruit as well - cateloupe, honeydew, grapes and strawberries since the salad will have apple and pear.

My mom thinks it's weird but it doesn't overly bother me.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

LOL. You are right, I thought the same thing about the spooning and lumping, no texture to the meal. Plus everything on the plate is beige. The salad will be the only thing with some color.

I don't know if it's weird to have both mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes. I like the suggestion of the fresh green beans. I'm probably going to bring a bowl of fruit as well - cateloupe, honeydew, grapes and strawberries since the salad will have apple and pear.

We always have mashed and sweet. Mainly because people prefer one over the other.

 

[Kat77]

I voted for the ranch veggies but I thought you meant a medley until I read through the thread. I would serve them plain and offer ranch dressing on the side.

 

[grafxgirl]

I can't stand green bean casserole either. How about doing a sauteed green bean?

This is one I found on the internet that I do here at the house, and it is very good. I do substitute them with a french style green bean once in awhile.


Hands on time: 10 minutes Total time: 10 minutes Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh or frozen haricot vert (French green beans), trimmed
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 shallot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt to taste
Freshly ground white pepper to taste

Instructions:
If you are using fresh haricot vert, cook in a pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes; shock in ice-cold water, drain and set aside. If using frozen, thaw and drain.
In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter until bubbling but not browned. Add the shallot and garlic, and saute until softened, about 30 seconds. Add the beans and toss a couple of times. Add the salt and pepper and continue to saute until all is hot throughout, approximately 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

 

[abdmom]

None of the choices appeal to me. I'd prefer some steamed veggies.

 

[tvguy]

What's with all the Green Bean Casserole haters?

This from a guy who never knew Green Bean Casserole was a holiday dish.

Our Thanksgiving/Christmas traditional dishes are garlic mashed potatoes and homemade cranberry sauce.

Oh well, all my suggestions seem to draw me to some sort of cream sauce and vegetable. Green beans with dill in a cream sauce. Dilled potatoes. Creamed onions.

 

[RUDisney]

Last night I went out to dinner and the side dish was sweet peas with bacon bits. (Real bacon chopped down to bits, not the ones from a jar or bag.) I have been dreaming about this since the meal finished. It was out of this world good.

The bacon would also nicely accompany the turkey.