Thanksgiving is different for everyone this year. Tables will be smaller, spreads will be simpler, and many of us are struggling to find things to be “thankful” for this year. Amanda and I have elected to do a small Thanksgiving featuring some of our favorite sides and a turkey tenderloin we’ll be sharing with our roommate. Below are some of our holiday favorites. Some made the cut in our house and others didn’t, but they all feature prominently in our family histories and our hearts.
We’re starting off strong. This is Amanda’s favorite dish that I contribute to the holidays. When we were making our shortlist for this year she requested this with a speed I’ve rarely seen from my chill wife. The recipe linked above is a good start, but I like to add breadcrumbs on top and some table seasoning.
2. MASHED POTATOES. DUH
Of course my wife’s bougie ass needs these to be made with homemade chicken stock, but they’re pretty standard fare beyond that.
A family favorite of the Broyles clan is usually a staple at every single holiday meal. We’re skipping it this year because it makes a ton and we don’t have the fridge or stomach space, but it’s already on the tentative Christmas meal plan. Yes it may be a jello salad and if that weirds you out, totally understandable, but if you can get past the creepy 50s aspic nature of it, your tastebuds will thank you!
This was the roommate’s request. Best part is when shopping for the ingredients for this classic, they can be found basically on the same Wal-Mart shelf. It’s the little things in life that excite me, and that was one of them.
5. DRESSING
Another Broyles family stalwart is the dressing. Legend has it that this started with Martha’s (Amanda’s mom) mother’s oyster dressing that Martha quickly nixed the oysters from. What is left is a delightful blend of stale cornbread, sauteed trinity, chicken stock, and poultry seasoning “to smell.” The mark of a great (if perhaps a bit confusing the first few times you make it yourself) recipe is the need to achieve the correct “smell.”
6. Green Beans
There exists a cookbook, published sometime in the 90s, called Light Cooking for Two. Or Cooking Light for two. Or Light Cooking.
It doesn’t matter what it was called, point is, one of the best green bean recipes ever comes from that book. Neither of our families often had the ubiquitous green bean casserole with it’s mushroom soup, but Amanda’s holiday table always featured these fresh green beans with sauteed shallots and parmesan cheese. Best part, it doesn’t even have to be a holiday to whip these up!
That’s what’s going on with our tiny Thanksgiving, we can’t wait to see our social media feeds filled with everyone else’s tables!
Bredson Family 