With Thanksgiving barely a week away, it's time to finalize your menu. If you're one of those people who likes to infuse some new flavors to the traditional dishes on Thanksgiving, I've put together some of my "kicked-up" favorite side dishes, beginning with this Roasted Parsnip Stuffing. This is a delicious, savory (but slightly sweet) dish that is perfect to serve at Thanksgiving, especially if you have vegetarians at your table. Plus, you can put it all together the night before and pop it in the oven on Turkey Day. Give it a try, or check out some of my other recommendations below. They all come with my personal stamp of approval!
Roasted Parsnip Stuffing
adapted from Martha Stewart
3-4 parsnips, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
olive oil (for drizzling
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter, plus 3 tablespoons melted butter
2 large leeks, white and pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced, and rinsed well
1/3 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 cups half-and-half
5 large eggs
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 loaf of challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle parsnips with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast on a foil-lined baking sheet for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 375. Heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat in a medium saute pan until melted. Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add vegetable stock and allow to simmer about 1 minute. Add thyme, and remove from heat. Stir in roasted parsnips.
Whisk together melted butter, half-and-half, eggs, and 3/4 cup of the parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper (keeping in mind that parmesan is naturally salty). Add leek-parsnip mixture, then fold in bread. At this point, you can cover the bowl and refrigerate mixture overnight, or proceed with cooking.
Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray, and pour stuffing mixture into dish. Cover loosely with parchment paper, then foil, and bake until golden brown and puffed, about 50 minutes. Remove parchment and foil. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/4 cup of armesan, and return to oven. Bake for 10 minutes more. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Other Kicked-Up Side Dish Favorites
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Glazed Carrots with Feta
Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread
Cranberry Sauce 3 Ways (Zinger, Standard, and Fancy)
Goat Cheese Mac with Rosemary
Blueberry Gelatin Salad
