What your favorite Thanksgiving Side Dish

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Care to share that recipe? Sounds great
Creamed pearl onions au gratin w/extra cheese recipe; Please!

So, I don't have a family recipe per se... When I was a kid growing up, my Dad's brother would come down with his family from upstate New York (with the cheese) and he and my Dad would get together in the kitchen and collaborate on how their Mom used to make it. Since 2020 is the worst year ever, I can't call Dad and ask for a starting point (he died in Feb, it's one of the reasons we're doing it this year). I asked my uncle - and he said that Dad was the lead on it, and he wouldn't know where to start. So, over the last several weeks - I've been pouring over the internet and I THINK I found one that's a good starting point and looks pretty close to what I remember as a kid. So, here's that recipe:

Creamed Pearl Onions Au Gratin

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 14 ounces frozen petite whole onions, thawed and drained
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh leaf thyme
  • 1/3 cup cream or 1/3 cup half-and-half
  • 1/4 teaspoon Coleman's dry mustard
  • 1 pinch ground nutmeg
  • 1 pinch white pepper
  • kosher salt, to taste
  • 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Directions
  • Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 1-2 quart saucepan over medium heat; add drained onions; raise heat to medium-high; stir onions constantly as they cook, until they begin to caramelize.
  • Sprinkle 2 tablespoons flour over onions; stir for for 1 minute.
  • Deglaze onions with 1/3 cup dry white wine; add the minced thyme; stir, scraping the bottom, until wine evaporates.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low.
  • Add 1/3 cup cream or half and half; stir until sauce is warmed and thickened.
  • Season sauce with 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard (or prepared horseradish), 1 pinch ground nutmeg, 1 pinch ground white pepper, and kosher salt, to taste.
  • Remove from heat; add the grated cheese; stir until cheese is completely melted.
Basically, it's a Mornay sauce with onions in it. I seem to remember some finishing step that Dad had that involved the oven and getting the top bubbly and crispy. Like I said - this one is a work in progress. My wife has never had it, but has already turned her nose up at it. Her parents will try anything once, and the Canadian is all in. So maybe, just maybe - it'll be a reawakened family tradition!
 
So, I don't have a family recipe per se... When I was a kid growing up, my Dad's brother would come down with his family from upstate New York (with the cheese) and he and my Dad would get together in the kitchen and collaborate on how their Mom used to make it. Since 2020 is the worst year ever, I can't call Dad and ask for a starting point (he died in Feb, it's one of the reasons we're doing it this year). I asked my uncle - and he said that Dad was the lead on it, and he wouldn't know where to start. So, over the last several weeks - I've been pouring over the internet and I THINK I found one that's a good starting point and looks pretty close to what I remember as a kid. So, here's that recipe:

Creamed Pearl Onions Au Gratin

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 14 ounces frozen petite whole onions, thawed and drained
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh leaf thyme
  • 1/3 cup cream or 1/3 cup half-and-half
  • 1/4 teaspoon Coleman's dry mustard
  • 1 pinch ground nutmeg
  • 1 pinch white pepper
  • kosher salt, to taste
  • 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Directions
  • Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 1-2 quart saucepan over medium heat; add drained onions; raise heat to medium-high; stir onions constantly as they cook, until they begin to caramelize.
  • Sprinkle 2 tablespoons flour over onions; stir for for 1 minute.
  • Deglaze onions with 1/3 cup dry white wine; add the minced thyme; stir, scraping the bottom, until wine evaporates.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low.
  • Add 1/3 cup cream or half and half; stir until sauce is warmed and thickened.
  • Season sauce with 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard (or prepared horseradish), 1 pinch ground nutmeg, 1 pinch ground white pepper, and kosher salt, to taste.
  • Remove from heat; add the grated cheese; stir until cheese is completely melted.
Basically, it's a Mornay sauce with onions in it. I seem to remember some finishing step that Dad had that involved the oven and getting the top bubbly and crispy. Like I said - this one is a work in progress. My wife has never had it, but has already turned her nose up at it. Her parents will try anything once, and the Canadian is all in. So maybe, just maybe - it'll be a reawakened family tradition!
My grandmother wold make creamed onions and add some coarse chopped green onions in there as well. We've already shopped this week but I do have some sweet onions, maybe I could slice on the axis to get petals and give that a try. I'm smoking some extra sharp cheddar today, that might be a nice touch.
 
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My collard greens, make them a couple days ahead of time so the flavors can really melt together then on Thanksgiving slow cook them in the crock pot all day...I might even add my pickled Habaneros to the dish this year,
 
My favorite is not the actual Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixins, but the late night snack or next day leftover turkey sandwich:

Big ol slice of turkey breast, top with stuffing, cranberry sauce, mayo on two pieces of white bread and slap that sucker together!
Delicious!!’
Not a turkey fan, but love that combo with left over chicken.
Try it open face with a bath of gravy for a hot poultry meal. Leftover taters are optional.
Not a midnight snack, but a great hearty brunch the moaning after while the shoppers are away from the house.

Hey chef jimmyj chef jimmyj I got my memory kicked this morning watching Food Network. Your heart throb Valerie B was featured making dressing in a bundt pan for more crusty edges. You can slice the leftover for a sandwich filler.
I tried it last year, but it failed. You need leftovers for this. We wiped out most of the pan and leftovers went with my son.
 
Basically, it's a Mornay sauce with onions in it. I seem to remember some finishing step that Dad had that involved the oven and getting the top bubbly and crispy

Dad very likely put the Creamed Onions in a small baking dish, topped with a Handful of Cheese and Baked (425°) or Broiled the dish until the cheese was Golden Brown and Delicious!
That recipe is for 4-6 servings, if you are having more family than that, I suggest doubling the recipe.

Note: Many Aged or Extra Sharp Cheddar's will Break, separate into Curds and a Pool of Oil, BEFORE they will get Brown.
Choose a Medium or Sharp Cheddar, for the Topping or just bake/broil until Melted without browning.

KRAFT Cheddar Cheeses are stable and a good melting Cheese, even the Very Tasty, Black Label Reserve Extra-Sharp Cheddar...My Preference for Cheddar Gratin Dishes...JJ
 
Definitely asparagus casserole. My favorite is a slice of leftover turkey "slathered" with Duke's mayonnaise, salt and black pepper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
For me it's not even close...for sure it's "smoked tomato/basil pie" than cranberry glazed sweet potatoes with candied pecans . I love stuffing smothered in giblet, sage and sausage gravy way more than I like turkey no matter how it's cooked smoked, fried, sous vide, grilled or roasted. I like turkey but it's not what I look forward to coming to the holiday season. This year is going to be strange because a lot of our family is staying home. F C19!!!
 
Onions don’t agree with my wife’s GIRD or I would try it. We do make an isolated exception when having pierogies though 😁
 
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