Only one week left until Thanksgiving and there is even less time to figure out what you are going to serve. If you want to avoid the rush of people flocking to the grocery stores then you need to plan your menu and shop for your ingredients this weekend. To make your shopping experience as quick and as painless as possible you need to plan out your shopping ahead of time and organize your shopping list by departments in your grocery store.
Last week we talked about alternative dishes to turkey to serve as the main entrée. This week I’d like to talk about side dishes that you can serve at your Thanksgiving dinner. To start with, plan out a few healthy side dishes. Salads work well for Thanksgiving as they are generally easy to make and they can be created to meet your dietary requirements. Some of the easiest salads to make include a basic iceberg lettuce salad, a mixed green salad and a spinach and tomato salad.
Since this is a holiday, it is okay to prepare a few traditional dishes that are not what we consider “healthy.” These dishes, including the 100 year old Jewish recipes, should be served with a smaller spoon or serving tool to encourage people to sample but not over indulge. Some great side dishes that you can serve include potatoes au gratin, homemade macaroni and cheese and candied yams. Make these special side dishes with the original ingredients like cream, butter and full fat cheese.