Thanksgiving is almost here and Christmas is just around the corner! That means you early planners are already putting together this year’s menu. If you ask the Mr. Food Test Kitchen what really makes or breaks a holiday meal, we’d say the answer is simple: side dishes. Your turkey might be perfect, but if your holiday side dish recipes miss the mark, the whole dinner gets taken down a notch.
If you feel like your side dish selection could use a little work, take a deep breath and stay calm; the Mr. Food Test Kitchen is here to help. We’ve got a menu of holiday side dish recipes that are made with some super shortcuts from the freezer and dairy aisles! These easy recipes are going to be the right kind of delicious and will complement your turkey flawlessly. Let’s check them out!
No holiday table is complete without a pile of delicious mashed potatoes! This year, our Fool ‘Em Mashed Potatoes are going to be a huge hit. Why? Because they’re made with a surprise. This side dish recipe is part potato, part frozen cauliflower! Which means this is a lighter option for a meal that usually has everyone loosening their belts. After a quick trip down the freezer aisle, these potatoes are ready to go in 20 minutes!
Pass the stuffing! Seriously, this holiday side dish staple is one we can’t get enough of. Our recipe for this Bavarian Pretzel Stuffing is a special take on the classic dish because it’s loaded with old-world flavor! The key ingredients of this recipe–nutritious broccoli, the savory sausage patties, and the to-die-for soft pretzels–can all be found in the freezer aisle. Talk about one stop shopping!
Who doesn’t love a corn casserole? Whether you call it corn casserole or corn pudding, we’re not splitting hairs. All that matters is that this dish has a place on your holiday side dish menu! Our Country Corn Casserole is made with frozen corn, so you know it’s going to be nutritious, delicous, and fast! What more could you want? It’s also consistenly one of the most popular recipes on our site. If you don’t believe us, you can trust the rest of the Mr. Food Foodies: this recipe is a must have!
For something creamy and delicious, look no further than our Creamy Spinach Casserole! With a little bit of frozen spinach and some key ingredients from the dairy aisle like sour cream and cream cheese , this side dish is sure to be a favorite of everyone around the table! The bacon bits give it that extra pop everyone’s going to appreciate. Who knows: it might be so popular, you may need to put this recipe in your normal dinner rotation!
If you were thinking about serving your holiday dinner without fresh baked rolls, we need to ask you to reconsider. Everyone needs something to sop up that beautiful turkey gravy, don’t they? Or something to dab a little cranberry sauce on at the end of the meal? Our Pull Apart Herbed Rolls are just the thing! This recipe is beyond simple, once again, thanks to the freezer and dairy aisle. Starting out with some frozen bread dough saves on time and effort, without losing any flavor!
As you can see, these Thanksgiving and Christmas side dish recipes are going to make delicious additions to your holiday entertaining menu! You really can’t go wrong with any or all of them. Once again, the freezer and dairy aisles of your local grocery store has come to the rescue! Holiday Entertaining has never been easier since this year’s menu is filled with handy shortcuts that will save you time and blow your guests away with holiday flavor. Everyone here at the Mr.Food Test Kitchen wishes you and your family a safe, happy, and delicious holiday. Bon appétit!
But what about all the leftovers?
This is a lot of food. Are you worried about all the leftovers? Don’t be! Below we’ve got a couple recipes that will help you use them up. When turkey sandwiches get old, just remember to bring these recipes out of your cookbook!
Toss those leftovers into a pre-made pie crust! Our Gobble-it-Up Turkey Pot Pie is an easy and delicious way to get rid of holiday leftovers. And trust us, they will “gobble” it up. Just pick up the pie crusts in the dairy aisle when you’re doing the rest of your holiday dinner shopping. That’s what we call “planning ahead.”
Need something a little more portable? Make our Thanksgiving Leftover Poppers! All you need is some refrigerated butermilk biscuits (yum) and some of your holiday leftovers. Send these out the door with the family and watch those leftovers dwindle down to nothing, thanks to this delicious hand-held gem! If you’re eating them at home, be sure to serve them with some leftover gravy as a dipping sauce.
For more great family recipe visit
EasyHomeMeals.com
This conversation is sponsored by National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association. The opinions and text are all my own.
What’s on your family’s holiday dinner menu?
The post Holiday Entertaining: Side Dish Shortcuts They’ll Love! appeared first on Mr. Food's Blog.