USVI-On-Line

Ok, I must need my head examained... but we are hosting 40 for Thanksgiving dinner. Aside from the small problem of fitting them all in the house...my husband is thinking we might need to tent over the deck... I need some ideas for some simple sides, which I can make in bulk, preferably ahead of time.

Many thanks in advance.

omg omg omg

don't know if you go for it but my sister made Ina Garten's succotash. VERY good and I'm sure could be doubled easily.
Also what about acorn squash boats?

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The old standby-sweet potato casserole. I used to hate it until my mom started making it a new way.

I don't have a specific recipe- I just add stuff till it tastes good, but basically what makes it different is to use orange juice in place of some of the butter.

So cook and peel the sweet potatoes and then mash like regular mashed potatoes (in the mixer if you want), just mix OJ, some butter, some brown sugar, salt and pepper and some cinnamon and/or pumpkin pie spice (depending on how you like it). I like putting in both, but I am not real heavy with it.

Keep warm in oven in a casserole dish, uncover and add mini marshmallows at the last minute and toast them.

The orange juice really cuts the overwhelming sweet potato flavor- it is much lighter and fluffier than most recipes I have used.

A very easy make ahead thing to do.

roasted root (and other) vegetables they can be served room temp/warmish--

I usually do celery root, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, parsnips and carrots --you can add red pepper during cooking (it will get to mushy if you add it at the beginning) small onions are also nice--cut them so they are not too small--cut the sprouts and shrooms in half, carrots and celery root and parsnips (you can add turnips if you like tooo) into thick-ish i inch pieces
coat with olive oil and some sea salt add a handful of fresh chopped rosemary and a bunch of chopped garlic
mix it all up
put it in a pan in the oven at 400 degrees--

stir once in a while--

it'll get sizzly--

when the vegies are tender --it's done--can be done ahead and reheated

40 people!!! are you NUTS??? I have had 25 for christmas and thought i was going to shoot myself!
are you going to rent dishes? yikes--you are one Brave lady!!!!

Roasted root veggies are already on the list. I was thinking, red potates, parsnips, carrots,brussel sprots and maybe cauliflower.

I planned mashed sweet potates, stuffing and I thought I needed one more side. I like Marybeth's succotash idea. I need something which will sit well.

I am out of my mind, but we lost a much loved Aunt in September and the family agreed we needed to be together this year. Thanksgiving is my holiday so there you have it. I'm assigning tasks to other family members , using disposable plates etc. and we will do bufett style. We defintily decided to tent over the deck so I will set up tables under the tent for people who really hate eating from thier laps.

I can't find that recipe. I will have to ask my sister. I thought she said it was Ina but I'm not coming up with anything.

mbw1024 wrote:I can't find that recipe. I will have to ask my sister. I thought she said it was Ina but I'm not coming up with anything.

That would be great, I could not find it either

sailorgirl wrote:

mbw1024 wrote:I can't find that recipe. I will have to ask my sister. I thought she said it was Ina but I'm not coming up with anything.

That would be great, I could not find it either

great, she doesn't have it either! she kept all her recipes on her work computer and she was down sized 3 months ago
All she can recall is it was from Food Network but not necessarily Ina Garten.

No problem, I will hunt around some more.