What side dish should I make for Thanksgiving?

Or, a la Asparagus Appointment, chop some garlic and drizzle olive oil over asprargus or green beans and cook them in the microwave so that they are still freshly textured (not mushy). Shave some parmagianno-Reggiano on it and yum!

http://southernfood.about.com/od/peas/r/bln257.htm

I like it better with the mint than the dill.

[Laughing] Deviled eggs? [Stops laughing] That's the craziest thing I've ever heard.

>baked sweet potatoes with marshmallow? *please* tell me you're having this as pudding

No, man. This is a side dish, not a dessert. It's tradition (although I've never understood the allure). It's funny; I was grocery shopping last night and saw bags of mini marshmallows in lots of shopper's baskets- and I didn't think it was odd. Which is odd in itself, right? Ha. Ha ha. Hrm. [ahem] I think I've had this once in my life at my Grandma's.

This year my sister and I are bringing the sides. She's going to do something with squash. I'm bringing roasted carrots and parsnips with thyme. Also, that shredded brussles sprouts with bacon thing because it was so damn tastey.

Ready to O.D. on the tryptophan, please...

Will someone please post a recipe or a description of what it tastes/looks like?

People eat food. Sometimes you've eaten it before. Sometimes you haven't. Get the fuck over it and deal.

Tep, I think you're taking this a little too seriously and being too harsh... bham asked for a recipe and aldo asked for more information, and I don't think there's a single person who posts on this board who hasn't shown that they're open to the cuisine of different cultures.

I think the big deal with the marshmallow and sweet potato is that it's two things that are common in the uk but which we would never think of combining in a month of sundays. What's so bad about expressing your initial reaction to something?

I would like a description of how it turns out though? Mash with gooey strands is what I'm imagining.

but yeah, chill Tep, there's no offence meant dude.

I will say it does go well with turkey, especially the dark meat. And the sweetness balances well against the bitterness of kale or collards and the saltiness of southern-style green beans, which are cooked a long long time with bacon or fatback.

Here's some images I found:

http://www.gsngrocers.com/shared_content/recipes/55484RP.jpg

http://www.wchstv.com/gmarecipes/i/sweetpotatocasserole.jpg

http://www.home.earthlink.net/~taeast/greenbean.jpg

Also, being from North Carolina, deviled eggs are part of every celebratory meal.

(I think this is just the straw that broke Tep's back. We all have the same physiology, so it does seem a bit thick-headed to view someone as either a barbarian or a Martian for eating things you've never tried and never even heard about)

The marshmallow don't get melted, just a toasted layer on top. When I was little I would scrape off that layer, trying to get as little sweet potato along with it as possible. Now I've grown to love sweet potatos, and try to get just a little bit of marshmallow in with it. It really is quite tasty, and not as odd as it may sound. Go on, give it a try.
VG, were you referring to this when you said it was a Southern dish? There's not a trace of Southerness in my family. Though whoever started making it could've just got the recipe out of Good Housekeeping or something.

this is a bit harsh, speaking only for myself - I *really* don't like marshmallows at all, they're nasty and having them in my mouth makes me gag a little. And I ain't too keen on pumpkin pie either, I think that's to do with the cloying texture that seems to coat my mouth completely. Hence my reaction.

and the whole thing just smacks of pudding really rather than a side dish but hey, each to their own.

also i imagine tep is up to his neck in (picky) in-laws at the mo, which probably isn't helping ;)

Spinach Madeline

2 10 oz packages of frozen chopped spinach
4 T. butter (better if real butter, not margarine)
2 T. flour
half a medium onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup spinach juice
8 oz bar jalapeno monterey jack cheese
optional: 2-3 T. chopped jalapeno (cook with onion and garlic if used)
1 t. worcestershire sauce
3-4 cloves chopped garlic (can substitute garlic powder to taste)
1/2 t. celery seed
black pepper to taste, red pepper to taste (I usually just use Tony Chachere's creole seasoning, one to two t.)

Cook spinach according to directions on package.
Drain spinach well in a colander and reserve spinach juice. Combine juice
with evap. milk and set aside. Melt butter.
Add flour -- stir until blended and smooth, but not brown.
Add onion & garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft
but not brown.
Add milk/juice mixture in slow increments,
stirring constantly.
Cook and blend until smooth and thick.
Add seasonings and cheese, cut into small pieces.
Stir until melted.
If it seems too thick, you can thin it with more spinach
juice or evaporated milk. Too thin -- add more cheese!
Combine cheese sauce with cooked spinach.
Best if made ahead of time and refrigerated overnight
so that the flavors have a chance to blend.
I usually make a double batch and there are seldom any leftovers.

Reheat the spinach dish. And on the pie, the recipe I use makes one pie and 3 ramekins of pumpkin "custard". I'll bet it would make two skinny pies. Here are the proportions:

pie crust- graham or flour ( I used ginger snap this year- was very good)
1 16 oz can pumpkin
1 can sweet condensed milk
2 eggs
2 tsp pumpkin spice
1 8 oz container cream cheese- I use light
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Whip cheese frothy,
add milk,
add rest of ingredients,
mix well.
Bake at 350 for 55 minutes to 1 hr 20
if your oven is as freaky as mine.

http://www.veganstore.co.uk/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=1&Product_Code=037