THANKSGIVING SIDES

This week on Basics I'm showing you my favorite recipes for these classic Thanksgiving sides: green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and yams.

Special Equipment List

For the mashed potatoes

Vacuum sealer

Sous vide

Mesh sieve

For the yams

Casserole dish

For the green bean casserole

Mandoline (optional, for slicing onions)

Mesh sieve

Instant read thermometer

Casserole dish

Shopping List

For Mashed Potatoes:

  • 3 large russet potatoes (peeled and sliced)

  • 12 Tbsp butter

  • Salt and white pepper

  • 1 cup heavy cream

For Yams:

  • 3 yams (peeled and sliced)

  • 12 Tbsp butter

  • ½ cup brown sugar

  • ½ cup raw sugar

  • 1  Tbsp cinnamon

  • 1-2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

  • 1-2 cups whiskey

  • 1 cup craisins

  • 4-5 Tbsp ricotta cheese

  • ½ cup toasted pecans

  • Honey (for drizzling)

For Green Bean Casserole:

French fried onions:

  • 2 large onions

  • 1 cup buttermilk

  • 1 cup all purpose flour (as needed to coat onions)

  • Vegetable oil (enough to fry onions in a cast iron)

  • Kosher salt

Cream of mushroom:

  • 8 ounces Cremini mushrooms (stemmed and sliced)

  • 3 Tbsp butter

  • 1 heaping Tbsp flour

  • 2 cloves crushed garlic

  • 1 Tbsp cognac (to deglaze the pan)

  • 1 ½ cups chicken stock

  • 1 cup heavy cream

  • Dash of soy sauce

Green beans:

  • 4 cups fresh green beans (ends trimmed)

Method

Mashed Potatoes

  1. Peel and slice 3 large russet potatoes. Add them to a vacuum seal bag along with 12 Tbsp of butter, 1 cup of heavy cream, salt and white pepper. Vacuum seal the bag closed. Place in a 194°F sous vide bath for 30-40 minutes.

  2. Remove the bag from sous vide bath, open and pour into a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Using a wooden spoon, push the potatoes through sieve.

  3. Whisk minimally, just until potatoes and butter are combined.

  4. Serve and enjoy.

 

Yams

  1. Peel and slice your 3 yams into ½ inch pieces, and then place in a well buttered casserole dish. Season with some kosher salt.

  2. In a bowl combine 12 Tbsp of butter along with ½ a cup of brown sugar, ½ a cup of raw sugar, 1 Tbsp of cinnamon, and 1-2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg. Stir to combine and then add to casserole dish on top of yams.

  3. Cover and place in a 375°F oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, give them a good mix and then return to the oven, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes.

  4. White the yams are cooking, add 1-2 cups of boiling whiskey to 1 cup of craisins and let soak.

  5. Remove yams from the oven and give them a good stir. Plate them on a serving platter and top with dollops of ricotta cheese, ½ cup of toasted pecans, some whiskey-soaked Craisins, and a drizzle of honey.

  6. Serve and enjoy!

 

For Green Bean Casserole

French Fried Onions

  1. Start by cutting 2 large onions in half and slicing them thinly using a mandoline. Place in a bowl and add 1 cup of buttermilk, covering the onions. Let sit for 15 minutes.

  2. Drain onions and toss them in all purpose flour to coat. Once they’re nicely coated, use a fine mesh sieve to shake off the excess flour.

  3. Heat up vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet to 300°F. Add onions and cook for 7-9 minutes or until golden brown.

  4. Remove and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Season with salt. Set aside.


Cream of Mushroom Soup

  1. Stem, smash and slice 8 ounces of Cremini mushrooms. Then dice them into smaller pieces.

  2. In a high walled sauté pan, add 3 Tbsp of butter along with your sliced mushrooms and a pinch of salt.

  3. Once the moisture has evaporated out of the mushrooms, add 1 heaping Tbsp of flour. Mix to combine for 1 minute.

  4. Add 2 cloves of crushed garlic and cook for about 30 seconds before adding 1 Tbsp of cognac to deglaze.

  5. Once all the alcohol has cooked out, add 1 ½ cups of chicken stock and 1 cup of heavy cream. Mix to combine and bring to a simmer before adding a dash of soy sauce.

  6. Cook until dark, thick, and rich.


Green Beans

  1. Cut the stems off your green beans and then slice into 1 inch pieces.

  2. Par-boil for about 2 minutes until bright green and then add to an ice bath.

  3. After mixing them around to cool, drain the water.


Casserole Assembly

  1. Combine green beans, cream of mushroom soup and ½ of the french fried onions. Stir to combine.

  2. Butter a casserole dish and add mixture.

  3. Cover and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.

  4. Remove from the oven, uncover, add the rest of the french fried onions and cook uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

  5. Serve and enjoy!

 
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