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Thanksgiving Recipes: Vegetables

© Donna Smith

Thanksgiving Day is fast approaching! If you're like most families, you have the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey. Stuffing. Mashing potatoes. Gravy. Rolls. Cranberry sauce. A vegetable. While the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls and cranberry sauce can be expected to be the same every year, what about the vegetables?

At my house, we experiment with the vegetable dish each year. That's really the only place to add something different. Can't mess with Grandma's favorite stuffing recipe (and who would want to?) Or Aunt Celia's homemade cranberry sauce. But the vegetables can be played with!

Here are some wonderful vegetable side dishes to try this Thanksgiving. Pick one and surprise your family.

Mom's Corn Casserole

This is my mom's speciality. It's wonderful!

1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium bell pepper,chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 can cream corn
1 can white whole kernal corn
1 jar pimentos
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Yellow food coloring, if desired

Saute the onion and bell pepper in the butter. Add the two corns and the pimento. In another bowl combine the sour cream, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Add to the corn mixture. Add a few drops of yellow food coloring if you want. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes.

Creamy Spinach with Rice

This recipe is made in the microwave, so it doesn't take up oven space!

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
1/2 cup Minute Rice
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons chicken granules
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, optional
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Mix everything together in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and cook at 100% power for 6-8 minutes.

Vegatable Casserole

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 package (10 ounces) frozen broccoli, carrots and cauliflower frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 cup cooked white rice
8 ounces Cheez Whiz or Velveeta
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 teaspoon butter, melted
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Saute celery and onion in the butter. Add the frozen vegetables, cheese, sour and rice. Top with buttered breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes.

Hashbrown Casserole

YUM!

1 cup margarine
2 pounds frozen hash browns, thawed
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups corn flakes, crushed

Melt 1/2 the butter in a glass baking dish. Mix the other ingredients (except the remaining butter and corn flakes) in bowl. Pour into baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes. Mix the crumbs and butter together. Sprinkle on top and bake another 15.