Okay, so Thanksgiving is around the corner, and you know what that means—food, food, and more food! I decided this year I’m gonna contribute more than just my appetite to the family dinner. So I thought, why not try making some quick and easy Thanksgiving side dishes? I’m no chef, but hey, how hard can it be, right?
Getting Started
First thing I did was hit up the internet to find some recipes. I mean, I wanted something that wouldn’t take forever or require me to have a culinary degree. I stumbled upon a bunch of recipes that promised to be both quick and delicious. I picked out a few that seemed doable: some kind of roasted veggies, mashed potatoes cause you gotta have them, and a cranberry sauce ’cause it just feels like Thanksgiving, you know?
The Veggie Adventure
I started with the veggies. The recipe said to just chop them up, toss them with some oil, salt, pepper, and roast them in the oven. Sounds easy enough. I grabbed some carrots, Brussels sprouts, and butternut squash. Chopping was a bit of a workout, not gonna lie. Then I tossed them in olive oil, sprinkled some salt and pepper, and threw them in the oven. The recipe said 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. I set the timer and moved on.
Potato Time
Next up, mashed potatoes. I peeled and cubed the potatoes—this part felt therapeutic for some reason. Boiled them until they were soft. While that was happening, I heated up some milk and butter in a small pan. Once the potatoes were ready, I drained them and then started mashing. I added the warm milk and butter, a bit of salt and pepper, and mashed until it looked creamy. I even added a little bit of garlic powder because why not? Tasted it—not bad for a first-timer!
Cranberry Challenge
Last but not least, the cranberry sauce. I was a bit intimidated by this one, but it turned out to be super simple. The recipe called for fresh cranberries, sugar, and some orange zest. I put it all in a saucepan, added a bit of water, and let it simmer. It started to thicken up and smell amazing. Took it off the heat, let it cool a bit, and voila—homemade cranberry sauce.
The Final Verdict
So, after a couple of hours of chopping, boiling, and roasting, I had my Thanksgiving side dishes ready. The roasted veggies were colorful and had a nice crisp to them. The mashed potatoes were creamy and garlicky—a definite win. And the cranberry sauce? It was sweet, tart, and so much better than the canned stuff.
I’m actually pretty proud of myself. I managed to make a bunch of dishes that looked and tasted pretty good, and it wasn’t even that hard. I guess anyone can cook up something decent with a little bit of effort and some easy-to-follow recipes. I can’t wait to see what my family thinks. Hopefully, they’ll be as impressed as I am with myself!
- Roasted Vegetables: Carrots, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, olive oil, salt, pepper.
- Mashed Potatoes: Potatoes, milk, butter, salt, pepper, garlic powder.
- Cranberry Sauce: Fresh cranberries, sugar, orange zest, water.
I learned that cooking doesn’t have to be scary or complicated. Sometimes the simplest recipes can yield the best results. I might even make this a new Thanksgiving tradition. Who knows, maybe next year I’ll try something even more ambitious!