Back to the Cutting Board
Spiced Cranberries
from Back to the Cutting Board
Side Dish | Servings: 8-12
Prep time: 5 min | Cook time: 1 hour 10 min | Total time: 3 hour 15 min
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh cranberries (frozen is fine, thaw beforehand)
- 2 cups water
- 3 cups sugar
- 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp. ground cloves
- Pinch of ginger
Process
- Wash cranberries and drain; set aside.
- Combine sugar, water and spices in large saucepan, bring to a boil.
- Add cranberries; cook for 7-10 minutes or until cranberry skins pop.
- Reduce heat to low/medium-low and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.
-
Remove from heat and let cool.* Chill in fridge for at least 2 hours. Best served cold or room temperature.
*Note: At this point you can strain out the seeds if you want. I did this by pouring everything through a large colander to separate the juice/seeds and the berries. Then I strained the juice through a fine strainer to separate the seeds. Then I poured the juice back in with the cranberries.
Stuffed Acorn Squash
from Back to the Cutting Board
Side Dish | Servings: 2-4 (everyone gets half a squash)
Prep time: 15 min | Cook time: 1 hour | Total time: 1 hour 15 min
Ingredients
- 2 medium acorn squash (or 1 large)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1/4 cup onion, chopped
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1 cup crushed herb seasoned stuffing mix, divided
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. pepper
Process
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).
- Cut each squash in half lengthwise; remove seeds. Place squash on baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until tender. Let cool for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring water to boil, add bouillon cube and remove from heat. Stir until it fully dissolves. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan and saute onions until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Carefully scoop out squash pulp into a large bowl. Reserve shells. Mash the pulp with a potato masher or hand mixer.
- Stir in egg. Then add in dissolved bouillon.
- Add in onion, 3/4 cup stuffing mix, salt and pepper. Stir well.
- Spoon mixture back in shells and sprinkle with remaining stuffing mix.
- Bake at 400 degrees (F) for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned.
Green Bean and Potato Casserole
from Back to the Cutting Board
Side Dish | Servings: 4
Prep time: 25 min | Cook time: 45 min | Total time: 1 hour 10 min
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed, or 14.5 oz. canned green beans, reserve juice from can
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 small potatoes, sliced very thin (about 1/8th inch)
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Process
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F). Spray 1 quart or 8-9″ square baking dish with cooking spray.
- If you are using fresh green beans, place them in a pot of water, bring to a boil and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain, but reserve about 1/4 cup of the water.
- Place a layer of potatoes in the bottom of the dish, top with onions, then add a layer of green beans and top with more onions. Repeat until potatoes, green beans and onions are used up, but try to end with green beans and onions on top (I didn’t do it that way and the potatoes on top turned out kind of hard, so I think they cook better in the middle).
- Stir reserved green bean water, or juice from the can into a bowl with the cream of chicken soup. Pour the mixture over the green beans.
- Bake for about 30 minutes and then top with cheese. Continue baking for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender and cheese is melted.
Thanksgiving Side Dish Mania: Cranberries, Squash and Casseroles
