While turkey is the main course at Thanksgiving, many other things to consider. Side dishes are essential, and you need plenty. Turkey Day is as much about the side dishes like the turkey. Certain sides are memorable, but not in a good way. These are the side dishes that no one wants to touch and the leftovers that no guest would want to take home.
Candied Sweet Potatoes
A perfect example of an unhealthy Thanksgiving dish is candied sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are healthy on their own. Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A, beta-carotene, and vitamin C. You might think you are losing any health benefits if you mix them with butter, brown sugar, and marshmallows.
Some people find them disagreeable. We blame the marshmallow layer. The dish is covered in gluey, melty marshmallows that look like cement. The converging layers between sweet potato and marshmallow can make it difficult to swallow after eating a lot of turkey and other better sides (like any that isn’t on this list).
History of Candied Sweet Potatoes
Americans have enjoyed sweet potato and yam candied sweet potatoes since the 1880s. However, the recipe we are most familiar with was not created until the second decade in the 20th century. In 1919, the first recipe that used marshmallows was published. Previously, the dish was usually topped with a sugar glaze.
Ambrosia Salad
The ambrosia salad is unnecessary if you want your Thanksgiving dinner to be divine. This fruit salad is known as the “food for the gods” and first appeared in cookbooks in the late 1800s. Ambrosia originally consisted of oranges, coconut sugar, and coconut. However, it became a dish that wasn’t suitable for Thanksgiving guests or even a deity over time.
Ambrosia today still includes oranges and coconut. However, it often contains mayonnaise and marshmallows. Sometimes, even whipped topping and gelatin. That’s right. Mayonnaise and fruit. Together. This combination isn’t as successful as turkey, stuffing, or mashed potatoes and gravy. It should be forgotten.
Turnips
Turnips were a staple food for Native Americans and colonists in the 17th century. This root vegetable was probably a prominent part of the first Thanksgiving table. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to reserve a place for it at the table.
Turnips were not something Pilgrims ate, but they did. Turnips can be tricky vegetables. You’ll end up eating a vegetable that tastes more like a piece of wood than a delicious holiday side dish if it’s even a day or two old. This is the last time you should be having an authentic Colonial Thanksgiving.
Another thing to remember about turnips is that Thanksgiving isn’t about the actual meal. It’s also about the leftovers. Are you familiar with anyone who gets excited by the idea of turning over turnips leftovers? We haven’t.
Thanksgiving’s First Menu
Historians don’t know exactly what Pilgrims or Indians ate for Thanksgiving 1621. However, they believe wildfowl and venison were some of the main dishes. Root vegetables, corn and cranberries are also common. Sugar was an expensive and rare commodity at that time, so the cakes and pies we know we’re probably not served on that first Thanksgiving.
Green Bean Casserole
Let’s give green bean casserole its due. Mix canned green beans with cream of mushroom soup and black pepper. Then bake.
This recipe is easy to make, and it’s one of the reasons this dish has been a staple in Campbell’s Soup’s corporate kitchen since 1955. Green bean casserole was created for an Associated Press article. It quickly became Campbell’s most special recipe and is probably why people still buy cream of mushroom soup.
Many of us would prefer not to have it at Thanksgiving. Even though many people don’t like the combination of cream of mushroom soup and green beans, it is not for everyone. This is especially true if the recipe calls for canned beans, giving the whole dish a distinct, not-so-fresh flavour. This dish is not appealing, even with the addition of grey soup.
Cranberries
CRANBERRIES, besides turkeys, maybe the most significant symbol of Thanksgiving. These little fruits are often found in bread and sauces, but how many people look forward to enjoying them? As our parents grew up with cranberries every Thanksgiving, many of us feel obligated to give them out each year.
But being compelled to serve a portion of food is not the best reason to do so. The tart nature of cranberries can be a problem when paired with sweet or savoury Thanksgiving dishes. No matter what kind of cranberry concoction, whether it be cranberry orange salad or cranberry-horseradish relish, you will find that you have most of the sauce leftover after dinner. This side dish can be omitted from holiday tables to save time, effort and space.