The Holiday's Best Side Dishes
December 19, 2012
•Emily Murray
•Portland
• 0 Comments
The Holiday's Best Side Dishes
Holiday time is just around the corner. Once the house is cleaned, decorations are placed and the china is dusted off, it's time to plan the menu. You already know that Aunt Carol hates onions, your sister won't eat tomatoes and your mother-in-law won't eat anything orange. Pleasing all of your guests at mealtime can be challenging, but not impossible. Once you've planned the main course for your holiday meal, choosing a few side dishes that everyone will enjoy is a snap. Below, a few ideas for the Holiday's best side dishes that are sure to please even the pickiest of palates. In fact, they will be wondering when you had time in your busy schedule to attend class at a culinary school in Oregon!
Assuming that some form of meat is included in your main course, you will probably want to whip up some fluffy mashed potatoes and gravy. It is so easy to customize mashed potatoes by adding spices and other add-ins to suit your family's preference. Whip them up with plenty of butter and heavy cream. Add a gravy boat full of bubbling brown gravy and you're all set. It's hard to turn down mashed potatoes and gravy on a cold winter day, which may be why this dish is a beloved staple at most holiday meals.
Getting the kiddos to eat their vegetables can be a challenge, but it doesn't have to be. Candied sweet potatoes are hard to resist, especially when they've been baked with brown sugar and have gooey marshmallows melted on top. You will watch with amazement while everyone from the pickiest 2-year-olds to the grumpiest grandpa enjoy this sweet, traditional dish. You won't have to beg them to finish their sweet potatoes; in fact, you'll have to beg them to leave some for you!
Another popular and easy holiday side dish is bread. Whether you enjoy baking from scratch as taught in schools in culinary arts, or would prefer to throw some ready-made crescent roll dough in the oven, warm bread and butter is always welcome at any holiday gathering. If you make the bread in advance, reheat the bread in the oven at 200° for a couple of minutes prior to serving. Place the warm bread in a festive holiday towel, place it in a bread basket and voilà, delicious bread for everyone. If you are looking for extra yum points, use a pastry brush to add a bit of melted butter to each piece of bread just prior to serving.
While it sounds a bit cliché, sometimes keeping things simple is best. Why endure the stress of attempting to make exotic side dishes that may not be appreciated when you can make a few simple holiday favorites that are sure to disappear? Think about some of the best meals you have had in restaurants – weren’t they amazing yet simple? This is one of the growing trends in schools in culinary arts today. In fact, culinary school in Oregon has focused on this and created some amazing delights. Now, all you will need to worry about is making sure no one chokes on the main course, and finding a willing participant to assist you with cleanup efforts after the holiday meal is complete.
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Portland. Le Cordon Bleu College of
Culinary Arts in Portland offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/Portland for more information.
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