When my roommate Alesia declared we would host a Thanksgiving dinner, I was more than a little nervous. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays (because it’s literally a day devoted to socially acceptable gluttony) and hosting parties at my apartment is my favorite activity, so she didn’t have to twist my arm to get me to agree. However, being a host meant making a dish and cooking is not exactly on my list of top-ten skill sets.
If you’re hosting a Thanksgiving dinner and have complete confidence in your cooking (a.k.a Alesia), you should by all means cook a turkey. But, if you’re like me and typically stick to simple, fast meals (quesadillas, Mac and cheese, surprise rice, soup-in-a-can), you’re probably going to want to make a side dish. I went with the obvious —and most delicious — of them all: homemade mashed potatoes. Use this recipe to wow your friends at a Thanksgiving party or your family when you go home for the holidays.
Ingredients:
6 potatoes
½ cup of milk
¼ cup of butter
¾ teaspoon of salt
A dash of pepper
½ cup of dill
Directions:
1. Wash, peel and wash the potatoes. For those who are inept at peeling (like I was prior to Thursday), hold the peeler with your dominant hand and the potato with the other. Contrary to my former beliefs, the peeler will never hurt you, so don’t fear for your fingers
2. Boil water in a pot and then drop the potatoes inside. Cook for 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.
3. Place the potatoes in a mixing bowl. Add the milk, butter, salt and pepper.
4. Mash the potatoes using an electric mixer or a big spoon.
5. When the potatoes are nicely whipped, add the dill.
You get six servings of delicious, delicious mashed potatoes. For extra flavor, top if off with gravy, butter and/or cheese.
Mashed potatoes aren’t difficult to make and there’s a lot of waiting while they boil on the stove, so if you really want to look like a hero, you can also set out another wonderful, classic side: crackers and cheese.
Ingredients:
A block of cheddar
A block of munster
A block of pepper jack
A block of colby jack
Grapes
About 40 Ritz crackers
Directions:
1. Place the grapes around the edge of a plate.
2. Cut the cheese into small cubes. Place them in the circle of grapes.
3. Put the crackers on a separate plate. Serve to the masses.
Bam. You get to be the creator of the most sought-after appetizer — without breaking a sweat. Minimal effort. Maximum payoff.
Whether you cook like a hip, young Julia Child, or you pray that you don’t burn the house down when you pop popcorn, try to cook at least one dish. I hope you have an awesome Thanksgiving. Don’t forget to eat as much turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and biscuits as your stomach can hold!
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois chapter.