Thanksgiving is upon us!
As midterms have come to a close and leaves disappear from trees, students and faculty begin heading home for the holiday. I know the second I get out of my orgo exam, my mind will shift to focus on finding recipes to utilize for this Thanksgiving!
To take the stress off of the planning, here are my family’s two favorite go-to sides!
Coming in at #1, my absolute favorite food:
Crispy Baked Mac and cheese
Ingredients:
16 oz dry pasta (I suggest elbow or bow tie)
1 tbsp salt
½ cup butter
½ cup flour
1 ½ cups whole milk
2 ½ cups half and half
5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 ½ cups shredded Gruyere cheese
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Boil pot of water, add salt, cook pasta as directed on box, drain water
- Combine cheese into singular bowl, mix
- Melt butter in sauce pan, whisk in flour to combine, slowly add half and half and whole milk
- Mix over heat until reaches thick consistency
- Remove from heat and add ⅓ cheese blend
- Combine this mixture with the pasta
- Pour ½ pasta mixture into oiled baking dish
- Pour ⅓ of the cheese mixture on top, add rest of pasta, add last ⅓ of cheese
- Cook for 20 minutes
- Enjoy!
And a close second, at #2, my favorite way to eat carrots:
Honey Glazed Carrots
Ingredients:
8 full carrots
Garlic (this is personal preference. I suggest 4 cloves)
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
Instructions:
- Place oven rack in middle, preheat over to 450 degrees F
- Peel carrots, slice into sticks
- Melt butter in saucepan, add garlic and stir, remove from heat, add honey and stir
- Drizzle this over carrots and add salt and black pepper
- Spread carrots onto oven sheet
- Cook for 20 minutes, toss carrots, cook for 20 minutes more
- Enjoy!
Holidays can be stressful with having to prepare so much, but hopefully these sides are easy and take the pressure off of you!
Happy Thanksgiving!