Thanksgiving is such a special holiday. You gather along with your family and enjoy the best food and give thanks to everything that’s happened in the past year!
There are so many classic dishes from the roasted turkey down to the homemade gravy and everything in between, but nothing beats these three classic dishes: baked mac and cheese, green bean casserole and sweet potato casserole!
Every year, these recipes just speak to me, and of course to my tummy as well.
Who doesn’t love an ooey gooey mac and cheese? Baked mac and cheese is a Thanksgiving classic and there are many ways to conquer this dish, but nothing like ‘the roux.’
The roux is classic preparation of mac and cheese and incorporates butter, flour and milk. In my case, I love adding heavy cream to create a creamy sauce perfect for coating your buttery noodles.
Green bean casserole takes green beans to another level!
If you don’t love mushrooms, don’t fret because you will love them in this creamy casserole and the best part is it’s all topped with crispy fried onions.
And don’t forget about the sweet potatoes! Dessert? A side dish? Who can tell the difference? This sweet potato casserole is a perfect pairing to the previous savory sides and really just warms you up with each bite! It is definitely a classic in my family.
If you want to learn how I make these Thanksgiving classics, follow the steps below!
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Recipe
- Add a large pot of salted water to the stove over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Add your noodles and cook until just done, about 1-2 minutes before al dente (you don’t want soggy noodles when you bake it!) Drain and set aside.
- In a large saucepan, add butter and let melt. Add flour and stir to make a roux.
- Add in the milk and stir until fully incorporated. Add the heavy cream and stir.
- Slowly add in your cheese, mixing until fully incorporated each time (save about half for the top!)
- Season until you are satisfied with the taste, and set aside.
- Now, it’s time to assemble! Mix in all your noodles with the sauce.
- Transfer it to a baking dish. Top with the extra cheese and some paprika and dried parsley flakes (optional).
- Bake at 375 fahrenheit for about 45 minutes or until the cheese is crispy and bubbly!
- Serve alongside your favorite sides and main dish.
- Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 lb elbow macaroni noodles
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- 4 8oz blocks of cheese (I used Gouda, Muenster, Sharp Cheddar + Mozzarella)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- Dried parsley flakes (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Green Bean Casserole
Recipe
- Add a large pot of salted water to the stove and bring to a boil. Add your green beans and cook for about 5-7 minutes.
- Blanch your green beans for 5 minutes in an ice bath. Drain and set aside!
- Add butter to your pan and let melt. Next, add the mushrooms and onions and cook for about 5 minutes or until soft.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the flour and coat the vegetables thoroughly. Add the broth and mix well.
- Next add the cream and stir to incorporate. Let reduce for about 5 minutes until thick and creamy.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Now mix in the green beans and transfer to a baking dish. Mix in some fried onions (optional).
- Set your oven to 375 fahrenheit and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes.
- Top with fried onions and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs fresh green beans
- 1 large onion, diced
- 10 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 container of French’s fried onions
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Sweet Potato Casserole
Recipe
- Bring a pot of water to boil and add the sweet potatoes. Cook until tender. Remove and peel!
- Mash them up with the light brown sugar, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt! I also added a splash of cream, but you don’t have to.
- Transfer everything to a baking dish. Top with enough marshmallows to coat.
- Preheat your oven to 350 fahrenheit and cook until the marshmallows are nice and toasty, about 15-20 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and boiled
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 4 oz unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
- Marshmallows (as many as your heart desires!)
