3 Easy Side Dishes That Are on the Lighter Side

When did Green Bean Casserole with onion rings become one of the official Holiday side dishes? It seems to share the honor with Squash Souffle.

Not a Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter season goes by without the commercials and coupons for green beans and Cream of Mushroom soup. Oh, and the onion rings in a canister.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike them. They are both classic, traditional, family favorites.

There might be anarchy at the dinner table if one or both of these dishes were replaced.

Fun Fact – The Green Bean Casserole was developed by a staff member in the home economics department at the Campbell Soup Company some 60 years ago. It seems that the midwestern housewife always had green beans and Cream of Mushroom soup on hand. Hmm.

You can still shake things up a bit and serve vegetable side dishes that aren’t smothered in cheese, soup, or sour cream.

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Try one of these healthy vegetable recipes. Plan your holiday meals with fresh seasonal vegetables in mind. Not only will you appreciate the lower prices of seasonal produce, but nothing tastes better than fresh veggies with just a hint of spices. Let the flavor of the food shine through.

1) Asparagus-Brussel Sprouts

This dish is simply 1 lb of asparagus, 1 lb of Brussel sprouts, olive oil, and 2-3 minced garlic cloves.  Trim the woody stems from the asparagus and cut them into 3-inch pieces. Score the end of the Brussel sprouts with an X. Mince the garlic.  Saute everything in olive oil on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes until the veggies start to soften a little bit. Add 1/4 cup of water and cover. Steam on LOW heat for another 5 minutes. Vegetables should be soft but not mushy.

This is a beautiful dish, perfect as a side with baked ham for Easter Sunday dinner. Asparagus is in season and should be thin and tender in the springtime.

2) Green Bean-Carrot Medley

This medley calls for one lb of trimmed green beans, 1/2 lb sliced baby carrots, 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced, and 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms.  Fresh green beans are best, but if they aren’t available, you can use either canned or frozen. If you forget to put the mushrooms in, like I sometimes do, it will NOT spoil the dish. Everything else is pretty much available year-round.

Saute the onions and carrots in olive oil for a couple of minutes on medium-low heat, they should be crisp-tender. Add the green beans and mushrooms and saute for a couple of minutes more. Sprinkle with thyme, I usually do 2 pinches, maybe 1/4 teaspoon, this really makes the dish. Add  1/4 cup of water, cover, and steam on low heat for about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper if you wish.

This works for much more than just a side dish for a holiday meal. Any day of the week, alongside grilled salmon is a perfect time to serve it.

3) Root Veggie Bake

My favorite fall dish. Root veggies are in abundance. Red or golden beets, rutabagas, carrots, parsnips, radishes, turnips, potatoes; white, red, or sweet! Any combination will be beautiful as a Thanksgiving side dish.

Select 2 or 3 for visual appeal and of course pick your favorites!

Cut everything in roughly the same size, about 1-1/2″ to 2″ dice. It looks pretty, and the vegetables will cook evenly.

You will want to peel the rutabagas and beets. Rutabagas are hard as rocks, and you can get them as big as a bear cubs’ head. Choose smaller ones. They are easier to handle.

A helpful tip to peeling beets is to parboil them. Just put in a pan of water, bring to a boil and cook for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat, drain and cool. The peeling will almost slip right off. You will be glad you did this if you have ever tried to peel beets.

Spread the vegetables in a single layer on a shallow baking dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and give them a stir to make sure everything is coated evenly.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, and 1/2 teaspoon of Herbes de Provence. Bake at 400° for about 35-40 minutes. Everything should be crispy on the outside but tender inside.

Add one of these easy, vegetable side dishes to your holiday menu. Not only are they simple to make, but delicious and nutritious, as well.