Oh! Shit! I have guests coming over for Thanksgiving dinner and I forgot ________. Yeah, this happens to plenty of folks, and there’s only so much time in the day to prep something magnificent for your upcoming influx of guests. Don’t worry. Trader Joe’s has you covered with their fresh sides that will save you all of those precious seconds you’ll need to get everything ready and impress those folks looking to feast. First up is the Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes that will keep you from having to peel a few sweet potatoes and keep you from going to the oven again to roast these yourself. They’re a perfectly suitable substitution and with the additions of cranberries and pecans make a delicious side dish to accompany your beautifully roasted turkey.
Next, is just about my favorite dish and I know would be missed at just about any Thanksgiving dinner with my family. The combination of cheese and potatoes is one of the most simple dishes on the planet and the real nemesis in creating this dish lies in the preparation of those pesky potatoes. Well, save your wrist and put away that potato peeler, because these Scalloped Potatoes from TJ’s is just what you’ll need to keep those tasty tubers covered in cheese on the table. I’ll attest that this quick side will easily satisfy anyone who is expecting a good scalloped potato dish to rest on their plate with the other dishes piled on your plate. I could hardly even disparage the difference between these and the ones I make myself.
To tell you the truth, my family has never been the fancy type to prepare a gratin for Thanksgiving dinner. However, I’m fully aware that this dish isn’t the type of thing that you can just whip up in a few minutes. Sure you can save yourself some time by grabbing the greens chopped and seasoned bread crumbs with Parmesan cheese . But, why deal with all of that when you can buy a perfectly acceptable pre-made Three Greens Gratin from your local neighborhood grocery store and save a little bit of labor on your end. This dish is very reminiscent of spanakopita with out the pastry dough and with the creamy greens mixing with the crunch of the crusty topping, this may just be a new tradition at my dinner table.
Stuffing is the ultimate staple for this meal. There’s no Thanksgiving without stuffing and if you seriously forgot to make this dish, or just didn’t have the time, shame on you. I ended up finding a quick fix for this dilemma with this fresh dish. It has plenty of flavor and is perfectly prepared for you to look like a champ and toss this onto the dinner table to accompany your turkey dinner. I prefer my stuffing with a little sausage in the mix, and this dish does just that by adding lean chicken sausage. I was even craving this Chicken Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing so much, that I took it home and had it for a snack before dinner. I, also, picked up something to accompany it. and here’s how it went:
As you can see to the left of the screen, there was a new seasonal item sitting among these sides that I just had to pair up with my stuffing. This Spiced Cranberry Pomegranate Relish caught my eye as the pomegranate would surely add some crunchy texture to the tart relish. I could already taste this combo in my mouth and the drive home was filled with visions of Thanksgiving dinner. Luckily, I was about to get a preview. I would typically, follow the instructions for baking the stuffing as the little bit of crust that would form on the edges would be a nice touch. However, I was hungry and loaded it into the microwave for about 3minutes. Once that was done warming up, I plated it and spooned a good amount of this delicious looking relish over on the side. For those who have never mixed their cranberry sauce into their stuffing, you’re missing out. The savory, soft cornbread stuffing soaks in the sweet and tart sauce. The two taste like they were meant for each other, and the pop of the cranberries and the crunch of the pomegranate add their own unique notes to this symphony of flavors. I highly suggest picking this relish up to complement your stuffing, as I have never had any better.
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