Thanksgiving Part 2
side dishes with main character energy
Welcome to Part 2 of my Thanksgiving Series!
If you remember in part 1, I had mentioned I would not be making a turkey this year. WELL I’m eating my words because the group chat has spoken and a turkey is wanted. So there is currently a 20 pound bird defrosting while you are reading this.
Since I’m preparing the bird THIS Friday, I do plan to make a very small segment in a later newsletter of tips/tricks or quite possibly a recap of how I ruined Friendsgiving with a dry turkey. Stay tuned to find out!
Moving on to why you’re really here!
The First Round of Side Dishes!
Personally, the side dishes are the main character of any Thanksgiving/ Friendsgiving that I’ve gone to. There’s nothing more satisfying than loading up a takeout box full of leftovers to munch on when you get home.
The recipes for part 2 include French Onion Mac and Cheese, and Gnocchi “Stuffing”
Amazon Shopping links:
*I will be making some gift guides, I’m hoping to get those out next week! Let me know if there is a specific guide you would like to see!*
French Onion Mac and Cheese
First things First, Lets talk about Mac and Cheese in the general terms.
My rule of thumb is to always start with a roux. It helps make a silky creamy smooth sauce.
don’t make it the night before- unless you really have to! If making in advance keep the cheese sauce separate in the refrigerator. Then the following day reheat over low heat, once warmed stir in the pasta, top with cheese and then bake.
don’t use pre shredded cheese, it won’t melt correctly.
don’t make it in a cast iron- cheese sauce loves low heat, a cast iron can get way too hot and curdle your sauce. Low and Slow wins the race.
Use the right types of cheese. I like using a creamy cheese, a sharp cheese and a stretchy cheese (for the cheese pull).
Use the right pasta shape- Elbows, Shell-bows and Corkscrew are my favorite. I used ziti for this recipe (because apparently I didn’t pay close enough attention to my grocery list). It worked well, but not as ideal as the others!
French Onion Mac and Cheese Recipe
Prep Time: 20-30 Minutes (depending on your arm strength and cheese grater)
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes -You can make the caramelized onions ahead of time to cut down on time!
Servings: 8-10
Homemade Breadcrumbs Ingredients:
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Kristen Faith Eats to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.