Thank you for reading Between the Layers! Please enjoy and share this free post with your friends. The Best Part of Thanksgiving is Sides! - No. 254A cheesy, creamy spinach gratin complements the bird, plus loads of side dish links and a Lessons in Chemistry lasagna coming Thursday
MY MOTHER HAD THIS QUIRKY ‘60S RECIPE where you hollowed out tomatoes and filled them with Stouffer’s spinach souffle, then baked until bubbly. You know it? It was chic in those days of shirtwaist dresses and shortcut recipes. No one ever guessed the secret filling came right from the freezer. Back before bags of fresh leaves of spinach were so abundant, spinach was mostly frozen or worse, canned. I recall when my mother forced my older sister to take one bite of canned spinach, and she spit it across the table towards me. (There is something to say about being second born, the younger dining table voyeur as your older sibling is guinea pig to mom’s culinary experimentation.) To say it didn’t go down well for my mother and sister is an understatement. But it achieved what we children had lobbied for—that we would never again be subjected to canned spinach. So when Stouffer’s arrived with spinach melded in a revolutionary cheesy sauce, and obviously eggs in the mixture, too, so it would rise in the oven like a souffle, spinach was back on the menu in dips and sides, which surely inspired the recipe I share today.
Thanksgiving is so much about side dishesYou may stress over the turkey and dressing, and the gravy, but once you have roasted the bird following package directions, you’ll find it’s pretty forgiving. As long as the turkey is cooked through, and it has perfumed the house, no one but a CIA chef cares if you overcook it as long as you have gravy. And only grandmas like me stuff turkeys these days because we don’t listen to food safety experts warning against it. We know the stuffing tastes better when it’s been cooked inside the bird. It’s softer, too. We also make dressing for those who like the crispy edges. And we remember to break down the turkey after Thanksgiving—pulling the leftover meat from the bones and tossing it in a big Ziploc for sandwiches. We clean the carcass of stuffing and place it in another Ziploc for soup. Remind me to write about the missing turkey carcass… In fact, the Thanksgiving meal’s beauty is the timeless way it pulls together heirloom sides like homemade yeast rolls, a favorite of my granddaughter who likes to get her hands in the dough, and more inventive and newer recipes. Joy’s Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad is a breath of fresh air, and after my daughter took it to her in-laws’ family Thanksgiving, they requested it each year. It is now the Thanksgiving salad!
Sides also remind you of Thanksgiving pasts and people no longer at the table. We make scalloped oysters in honor of my mother-in-law who knew exactly how many fresh oysters to order. I remember to pour turkey drippings over the dressing before it goes in the oven because my mother told me that was the secret to great dressing. And if you are a vegetarian then you already know that sides enable Thanksgiving—or a winter potluck—to feed everyone. They are like one of Anna Maria Horner’s dazzling patchwork quilts offering textures and colors that when spread on the table turn the most revered meal of the year into a visual masterpiece. On a deeper level, they remind us that in spite of our differences, we have much in common. If there was a year to embrace someone else’s favorite side, this is it. And desserts like Steve’s Pecan Pie count as sides, too!
The cheesy spinach gratinYears back I was in Raleigh, North Carolina, on tour. And my friend, the talented Sheri Castle, was driving me to book signings. We got to talking about recipes, which is easy to do when you’re in the car with someone all day. I asked Sheri what her go-to recipe was to take places like potlucks or dinner parties, and she said spinach gratin. It wasn’t just any spinach gratin, she said, but one packed with spinach and cream, Parmesan and nutmeg, and the delightful twist of a few jalapeño peppers sautéed with onion. Those peppers bring a nice kick, and her recipe partners well with grilled steaks, fish, and roasted turkey. I use frozen spinach, not fresh, in the recipe because it’s just more affordable, and by the time you bake it in the cheesy sauce, who cares? My best advice for Thanksgiving is to plan your menu now. The meal, as we learn, is about timing. People will say it’s the turkey, but it’s orchestrating the sides, from the gravy to the cranberry or bing cherry Jell-O salad to the desserts. It’s suiting everyone’s taste preferences, getting the food on the table, and not forgetting to express yourself, too.
What is your favorite Thanksgiving side or best tip? (I promise a prize for the best comment!)- xo, Anne Coming this Thursday for Paid Subscribers: Lessons in Chemistry LasagnaMy take on Elizabeth Zott’s lasagna. Have you read the book? Seen the Apple+ series? Grab your pencils, and let’s get started! And children, go set the table…
THE RECIPE: Sheri’s Cheesy Spinach GratinThe recipe is all about the nuances. The jalapeño peppers are optional, but they are so good! For tamer palates, add a dash of cayenne pepper instead. You can absolutely substitute kale for the spinach, and other flavors I like to incorporate are garlic, added along with the onions, and lemon zest along with the nutmeg. I use freshly grated nutmeg because it makes a big difference and stays much fresher in your spice cabinet than ground. And add the best Parmesan you can afford and grate it yourself—please, not the pre-shredded plastic-like pellets! This recipe doubles well in a 13- by 9-inch dish for a crowd. Makes 8 servings
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