While turkey takes up the most real estate on the Thanksgiving table, it’s the side dishes that so many of us go back to for seconds and thirds. Sure, the standard sides are repeats year after year for a reason, but this holiday might be a good time to mix it up.
We asked some local chefs to share their unique spins on traditional Thanksgiving sides, with offerings ranging from a Brit-leaning vegetable dish to sweet potatoes with a Mexican twist.
A different spin on sweet potatoes
When it comes to Chicago’s Mexican restaurant scene, chef Geno Bahena has cred to spare. His moles are legendary, including at his newest spot, as is his commitment to sharing the culture and cuisine of his native country with the one he calls home.
That’s the approach he took with his unique take on this classic Thanksgiving dish. By swapping out those ubiquitous baby marshmallows for a smoky, deeply flavorful salsa macha, he takes sweet potato puree into savory territory. More layers of flavors come courtesy of toasted sesame seeds and peanuts. Bonus: The salsa macha can be made days ahead of the holiday and is shelf stable.
Recognizing that not everyone likes their food spicy, Bahena dialed down the salsa’s inherent heat.
“I wanted to do something that complements the dish as opposed to something that people are afraid of,” he says. “Once you taste it, you’ll want to keep adding more and more.”
And should you have any leftover salsa macha, it goes great on anything, he adds.
Mexican-Style Sweet Potatoes (Camotes a la Mexicana) with Salsa Macha
Mexican-Style Sweet Potatoes (Camotes a la Mexicana)
Servings: 2-4
Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes (camotes), scrubbed and halved or cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil (or neutral oil)
1 teaspoon chile powder (or a mix of ancho and chipotle powder)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional but delicious)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons Mexican crema or sour cream
2 tablespoons cotija cheese or queso fresco, crumbled
Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Cut the sweet potatoes into cubes or wedges.
Toss with olive oil, chile powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper.
Spread the sweet potatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Roast 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway, until tender and caramelized at the edges.
Mash with a potato masher to get that rustic smashed potatoes texture.
To finish and serve, drizzle with lime juice and Mexican crema.
Sprinkle with cotija and cilantro.
Top with a spoonful of salsa macha for smoky heat!
Salsa Macha con Pasilla y Morita
Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients
8 dried pasilla chiles, stems removed
5 dried morita chiles, stems removed
1 cup olive oil (or mix with neutral oil if you prefer a lighter flavor)
3-4 garlic cloves, peeled
¼ cup peanuts
¼ cup sesame seeds
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon honey — to balance the smokiness, optional
Directions
Prepare the chiles by removing the stems (and some seeds if you want it milder). Tear into small pieces for even frying.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic cloves and cook until golden brown (1-2 minutes). The goal is to infuse, not fry hard — keep the oil gentle. Remove and set aside.
Add peanuts and fry until lightly golden. Remove and set aside.
Add sesame seeds and toast just until fragrant (about 20 seconds). Remove and set aside.
Add pasilla and morita chiles to the oil. Fry for 20-30 seconds, stirring constantly — just until they puff and darken slightly. (Do not let them burn — burnt chiles taste bitter.)
In a blender or food processor, combine the fried chiles, garlic, peanuts, sesame seeds, salt and honey (if using). Add some of the infused oil and blend to your desired texture — coarse or smoother.
Add more oil if needed for a pourable, chile-oil consistency.
Transfer to a clean jar. Let it cool completely before sealing.
Store in the fridge for up to 1 month. The flavor improves after a day or two.
Cauliflower shines in cozy, cheesy dish
Growing up, proper Sunday roasts were a regular thing for Hawksmoor Corporate Chef David Perez even though he didn’t live in the U.K. It was a delicious by-product of the London roots of his mother’s side of the family. Included in those weekly suppers was cauliflower cheese, a dish dating back to the Victorian era.
“It’s such a nostalgic dish for me,” says Perez.
Besides its cozy factor, cauliflower cheese also pairs well with roasted game and meats. Plus, Perez adds, “How better to make people eat cauliflower than to put cheese all over it?”
When preparing the dish, Perez suggests cutting the florets small, which makes for easier eating. To release excess water from the florets, toss them with a small amount of butter and put in the oven for a few minutes post-blanching. Also, he recommends using good quality cheeses.
“This dish is all about balance of ingredients,” says Perez. “It’s a great way to honor such an amazing vegetable.”
Cauliflower Cheese
Servings: 4
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of cauliflower florets, about one small head of cauliflower
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Stilton cheese, grated (alternatively, use Gorgonzola or Roquefort)
1/3 cup good cheddar, grated
1/3 cup Ogleshield cheese, grated (alternatively, use raclette or Gruyere)
A pinch each of sea salt, white pepper and ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cup block mozzarella, diced
1/3 cup Parmesan, grated
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Rub a 10-x-12-inch baking dish, or individual dishes, with the garlic.
Bring a pot of water to boil, and quickly blanch the cauliflower florets until just cooked. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, bring the milk just to a foamy boil, then reduce the heat to low and keep warm. In another saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat.
Whisk the flour into the butter off the heat and continue until smooth and a pale “roux” has formed. Return the saucepan to a medium heat, then, while whisking steadily, ladle the hot milk into the roux, a cupful at a time, completely incorporating all the liquid before adding the next cupful.
After all the milk has been added, continue to whisk until the sauce thickens and is bubbling gently (about 2 minutes). Add the Stilton, Cheddar, Ogleshield, salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir until all the cheese has completely melted.
Mix the cooked cauliflower with the cheese sauce while still warm, fold in the diced mozzarella, and pour into the baking dish immediately, before the mozzarella melts. Bake in the oven for 8 minutes.
Mix together the grated Parmesan and panko breadcrumbs and sprinkle on the top. Return to the oven and bake for another 8 minutes, or until golden brown.
Green beans with an unexpected twist
Before she opened the West Loop’s Duck Duck Goat, chef Stephanie Izard traveled throughout China, sampling as many dishes and ingredients as she could as research for her restaurant. One of her favorites? Umami-rich black bean sauce, a staple in China.
“It’s one of those flavors that not everyone cooks with, so I love introducing it at Thanksgiving,” she says. “The dish brings something new to the table while still feeling familiar and craveable, which is exactly what I want at Thanksgiving.”
On the menu at DDG since it opened in 2016, her Asian-inspired green beans offer an unexpected twist on green bean casserole with cashews providing the crunch of the crispy onions. The dish’s aromatics are flash fried until fragrant and then tossed with the black bean sauce, which allows the green beans to soak up all that garlicky, savory goodness.
Green Beans with Black Bean Sauce and Cashews
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
For the green beans
3 cups green beans, trimmed
Kosher salt (for blanching water)
Neutral oil (for frying or sautéing)
2 tablespoons black bean garlic sauce (recipe follows or store-bought)
12 roasted salted cashews (about 15 grams)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
For the crispy toppings
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic (about 3 grams), thinly sliced
Rice flour (for dredging shallots)
Neutral oil for frying
Directions
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook for 2 minutes. Immediately put in ice water to retain color. Once cooled, drain and pat dry thoroughly.
To fry the shallots and garlic, heat neutral oil to 250 F in a small pan.
Toss shallots lightly in rice flour and fry for 2 minutes, until golden and crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Fry the sliced garlic in the same oil at 250 F until light golden. Remove and drain.
To cook the green beans, heat a bit of neutral oil in a large pan or wok over high heat.
Add blanched green beans and cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute, tossing until lightly blistered.
Add black bean garlic sauce, cashews and a splash of soy sauce; toss to coat.
To finish and serve, transfer to a plate and top with crispy shallots and garlic. Serve hot.
For the black bean garlic sauce
Yield: 3 cups
Ingredients
½ cup neutral oil (canola, vegetable or rice bran)
1 cup garlic cloves, minced (about 2 bulbs)
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1 bunch scallions (6-8), chopped
2-3 red chiles or 1 tablespoon chile flakes
2 tablespoons chile oil (optional)
½ cup Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ cup light soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
6 tablespoons fermented black beans, rinsed and lightly mashed
Directions
Heat neutral oil in a heavy skillet or saucepan over medium-low.
Add garlic, ginger and scallions; cook gently for 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until soft and fragrant but not browned.
Stir in chiles, chile oil, Shaoxing wine, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil and fermented black beans. Simmer on low for 10 minutes to meld flavors.
For a smoother texture, pulse briefly in a blender or food processor (keep it a little chunky).
Let cool completely. Store in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or freeze in small portions for longer storage.
Making the most out of what’s on hand
Early on in her career, chef Dominique Leach worked for a boss where every teaspoon mattered. Later, with mentors like Spiaggia’s Tony Mantuano, Leach learned the culinary art of simplicity and of making the most of what’s on hand.
“A few fresh ingredients, organic if you can, that complement each other. That’s how I like to cook,” says Leach. It’s a cooking style that serves her well at her South Side restaurant and in 2023 on the Food Network’s “BBQ Brawl” where she took home the top prize.
This brisket baked bean dish is a good example of that. While Leach makes the beans, brisket and barbecue sauce from scratch, you don’t have to. What’s important, she says, is giving the ingredients time to macerate together and allowing the sugar to melt.
“If I’m working the register, I tell people you should really try our beans,” she says. “They’re my favorite side.”
Brisket Baked Beans
Servings: 10
Ingredients
6 cups cooked pinto beans
1 cup Memphis-style barbecue sauce
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup chopped caramelized onions (recipe follows)
2 cups chopped brisket, store bought or homemade (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Combine all ingredients in a baking pan. Mix well.
Bake for 30 minutes. Enjoy hot.
For the caramelized onions
Ingredients
1 onion, sliced
Vegetable oil
Butter
Salt and pepper
Directions
Coat a stainless-steel pan with vegetable oil. Allow the pan to get very hot. When smoke releases from the oil, add the onion to the pan. Sauté until onions are translucent and caramelized, about 5 minutes.
Finish in a pan with a dollop of whole butter and season with salt and pepper.
For the brisket
Ingredients
10 pounds brisket
1 cup of spice or barbecue rub of your choice
Directions
Trim excess fat off of brisket.
Season the brisket with barbecue rub. Cover the brisket completely.
Light your smoker according to the smoker’s instructions. (Leach recommends a mix of apple and smoke wood).
Smoke the brisket at 240 F for 10 hours.
Remove the brisket from the smoker. Wrap the brisket in aluminum foil or butcher paper, your preference.
Let the brisket rest for 1 hour or more.
Enjoy hot, chopped or sliced.
Save brisket scraps for baked beans.
A sweet and savory side
This Jewish dish might not be the first thing you think of for Thanksgiving, but Manny’s Deli owner Dan Raskin thinks you should give it a try.
“It’s been one of my favorite dishes since I was a little kid,” he says. This sweet-and-savory dish has been a longtime hit at the South Loop deli, which has been around since 1942, and is now helmed by the fourth generation of the Raskin family.
But don’t just take Raskin’s word for it. Manny’s noodle kugel was praised by Ted Allen on the Food Network’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” He called it “like a hug from your bubbe” (that’s grandmother to non-Yiddish speakers).
It’s a simple recipe but there are some rules that should be followed. Spraying the pan is a must, says Raskin, while cooking the kugel in a water bath will prevent the noodles from burning. Not a raisin fan? Diced drained canned peaches can be used instead.
Noodle Kugel
Serves: 8
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds extra-wide egg noodles
2 ½ cups granulated sugar
6 extra-large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons iodized table salt
12 ounces cottage cheese, large curd recommended
1 ½ cups unsalted butter, melted
2 cups sour cream
½ cup golden raisins (optional)
Directions
Boil noodles according to package directions and drain well. Let cool.
Add in sugar, eggs, salt, cottage cheese, butter, sour cream and golden raisins (if using) in a mixing bowl.
Coat a 11-x-13-inch casserole with nonstick cooking spray.
Cover with foil and bake in a water bath for 70 minutes, uncovering for the last 20 minutes. Serve.
Soup’s on
If you’re coursing out your Thanksgiving feast, here are a couple of soup recipes to whet your guests’ appetites before the main event (and sides).
A plant-based soup made with love
Love will make a person do a lot of things. For chef Rodolfo Cuadros, it pushed him to explore meatless cooking when he began dating his vegan girlfriend, now wife. That eventually led to the opening of his vegan and gluten-free restaurant in Wicker Park that features dishes like his squash and corn soup.
This creamy soup is full of umami thanks to the Mexican delicacy huitlacoche — look for it in the canned goods section or frozen foods at Mexican markets — and earthy aromatics courtesy of saffron and smoked paprika. Caramelized onions add a subtle sweetness. The croutons are a must to provide a contrasting texture to the velvety broth.
While Cuadros’ version takes advantage of his chef skills, he stresses presentation is only a small part of the dish.
“As long as you’re cooking with love for the people you care about, it’s going to be great,” he says.
Squash and Corn Soup with Sourdough Croutons and Huitlacoche Crema
Servings: 6-8
Ingredients
For the soup
6 ears fresh corn, kernels removed (reserve the cobs)
16 ounces (454 grams) butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 large Spanish onion, diced
8 cloves garlic, chopped
4 ounces (113 grams) plant-based butter or margarine
6 cups vegetable broth
Small pinch saffron
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
3 cups water
Optional: 1 tablespoon vegan “chicken” base
Salt to taste
Olive oil, for sautéing
Chef’s note: The additional water helps achieve a final yield of about 2 liters (2 quarts) after simmering and blending. Depending on evaporation during cooking, you may slightly reduce or increase it to adjust consistency.
For the huitlacoche crema
4 ounces (113 grams) huitlacoche (fresh, frozen, or canned)
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
2 ounces (60 milliliters) olive oil
6 ounces (170 grams) vegan sour cream
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 ounce (30 milliliters) fresh lime juice
Salt to taste
For the sourdough croutons
Ingredients
2 cups diced sourdough bread
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
Directions
In a large pot, combine the reserved corn cobs, vegetable broth, saffron, turmeric, smoked paprika, water and vegan chicken base (if using).
Bring to a gentle simmer over low heat and cook for 1 hour to infuse flavor.
Strain and set the broth aside.
In a clean pot, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat.
Add the chopped garlic and toast until golden brown, about 1 minute.
Add the diced onion and cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the butternut squash, corn kernels and plant-based butter. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often.
Pour in the reserved corn broth and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes, or until the squash is tender.
Remove from heat and allow the soup to cool slightly.
Using a hand blender (or in batches with a regular blender), blend until completely smooth.
Season to taste with salt and adjust consistency as desired with a little more water or broth.
To prepare the huitlacoche crema, heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the sliced onions and sauté, stirring every 10 seconds, until they develop a deep, dark honey color — this may take 10-12 minutes depending on the pan and heat level. The onions should be deeply caramelized before adding any other ingredients.
Lower the heat slightly and add the huitlacoche. Cook gently for another 3 minutes until fragrant.
Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
Add the lime juice and vegan sour cream, then blend with a hand blender until smooth.
Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
To make the sourdough croutons, preheat the oven to 375 F.
Toss the sourdough cubes with olive oil and salt.
Spread on a baking sheet and toast for 10-12 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden and crisp.
To serve, ladle the warm soup into bowls. Drizzle generously with the huitlacoche crema and top with a handful of sourdough croutons. Garnish with microgreens or a few fresh corn kernels if desired.
Green plantain soup an easy-to-make starter
Chicago-born chef Eric Roldan moved to Puerto Rico as a child after his mother died. There, his grandmother would often make green plantain soup when he was under the weather. For him, this hearty, easy-to-make starter is all about family, which, come to think about it, is what Thanksgiving is about.
“We’ve been doing this soup since we opened two-and-a-half years ago,” says Roldan, who named his Uptown restaurant after his mother. He’s tried to swap in other soups, but customer demand has made it a regular menu item.
Popular in the mountain areas of the island, the good-for-you soup can be made a few days ahead, crucial when stove-top real estate is in high demand the day of and before Thanksgiving. To make the quick-cooking soup come together even faster, Roldan recommends cutting the plantains into small pieces.
“Marina’s is an oasis of great memories of my family,” says Rodan. “It’s important to me to keep our traditions and culture alive.”
Green Plantain Soup
Servings: 4
Ingredients
3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 green plantains, cut into small slices
1/2 medium green pepper, roughly cut
1/2 medium red onion, cut in half
1 Yukon or any yellow potato
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch of cilantro, leaves only, roughly cut
Salt and pepper to taste
Finely chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley flat-leaf, or any brand of crispy fried onions, for garnish (optional)
Directions
Put all ingredients into a large soup pot and boil over medium heat, about 25 minutes.
To determine doneness, the color of plantain should change to yellow and be fork-tender.
Carefully put the hot mixture into the food processor or use a stick blender to puree. Soup will keep for two days in the refrigerator.