ColumbiaMagazine.com
Printed from:

Welcome to Columbia Magazine  
 

































 
Old-fashioned holiday side dishes have timeless taste

Maybe you still make the so-called old-fashioned Thanksgiving side dishes -- or maybe you haven't tasted them since you were a child. In any case, it might be time to give those dishes a second act for the holiday and through the leftovers this weekend.

Vintage side dishes had the sweet quality of making everyday foods special. Peas? Make them creamy. Carrots, make them candied. Green beans? Put them in a creamy casserole. Spinach? Creamy with cheese. And, suddenly, an ordinary food becomes special.


A candy glaze for carrots
To put a fancy candy glaze on carrots is super easy. Simply melt 1/4 cup brown sugar and a 1/4 cup butter in a pan, stirring until you create a smooth brown sauce. Spread the glaze over cooked carrots and toss.

A creamy base for peas
You can easily make creamed peas with a simple white sauce.

Melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium high heat in a medium sized saucepan.

Next, whisk 3 tablespoons all purpose flour into the butter until incorporated and smooth.

Slowly whisk in 2 cups whole milk and cook, stirring frequently, over medium high heat until the mixture has thickened, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add 4 cups frozen peas and cook, stirring frequently, until the peas are heated through, about 4 minutes.

Stir in 1/4 cup heavy cream and check for seasonings.

Garnish with chopped chives or dill.

Mashed turnips
For centuries turnips have been known as the food of the poor, but they do have some rich qualities. First among them: They are low fat, low carb and low calorie. One medium turnip has 34 calories, 8 grams carbohydrates, and .1 gram total fat.

To make mashed turnips, peel them and cut them into small cubes, boil until tender, and mash. You can boil a potato with the turnips, to add to the mash. Try adding 2 tablespoons of cream cheese to the mash with butter, and seasoning.


This story was posted on 2025-11-28 10:16:21
Printable: this page is now automatically formatted for printing.
Have comments or corrections for this story? Use our contact form and let us know.



 































 
 
Quick Links to Popular Features


Looking for a story or picture?
Try our Photo Archive or our Stories Archive for all the information that's appeared on ColumbiaMagazine.com.

 

Contact us: Columbia Magazine and columbiamagazine.com are published by Linda Waggener and Pen Waggener, PO Box 906, Columbia, KY 42728.
Phone: 270.403.0017


Please use our contact page, or send questions about technical issues with this site to webmaster@columbiamagazine.com. All logos and trademarks used on this site are property of their respective owners. All comments remain the property and responsibility of their posters, all articles and photos remain the property of their creators, and all the rest is copyright 1995-Present by Columbia Magazine. Privacy policy: use of this site requires no sharing of information. Voluntarily shared information may be published and made available to the public on this site and/or stored electronically. Anonymous submissions will be subject to additional verification. Cookies are not required to use our site. However, if you have cookies enabled in your web browser, some of our advertisers may use cookies for interest-based advertising across multiple domains. For more information about third-party advertising, visit the NAI web privacy site.