Side

Swap in veggie stock and make all your vegetarian relations happy.

Prettiest when not piled too high; divide the salad over two platters and put one at each end of the table.

We thought mashed potatoes' stock plummeted on Day 2—until we had these croquettes. Crispy yet creamy, potatoes might be better as leftovers.

Vibrant greens, handfuls of fresh herbs, nuts for crunch, and horseradish for bite. Ingredients are suggestions; feel free to mix it up.

A colorful and spicy (but not fiery!) side breaks up all the heavy, rich dishes on the table.

A silky, subtly sweet little number that makes fall vegetables feel downright swanky.

When shopping for this sunchokes recipe, you may find them under the name Jerusalem artichokes. Balsamic vinegar smacks some sass into them.

Store-bought cornbreads can be very sweet; taste before using, or omit the sugar from your favorite recipe.

Cutting endive into long, layered spears gives it an elegant look.

A Spanish twist on brussels and bacon done in the style of a stir-fry. Wait till the last minute to pull this dish together, but have everything prepped and ready to go ahead of time.

You will fight your own relatives for the bits of cheesy goodness stuck to the bottom of the pan. Learn how to make this recipe in this video.

If you like stuffing with smoked oysters, you’ll like it even more with tart lemons on top.

Parsnip, a vegetable usually roasted or puréed, is crunchy, sweet, and delicious raw. Who knew? Plus, learn how to master the mandoline.

Parsnips are naturally sweet and not too starchy, which makes for an ultra-silky mash.

Turmeric or cinnamon? Nuts or raisins? The players may change, but the fundamentals of fluffy, fragrant jasmine rice pilaf are always the same.

Chef Naomi Pomeroy prefers to serve salad at the end of the meal; with this one, you get a bit of a cheese course at the same time.

Preheating the pan helps the leeks take on some color; cooking at a lower temperature ensures they're fully tender.

A palate-cleansing fennel salad to balance rich pork and hearty sides.

Cream of tartar is optional, but it keeps the sugar from crystallizing, making this caramel foolproof.

Loaded with fresh herbs and sturdy kale and then set off by a bright and spicy dressing, this salad from Hot Joy is an ideal counterpoint to the more decadent dishes on the table.

Jaew is a tart, smoky dipping sauce from Thailand, usually served with grilled meats and sausages. Hot Joy chef Quealy Watson takes it to a Tex-Mex place in this eggy, cheesy rice dish that might remind you of nachos (it works). Watch the step-by-step video here.

Onions are loaded with umami flavor, as are anchovies, mushrooms, and Worcestershire sauce. Together, they make this dip especially hard to resist.

Bright, herbal, and sharp, this comically simple condiment is just what you want alongside braised meat.

Because the dough for this pita bread recipe has a relatively short rising time, it can be made while the lamb braises. Turn up the oven and bake the pita while you’re reducing the braising liquid on the stove-top; the timing will come out perfectly.