Hello and welcome back to The Stone Soup Cook–I’m really glad you’re here!
Today, I’m exploring more alternatives to traditional Thanksgiving side dishes. Yesterday’s post featured hasselback potatoes as an alternative to mashed potatoes.
Today, I’d like to suggest Mac and Trees as another alternative to mashed potatoes, or even to green bean casserole:
This year, while visiting my parents in Texas, I did a lot of cooking for my mom and learned, to my dismay, that she doesn’t like broccoli. We ate a lot of broccoli when I was growing up, and I always liked it. Turns out, my dad liked it, but mom–not so much. She does, however, like cheese–a lot…and chocolate…but that’s another story and totally beside the point.
I came up with this recipe for “Mac and Trees” that is basically just macaroni and cheese with pancetta (or bacon) and broccoli. And suddenly–mom LOVES broccoli. Ha! all it took was lots of cheese and, well–everything’s better with bacon, am I right?
This dish really couldn’t be simpler to make and while not so great made ahead of time, will certainly come together quickly while other things are in the oven. It’s also something that could be delegated out to a willing niece or nephew to make while you’re working on the gravy or pulling the turkey out of the oven. I have read that there is a way to make mac and cheese ahead of time without it turning into mush, but I’ve never tried it. I will explore further and report back if I find a reliable method.
Tune in tomorrow for more fun with Thanksgiving traditions both new and old–
Until then,
Peace, love and good food,
Keri
