We usually have some raw and some roasted veggies and a variety of pickles. Thinking about roasted broccolini this year. We made a kale salad last year, and that was well received.

I always do a salad and a green vegetable (often plain like broccoli). A few years ago I stumbled on this brussel sprouts recipe and it has been a hit So simple and delish. ( I have seen it also with walnuts added, but I just did the red grapes and brussel sprouts.

Green beans need not be a casserole. I buy the haricot vert and blanch them ahead of time. Just before serving, I heat them in a fry pan with olive oil and garlic...or there are any number of things you can toss the with...almonds or walnuts, I love green beans with thyme, or chopped crisped bacon with a blue cheese crumble...

Our favorite Brussels sprouts recipe can be used with any meal. Especially salmon or poultry.

Birds Eye Steam Fresh Brussels sprouts. Prepare according to package.

Add clementines and dried cranberries, drizzle with honey, toss and serve.

Salt & pepper if desired.

We always have English peas by husband's request. I like steamed broccoli, roasted Brussels sprouts, cabbage, turnip greens, fresh green beans (NOT the casserole), or collards. My MIL always made a dill pickle slaw.

Some great ideas. Asparagus has been on my mind, but not so sure my guests will swoon, brussel sprouts too. They are in the crudite plate I love. Sherry what does dill pickle slaw consist of?

She always made it and had it ready by the time we got there. It was one of the things she always made. By the time I thought to ask her how, she was too bad off with Alzheimer"s to really remember. You couldn't see any pickles, so I think she just used the juice out of a jar of pickles. She sliced the cabbage very thin with a knife and I think soaked it with salted water, then drained. You could taste the grated fresh onion, but not see it. It had mayonnaise and you had to use a slotted spoon to dip out.

It had a completely different taste than any other slaw I had ever had, but I liked it. I need to try and replicate it. I tried one time a few years ago and used hamburger dill pickle juice and that wasn't right.

ETA: I just googled some recipes and several are using milk or buttermilk also. I wonder if that is what I am missing? She used buttermilk all the time.

Brussel sprouts with bacon and maple syrup is my favourite green side dish at the moment.

Also very tasty is blanched snap peas (just boil a couple of minutes, add butter and coarse salt) - so easy, but looks a bit high end - esp. if you add some toasted pine nuts.

Brussel sprouts, either roasted or steamed with my lemon mustard sauce. Or spinach souffle. Creamed spinach works too but is more fuss to make.

Green beans with almond slivers.

You can also slice up some green and yellow squash and saute onion & garlic in olive oil and add a sprinkle of grated parm cheese. Add some slivered almonds...

If you don't want last minute, you can do it a little ahead, put it all in a casserole and keep warm until you're ready to eat.

Ditto to the zucchini and yellow squash with onion. I either add the parm or just season with a bit of lemon pepper.

Also broccoli salad is a big hit around here. I make a recipe from the Bell Buckle (TN) cafe, slightly modified.

Also love the Brussels sprouts salad mix from Costco. Or roast Brussels sprouts, then slightly sauté with a little bacon.

How about a cold broccoli salad? Allrecipes- Bodacious Broccoli Salad. It has bacon, broccoli, cheddar cheese, red onion, with a tangy mayonnaise dressing. It’s really good and make-ahead.

We usually have a couple, always from fresh or frozen. One dish I make some years is a version of English mushy peas, made from fresh peas not dried ones, following an unwritten recipe learned from an English friend long ago. Frozen green peas and a chopped onion intentionally overcooked at a simmer (but not burned) in chicken stock to reduce the liquid and make them easy to mash with a potato masher. I add butter, salt and pepper. With the consistency of loose mashed potatoes, like a vegetable puree. Sometimes a bit of thickener is needed. It's very sweet and tasty.

You obviously need to know who likes what. I agree that green beans can be simple. Steamed, maybe sautéed in brown butter, throw on some almonds and call it done.

What good is making brussel sprouts if people don't like them?

A pretty green vegetable is Romanesco. If it's just "colorful" you want, a medley of red, yellow and orange beets.

Green beans steamed to bright green, then sautéed in butter with salt and pepper for two minutes, then a dash of nutmeg and sauté another minute. So good.

But a cold broccoli salad is nice, too, refreshing alongside all the other dishes.

I've also done simple carrots, a la Cook's magazine recipe. Easy and delicious, especially if the other dishes are complex in flavor.

I think that Brussels sprouts haters have only had them overcooked and bitter. Believe me, I grew up having to eat bitter sprouts. I've changed many, many minds by buying them fresh (not frozen) and roasting or grilling. Even kids often like them when they are prepared properly.

I wholeheartedly agree that a feast really needs green or yellow, fresh vegetables of some kind without a heavy sauce or cans of soup. Green beans are a lifelong favorite of mine. I often add toasted almond slices or slivers or butter braised mushrooms for extra flavor.

I always have a colorful salad to pass around, too. I'll add fresh blueberries, chopped apples, tangerine sections, and toasted walnuts to make a dark green salad something special.

We usually do green beans because they are one of our favorite veggies. We keep it simple, by steaming fresh green beans until just tender. We then daring the beans, toss with butter, salt and pepper and add toasted almond slices at the end. When it's time to serve, I'll sprinkle crispy bacon bits over the top.

Asparagus would be my second choice, but it's often not available in our local market this time of year. Green beans are available year around.

Edit to add a ditto to rhizo's suggestion of mushrooms. I've done that too and it's a very nice addition to green beans.

What about a green salad with apples and pecans? Apples still are a fall fruit to me. Pecans are a fall nut. Just no iceberg lettuce, we prefer Boston Bib or Butter lettuce.

And you can include veggies in the rice dish, add in some onions and bell peppers.

Fresh or frozen peas sautéed with shallots and bacon. I also do roasted brussels sprouts with bacon and a little drizzle of balsamic reduction as a finish.

I am not fond of green beans unless cooked half to death with onion and bacon like Grandma's, but I do like them with a Dijon mustard sauce (which can be used on a variety of vegetables or sautéed greens BTW.) I also, for some reason, dislike nuts in my vegetables, so no almonds.

We like broccoli and brussels sprouts roasted with drippings from the turkey.

Noticed, no one mentioned having mashed yellow turnip (rutabaga) as a Thanksgiving vegetable. It is a very popular veg. In my area. Restaurants sell quarts of it for folks that want to skip the work. For something green I very often make sliced cuccumbers and onion in rice vinegar as an extra vegetable dish. No cooking, easy to make ahead.

green beans, pearl onions,slice almond sauteed in bit oil.

marcopolo, I love rutabaga and usually make it for holiday dinners, but the OP requested green vegetables so that's why I didn't include it.

I have to be honest. We always do a veggie or two or three. This year i hear it will be corn,fried okra (ick) and my broccoli casserole. But they normally just sit there. Who wants veggies when there is a vat of mashed potatoes and another of stuffing and another of gravy? Have to save room for the good stuff, so no room on my plate for veggies. Ill eat them every other day of the year, (except Christmas)

But with chicken I will serve green beans or broccoli , blanched then tossed with butter. I also do roasted brussel sprouts or brussel sprouts with bacon, fried in the bacon fat, with a splash of red wine vinegar and fresh parsley at the end to brighten it up. Maybe roasted butternut squash? Its not green but it is seasonal. I strongly dislike asparagus but lots of my family like it tossed with a little oil, salt and pepper and roasted at a high heat. Again, not green, but I have made a cauliflower gratin that went over very well once.

If you can find fresh okra, grilled okra with salt & pepper. Delicious. I grew some this summer and when I didn't have any producing at the time I would go to the local grocery stores to find some. Never did find any except at a farmer's market once...and they didn't look too good. I'm in the south too. ) : I'm going to grow 3 times as much next year.

I'm sorry but okra served any way is a perfect way to ruin Thanksgiving dinner. No thanks, no how, no way!! The world's most disgusting vegetable, ever! Blech!!

We like the roasted Brussel's Sprouts with maple syrup and bacon. It's best to microwave the bacon for a couple minutes before chopping and adding it to the dish. I've only made them at Thanksgiving using home grown BS that have been frost kissed a few times. They are not bitter at all when frost kissed.

We are also big fans of sauteed green beans with slivered onions, garlic, and baby Portobello mushrooms with a splash of soy sauce. If you prefer the green beans cooked thru rather than crunchy/al dente it's best to steam them for about 5 minutes first. Then add the onions and garlic and sauteed for a few minutes and then add the mushrooms (cut in half or quartered if larger) and soy sauce and sauteed another 3 minutes or so until the shrooms are done thru. About 15 minutes total cooking time. A sprinkle of Parmesan cheese adds a nice finishing touch.

Another fave is broccoli salad with golden raisins, red onion, bacon, and sunflower seeds with a mayo/red wine vinegar dressing. This can and should be made the night before or first thing in the morning to allow the flavors to mesh.

We don't have okra for Thanksgiving but I do like fried okra. It would not be Thanksgiving without candied sweet potatoes for us. The sweet potato casserole is very good, but they all want the candied. Growing up, we did not really celebrate Thanksgiving much, never had turkey till I moved away from home. We usually have several different vegetables, corn, peas, green beans and broccoli, not in casseroles.

Sue

I'm making a broccoli casserole this year.

Creamy Broccoli Casserole

Broccoli Mixture:

1 (14 or 16 oz.) package broccoli florets

1 c. shredded mild or medium cheddar cheese, divided

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup

1/4 c. mayonnaise or sour cream

1/4 c. milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/8 tsp. salt

Topping:

1 1/2 c. Ritz and/or Keebler Club cracker crumbs

(about 1 "sleeve" of crackers

1/4 c. butter, melted

Thaw broccoli and warm broccoli in the microwave for about 5 minutes; drain very well. Cut any large florets into smaller, bite-sized pieces.

In a bowl, combine broccoli, 1/2 cup of the shredded cheddar, cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, milk, egg, and salt. Spoon into a greased 8x8-inch or 9x9-inch baking dish. Top with remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

Stir together cracker crumbs and melted butter until crumbs are moistened. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the broccoli mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 - 50 minutes until bubbly and crumb topping is light golden brown.

Notes:

- Casserole may be prepared ahead. Place the broccoli mixture in the casserole dish, leave off the cracker topping, and refrigerate until ready to bake. Add cracker topping just before baking, and increase baking time to 75 - 80 minutes. Cover loosely with foil part way through baking if crumb topping begins to brown too much.

- Double this recipe to make 9x13-inch pan.

BTW I hate green bean casserole. If I make green beans I just bake them in the oven with some butter, garlic & seasonings.

Awww, Gardengal, you just haven’t eaten okra cooked the right way! M Sue is right, it must be dry-fried and completely dried off before being sliced.

Marilyn Sue, it’s lovely to see you posting. I hope you are doing ok.

Hahaha, that's what they ALL say, sjerin, when I say that I don't like okra! I've had it every way it can be fixed, and won't let myself be suckered in again. I just don't like it.

Marcopolo, I've been making a turnip or rutabaga puff (casserole) for several years and it's become a favorite. I also like to add rutabaga to my potatoes for mashing, or instead of potatoes when braising a roast. My Dad grew it in our large central NYS garden but really came to love those root vegetables after I became a southerner.

Thank you everyone. I think I will go with a lovely box of mixed greens from Aldi's with fruit and nuts added, with a poppy seed dressing. That seems to hit the spot and doesn't compete for oven/stove space. We love green beans too. Fresh from my garden but they are a staple so hoping to jazz things up a bit. One year my brother got a can of okra for Christmas--it had a nice large bill wrapped around it. For the next many years someone got that can. No more bills, however. It never did get opened and I don't think it will this Thanksgiving either!! The broccoli salad is known in my family as Celeste's and it is very will liked. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I am an odd one I guess who likes vegetables in their more natural state and not camouflaged with a heavy sauce or made into a recipe that is so full of other things you miss the flavor of the actual vegetable. A little butter, olive oil and/or garlic at times for some is fine. For Thanksgiving I dress up green beans with slivered almonds. Vegetables cooked properly (not overcooked into mush) whether roasted, steamed or sauteed taste fine to me without all the cover-ups.

I adore okra. Fixed any way you care too.

We do green beans. I either do them "Southern" which means cooking a little longer or blanche them and then sautee them before serving. Either way, they're fresh not frozen or canned. You can buy great beans at Costco!

I like fried okra too but am trying to eat healthier and so have been putting my veggies in the toaster oven and "grilling them". Found out okra is wonderful this way.

I had pickled okra in New Orleans and liked that, but have hated it in gumbo and such. Maybe I will try it like Kathsgrdn prepares it -- if I like it, then I will have to change my tune from "I like all vegetables except okra!"

I love good fried oma but for Thanksgiving dinner? Just no..

I'm not crazy about plain boiled okra, but any other way, yes. Frozen okra has been blanched and isn't slimy, which is what most people complain about. One of my favorite ways to fix it is okra and tomatoes, cooked with onion, bell peppers, and bacon, served over rice. But I usually think of it as a summer vegetable, not something for Thanksgiving. But I do put it in gumbo.

Carrots are usually included in our Thanksgiving dinner in some form. Sometimes it is a component of another dish or it may be carrots alone.

Haven’t read the responses so I apologize if this was suggested already but my family loved when I made Green Bean Bundles a couple of years ago. There are several recipes on Pinterest some with sweeter options than others. I did the prep the night before stopping after they were wrapped in the bacon and then I roasted them the next day. They’re easy to make, pretty for the table and yummy!

I'd fix a pot of green beans. Buy the fresh ones and put some onions in with it while it cooks.

Y'all have made me realize that I have forgotten all about okra! I love it and have not fixed it since I moved to Ohio. My husband is very picky and okra would be a big fat NO NO for him!

Something I’ve been doing that my family loves. They’re a bit more adventurous than the family I grew up with. (Mom, Dad and siblings.). I’ve been quick steaming or baking spaghetti squash and sautéing it with a bit of red pepper, mild onion or shallots and pea pods, either the cut up sugar snap peas or the pea pods you find in the Asian section of the produce aisle. I add seasonings and do a quick stir fry. Butter, not oil, salt, pepper and something like a bit of Italian spice blend or preferably fresh basil and garlic. I add a lot of garlic. It’s very colourful and good. I make it earlier in the day and reheat to serve. Nuking is fine. Only caution I have is to make sure the squash is still on the crispy side.

Green veggies at Thanksgiving:

Leafy green salad with cukes, onions, whatever.

Brussels sprouts, maybe with bits of bacon (NO MAPLE SYRUP).

String beans with pearl onions.

PS I love okra, but prefer it sautéed rather than fried.

I saw a recipe by Carla Hall for quick pickled apple slices, green beans and turnip. I might try it for one of our sides.

I agree with you, Watchmelol, unadulterated! I prefer most foods without sauces, dips, butter, cheese, etc. I just want the food, as is.

Raee...pickled apple slices, green beans and turnip....all together??

Let us know how that goes over. ;)

.

I do several green vegetables; cheesy spinach bake, green bean bundles, roasted brussels sprouts are always included. There is always a salad too, favorite salads are kale, or red cabbage and cranberry