5 Easy Unique Side Dishes for Thanksgiving: Kid-Friendly and Cultured
When I think of hands-on fun in the kitchen with my daughter, I know it’s going to involve some kind of chopping, measuring, stirring or getting our hands dirty. This holiday when it’s time to brainstorm appetizers for your family meal, why not do something just a little bit different? These Internationally inspired side dishes and starters are great for pairing with your turkey, duck, turducken or whatever your household puts on the table every year. Get the kids involved and have fun!
Italian-Inspired Charcuterie
Synonymous with dinner parties everywhere, the Italian charcuterie (actually a French word) is the perfect table starter for conversation hour. Before a big feast, I know I often fill up at this stage of the evening because the options are just SO good.
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Great for pre-party shopping, head over to Trader Joe’s, Aldis or the local Farmer’s Markets for the best cheeses and cured meats. Part of the fun is the shopping and dreaming, so have the kids help.
I recommend getting prosciutto from the Publix Deli, simply because they pre-slice and the price can’t be beat compared to the vacuum sealed six-slice portions you’ll find in the fresh foods section. Always check the deli for salami, too!
For proper plating, you’ll need to include things like:
- Tomatoes
- Artichokes
- Olives
- Hard cheese
- Soft cheese
- Stinky cheese
- Prosciutto
- Salami
- One more meat like a coppa, bresaola or a hot style
- Fruit
- Nuts
- Toast points or crackers
The true art of the charcuterie, however, is the organization on the plate. For me, choosing the right cutting board or serving platter is the starting point. Stage the cheeses first, then the meats, and fill in all the gaps on the board with fruit, nuts and crackers. Leave no empty space!
Be sure to include seasonal fruits or even dried fruits. My kid loves dried cranberries! Another good one is dried apricots, where I like to open the apricot at the “seam” and stuff it with soft goat cheese. These little cheese bites are great and kids will enjoy getting their fingers sticky when they help out.
My mom also likes to add cheese markers like in the photo, which can be super cute if your kid enjoys writing signs. Your little artists in the family will love arranging the cheese board, even if they don’t eat everything on it.
The possibilities are truly endless with this one!
Mediterranean Meze Platter
The popular meze platter found in Greek restaurants, Turkish restaurants or many Middle Eastern restaurants is tough to reproduce at home without store-bought ingredients unless you’re a master chef. Really, the meze platter can be described much like a charcuterie platter, where lots of finger foods or dips are arranged in a gorgeous way for snacking.
The key components of a good meze platter include:
- Hummus
- Baba Ganoush (eggplant dip)
- Stuffed Grape Leaves
- Olives
- Tzatziki
- Pita Bread
Occasionally you will see feta cheese, vegetables and peppers, garlic and other fruits of the land. Think colorful.
Older kids can assist in cutting vegetables and arranging their masterpiece on a big platter for grazing. Store bought hummus and dips are easy and can be transferred to cheerful bowls.
Paired with a rosemary chicken or lemon rubbed turkey, this is definitely a dish to bring the festive flair to the holiday table.
Kid’s Handmade Nigiri or Inari
A friend of mine from Japan gave me her secret sushi rice recipe and I recently made it with my daughter. Not only is it fun, but it is so easy to make. The key is getting good sushi rice (I recommend the Enson Market in Chinatown on West Colonial Drive).
Once you have the rice, you’ll need a fine mesh strainer. From there, it’s a matter of measuring and pouring – things little kids love to do!
To start, measure sushi rice to water 1 to 1. So one cup of rice should be one cup of water. Next, have the kids rinse out the rice for a while. Let them get their hands in it and move all that rice around in the strainer. This is such a great sensory experience for little ones!
Next, soak that rice in the pot with the lid on for 30 minutes. Just let it sit there and have the kids wait for the timer. Without any fussing with the rice, turn the stovetop heat on medium until boiling, then reduce to low for 15 minutes.
Afterwards, let it sit in the pot for another 15 minutes without being disturbed. Can you tell how hands-off this is!?
Lastly, the final fun part, you’ll need sushi vinegar (or you can make it with sugar and rice vinegar) but buying it premade is easy. The rice gets super sticky, so have a bowl of water on hand for dumping little fingers in after molding the rice shapes.
From there, mold the rice into little nigiri balls. Top with cooked shrimp, imitation crab meat or for the more adventurous try sushi-grade tuna or salmon from the store. You may want to wait for the rice to cool before this step.
Another thing you can do is buy tofu pockets called inari, also found in the Asian supermarkets, that can be stuffed with the sushi rice.
These unique little treats can all be dipped in soy sauce for a fun and interactive appetizer that is sure to wow your guests, and it is fun to make too! Just be prepared to congratulate your child on how amazing they look – as you can see, my first try wasn’t the most pretty but boy was it tasty!
Lastly, I do not recommend making sushi rolls with your kids unless you’ve done it before – they’re a lot more challenging (believe me, I’ve tried!) and they won’t love the seaweed. Stick to nigiri and keep it simple!
Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls
When the holidays come along, we often knee-jerk towards traditional comfort foods without thinking of what the rest of the world may be eating. Having traveled many a year across many lands, I’ve eaten all sorts of different cultured cuisines on Thanksgiving and Christmas – things that don’t fall in line with sausage stuffing and turkey legs.
So when something like these spring rolls hits the holiday table, your guests and kids will not only be wowed and amazed, but they’ll be licking their fingers for more.
To assemble, bring the kiddos to the local Asian supermarket like iFresh on East Colonial, Lotte Market, or Enson Market in West Colonial Drive’s Chinatown. You’ll need to pick up a few Asian ingredients but the rest you can find at your typical grocery store.
You’ll need:
- Thin rice paper
- Hoisin sauce (or preferred sweet/chili dipping sauce or peanut sauce)
- Cooked shrimp (buy it frozen in a bag from Walmart or Aldi!)
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Thai basil (regular will do just fine too!)
- Lettuce
- Cilantro
- Green onions
Next – the fun part. At home just before serving, get a wide but shallow bowl for dipping the rice paper wraps. Get them wet enough to be pliable and put it on a plate. As interactive fun for guests, have everyone make their own, or you and your child can make them in advance.
Top the rice paper with carrots, cucumber, shrimp (tail off) and sauce (if desired, or dip later) and wrap that baby up! You remember the swaddling method from when the kids were still squishy, right? It’s just like that. Tuck up the bottom, fold in the sides, and roll it up (while simultaneously tucking that top bit in too). It’s a bit of an art, and super fun to watch everyone’s successes (and failures!).
These Vietnamese spring rolls will be a definite win for fun and creativity.
Swedish Meatballs a la IKEA
The party appetizer that is always a crowd-pleaser, tiny meatballs can be such a hit. Kids will love this low-effort appetizer and feel like they contributed big time to the oohs and aahs they will receive when these bad boys hit the table.
Simply grab your favorite bag of frozen meatballs (or head over to IKEA for the real Swedish stuff), and add a jar of jelly or jam to a crockpot. Variations can include IKEA’s famous holiday heartwarmer, lingonberry jam, or you can use good old Welch’s grape. The original Swedish meatball recipe is gravy based like in the photo from the IKEA Hotel in Sweden.
Have the kiddos dump it all in the crockpot until it’s warmed up for party time.
Easy peasy! And psst…if you do head over to IKEA, the kid’s play area is open for business again after a long closure. Go check it out!
Enjoy trying these new recipes with the family this holiday, and start new traditions!
