Recipe Box: Thanksgiving sides

PORTSMOUTH, Va. - If you haven't done it already, planning your holiday meal is probably priority number one -- and we want to help you with your mission!

Over the past week we've shown you how to make apple pie with a twist, the perfect Thanksgiving turkey, and now it's time to tackle those traditional side dishes with Kristin King.

First up from the recipe box: homemade dinner rolls.

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Thanksgiving Dinner Rolls (makes 16):

½ cup water
½ cup low fat milk
3 tbsp sugar
1 package active dry yeast
5 tbsp salted butter, softened
1 egg, room temperature
3 ¼ cup white whole wheat flour

Combine the water and milk and heat until it’s warm; about 105 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix sugar and yeast together. Add the warmed liquid and stir until dissolved. Let rest for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbly.
Add the flour a little a time as well as the egg and butter; stir to combine. Knead the dough for 2 minutes until it is soft but pulls away from the side of the mixing bowl. Depending on the weather, you may not use all of the flour. Place in a well oiled bowl and cover with a clean dish towel. Let the dough rise for 1 hour.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and cut into 16 equal pieces. Place a piece of dough on a work surface and tuck the dough underneath itself, turning as you go until it’s a uniform ball. Place the dough on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover the rolls and let rise again for 1 more hour.
In the meantime, preheat an oven to 400 degrees. If desired before baking, you can brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter and sprinkle them with poppy seeds or sea salt.
Bake the rolls for 20 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Serve hot from the oven.

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Next up from the recipe box -- twice baked sweet potatoes that won't make you regret that second helping!

Low Calorie Individual Sweet Potato Casseroles (makes 8):

4 medium sweet potato, make sure they are as round as possible
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp honey
½ cup low-fat milk
1 tsp orange zest
1 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp clove
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white whole wheat flour
3 tbsp cold butter
½ cup pecans, finely chopped

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Wash the sweet potatoes well and poke a few holes in them with a fork. Bake on a baking sheet for an hour, or until the flesh is tender. Remove from the oven to cool. Once cool enough to handle, slice the sweet potatoes down the center (the long way) and scoop out as much flesh as possible leaving the skin intact. This is exactly like making a twice baked potato.
In a bowl, combine the sweet potato, honey, orange juice and zest, milk, vanilla, spices and salt. Mash until smooth and fluffy. Quickly whisk in the egg. Divide the filling evenly back into the sweet potato shells and place on the baking sheet.
To make the topping, place brown sugar, flour and butter in a bowl. Either with your hands or a fork, mix the ingredients together – the mixture should be very crumbly and the butter should be the size of peas. Stir in the pecans to combine. Top each of the casseroles with the topping. Bake for an additional 40 minutes or until the filling is hot and the topping is brown.
To make ahead, bake off the sweet potatoes and scoop out the flesh. The crumble topping can also be made in advance. Right before baking, make the filling and top with the crumble. An additional 15 minutes of baking might be necessary.

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We've already covered the carbs -- now it's time to take on the vegetables!

Green bean casserole is a Thanksgiving staple, but it can pack on the pounds.

Next up from the recipe box: a lightened up version of this family favorite!

Green Bean Casserole (serves 8):

1 pound fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
1 pound crimini mushrooms, washed and cut in quarters
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 cup low fat milk (not skim milk)
¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
2 tbsp olive oil
4 shallots, sliced thin
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt
Pepper

Heat an oven to 400 degrees and lightly coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
Instead of canned fried onions as the topping to our green bean casserole, we will make crispy fried shallots. Heat a small sauté pan over medium high heat with oil; the oil should only be about ½” deep. Once the oil is hot, carefully drop the shallots. Stir the shallots constantly until they are light brown; about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Set aside.
To prepare the beans, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season liberally with salt and blanch the green beans for about 5 minutes. Drain and run the beans under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook the mushrooms and garlic until they are soft and fragrant; about 5 minutes. Add the butter and melt completely. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and whisk to combine, cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and milk and simmer for 4 or 5 minutes. The mixture will be thick. Lastly, add the nutmeg and taste for salt and pepper.
Add the green beans and toss to coat. Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with fried shallots. Place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbly. Serve immediately.

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For more ideas from Kristin King, CLICK HERE!