Blegging a Veggie recipe – UPDATED

My dear MIL is doing Thanksgiving, but I offered to take some of the load off her hands by making all the veggies.

Only trouble is I’m sort of out of ideas. I’m making the mashed turnips w/ carrots, and the sweet potato pie, and the usual broccoli w/ garlic, (and MIL is making the artichokes because I never make them right) but I need at least two more veggies or I’ll have failed in the task and let the family down.

So…creamed spinach and…and…one more?

Any ideas for veggies out there? Something tasty but not too “exotic”? I made Happy Catholic’s Creamed Jalepeno Spinach last year and – while I liked it – it did not go over well. The rest pronounced it “ruined” by the jalepenos. Sigh.

I’m out of ideas, and this is a family that doesn’t “do” very “different.” Help!

UPDATES – Some really great recipes below; I’m torn about which two I’ll pick up because they all sound so great. Also, Gabriel Malor has started a recipe thread over at Ace O’ Spades, that you might want to peek at.

Also, I was asked a question in the comments section below about “Yankee Thanksgiving,” and I had to clarify that Thanksgiving is different for Italian families than for most others. I described it in the comments, but here it is:

[Yankee Thanksgiving is not much different from yours, but ITALIAN Yankee Thanksgiving goes like this: antipasto including cheeses, dried sausages, vegetables, olives, fennel. A nice plate of stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer. Maybe some stuffed clams. Shrimp cocktail. Salad. A pasta dish (usually lasagna, or manicotti or – if they’re keeping it “light” a little pasta primavera, which is penne pasta with veggies). After pasta, the turkey. And a ham or a roast beef, “because sometimes not everyone likes turkey,” or maybe a little bracciola. Sweet potatoes…not usually in a pie, but I’ve gotten them used to the pie, by now…5-6 vegetables, “because maybe someone doesn’t like a few, and you should eat at least four.” Eggplant Parmesan. (I’m making the eggplant tomorrow) Mashed potatoes “because maybe someone doesn’t like sweet potatoes in that pie thing.” Stuffing. Gravy. Cranberries. Italian bread with lots of butter. There might also be some meatballs being passed around. You have to try everything, or someone is offended. Also, drink the wine, the wine is good for you. After the dishes, comes the fruit and nuts. After the fruit and nuts comes the rice pudding, the cookies, the cakes and pastries, and a few pies, but not pumpkin, because only Elizabeth likes pumpkin. With the dessert there is coffee, or espresso, and maybe a little cordial, “oh, watsamatter, have a little drink! You want sandwiches? Anyone hungry? I can bring it all out again for sandwiches!”

I’m not kidding. That’s Italian Thanksgiving. At Christmas it’s pretty much the same, but with more fish. – admin]