Dust to Side Dishes

This nightmare of a year is coming to a close, so you know what that means? NO, NOT CHRISTMAS. And no, not Thanksgiving either. Friendsgiving! Ah yes, an opportunity to unwind and relax before enduring the bombardment of horribly tense and terribly awkward conversations with your distant relatives. You've got everything prepared: your flask is filled to the brim, you finally got your winged eyeliner to match at both ends, and you have your Tinder hook-up selection lined up for later on.

Oh shit. You volunteered to bring food, didn't you? Well you can't be that guy that brings STORE BOUGHT food to a Friendsgiving, and you are not by any means a professional chef, no matter how many MasterChef episodes you watch. Worry not! I am going to share with you my three *secret* recipes I use for every dinner gathering I attend that always seem to be a big hit. (Or all my friends are lying. I can't really tell.)

CORN CASSEROLE

Sounds unappealing? So does Turducken but you still eat that up. I stole this recipe from Paula Deen but made a few changes AKA took out the butter.

Ingredients:

• Jiffy cornbread mix, 1 box

• Whole kernel corn, 1 can (drained)

• Creamed corn corn, 1 can

• Sour cream, 1 cup

The main con of this dish is the cook time (40 minutes at 350°F) especially if you're in a rush, but I'm sure it would come out fine if you did 25 minutes at 450° instead. Finish it off with some shredded cheese on top and feel free to replace the sour cream with Greek yogurt if you're pretending to be healthy. (Who are we kidding. That's what New Year's Day is for.)

GUACAMOLE

Before you say anything -- yes, guac IS a Thanksgiving food. I also stole this recipe, but this time it was from my dear friend Abby so it's alittle more personal.

Ingredients:

• Avocados, amount varies depending on how many friends you have (I can't vouch for everyone, but a single serving for me = 2 avocados)

• Corn, 1 frozen microwavable bag

• Salt and pepper

• Lime juice

Alittle of this, alittle of that. Mix it all together and you've got an easy side dish in under 7 minutes. Just don't forget the chips for dippin'.

POTATO WEDGES

A fresh take on the classic mashed potatoes. Gotta have the carbs.

Ingredients:

• White potatoes, use your better judgement on how many

• Vegetable oil (or olive oil if you're feeling fancy)

• Rosemary

• Roasted garlic (or garlic salt/powder; it's all the same, I guess)

Lather those puppies up and stick in the oven for 25 minutes at 425°F. Best served with ranch dressing.

You can also modify this dish by using sweet potatoes, cinnamon, and oil instead. I've seen this same recipe used but with carrots. I haven't tried it yet, but I am very intrigued.

As you may have noticed, I'm pretty lenient on measurements. Don't worry about it. I don't want you to dirty more measuring cups than need be and I trust you to make the right decisions. If all else fails, heat up some of those Hawaiian bread rolls or bring the paper plates. Your friends will forgive you.