Your Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes for Vegetarians

Hi everyone!
Thanksgiving is fast approaching and i was interested in everyone’s favorite side dish recipes. I have looked at AllRecipes.com, but found myself wondering if there were any family favorites that are always requested. I was especially interested in any mash potato recipes or vegetable side dishes. I have an awesome mushroom gravy, cranberry sauce and stuffing recipe that I thought others might like to try :)

Thanks so much!!

MUSHROOM GRAVY (VEGAN)
• 8 tablespoons vegetable oil (can modify as desired)
• 3 cloves garlic -- squashed and minced very well (3 to 6)
• 2 slices yellow onion -- chopped (2 to 3)
• 8 tablespoons all-purpose white flour
• 4 teaspoons nutritional yeast
• 4 tablespoons low- or reduced-sodium tamari (soy sauce)
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon sage
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (I use white pepper because I don’t like biting into pepper corn pieces)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional – be careful because the soy sauce has salt in it)
• 5+ mushrooms – I use a mix of mushrooms (e.g. morels, shitake, oyster, portabella)
• extra flour or cornstarch (optional)
As shown, recipe makes roughly a quart. Recipe can be halved.
This gravy takes about 10-15 minutes to prepare.
Measure the vegetable oil into a small saucepan. Cook the garlic and onion in it for about two minutes on medium or medium-low heat, until the onion is a bit tender and translucent.
Add the flour, yeast, and tamari to make a paste. Add the water gradually, stirring constantly. Bring the gravy to a boil on medium to medium-high heat, stirring constantly -- the gravy has to boil for it to thicken and cook to make sure to get rid of the “uncooked” flour taste. Add pepper. Stir in the sliced mushrooms, if desired. Add salt, if desired.
If the gravy is too thin for your taste, add one or two tablespoons of flour or small amounts of cornstarch to thicken it and add home-made-looking lumps or use a wire whisk to eliminate lumps. Cook additional time to get rid of the cornstarch/raw flour taste.
Flavor tip for the gravy: take a package of dried shiitake mushrooms and reconstitute them with about a cup and a half of very hot (but not boiling) water.
Let it sit for 20 minutes, then strain -- use that mushroom juice plus enough water to make 2 cups of liquid for the recipe.
This gravy refrigerates well. Freezing is not recommended; unused, undesired quantities should be discarded rather than frozen (the ingredients are inexpensive). The cooled gravy re-heats well in the microwave or on the stove.

TRIPLE-CRANBERRY SAUCE

This tangy version gets its intense flavor and color from a mixture of fresh and dried cranberries, along with frozen cranberry juice cocktail concentrate.
1 cup frozen cranberry juice cocktail concentrate, thawed
1/3 cup sugar
1 12-ounce package fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed, drained
1/2 cup dried cranberries (about 2 ounces)
3 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons minced orange peel
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Combine cranberry juice concentrate and sugar in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add fresh and dried cranberries and cook until dried berries begin to soften and fresh berries begin to pop, stirring often, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in orange marmalade, orange juice, orange peel and allspice. Cool completely. Cover; chill until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
Makes about 2 1/2 cups. Bon Appétit, November 1993 Epicurious Food © 2003 CondéNet Inc. All rights reserved.

Paul Sturkey's Apple Stuffing (modified)
1 package vegetarian sausage
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1/2 C. butter
6 cups small cubed dry bread
1 cup apple cider
3-4 Rome apples, cubed
1 1/2 Tbsp. sage
1 1/2 Tbsp. thyme
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1 tsp. fresh ground white pepper

Preheat oven to 350.
Brown and crumble veggie sausage. Reduce heat to medium, sauté celery and onions in butter until crisp and tender (onions will become translucent). In a large bowl or pan, toss all remaining ingredients together, then toss with veggie sausage and onion mixture.

Butter the casseroles, add stuffing, cover, and bake for 45 minutes.