Side by Side

Your favorite local chefs share their go-to holiday side dishes. Recipe pdf documents can be downloaded.

Creamy Country Green Bean Casserole | By Chef Benjamin Hamrah (pdf)
Peachtree Catering & Banquet Center

Ingredients:
7 ounces country bacon
3½ ounces red onions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
3 cups fresh green beans

For Crispy Onion Garnish:
6½ ounces red onion, sliced thin
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
Vegetable oil

1. Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium–low heat.
2. Add bacon, stirring frequently. Cook bacon until crispy. Remove to a paper towel-lined bowl. Reserve bacon grease for another day.
3. Add butter and first batch of onion to skillet and brown. Sprinkle flour onto butter–onion mixture and stir to incorporate. Allow to cook slowly for 10 minutes.
4. Slowly stir in cream and add spices. Stir gently and frequently, bringing the mixture to a low simmer. As cream thickens, add green beans and stir to cover completely.
5. Place in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.
6. While green beans are in the oven, heat some vegetable oil in a high-sided pan on medium–high heat. Toss second batch of onions in the flour with seasoning salt, and use a mesh strainer to shake off any excess flour.
7. Gently fry the onions in the oil until deep golden brown. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve.
8. Remove the beans from the oven. Garnish with the crispy bacon and crispy onions.

Deviled Duck Eggs with Goat Cheese, Prosciutto, & Chives | By Chef James Nevins (pdf)
Broadway Brewery

Ingredients:
8 duck eggs (or 12 chicken eggs)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup goat cheese
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 dashes Sriracha hot sauce
1 teaspoon minced shallot
3 tablespoons fresh chives
2 ounces prosciutto, sliced into 1-inch pieces
Kosher salt to taste

1. Boil duck eggs for 13 minutes (nine minutes for chicken eggs.)
2. Cool in ice bath and peel.
3. Slice eggs in half. Remove yolks and place in a mixing bowl.
4. Mash up yolks with a fork, then add mayonnaise, goat cheese, minced shallot, Dijon mustard, and chives. Whisk until the yolk is broken up and the mixture is smooth.
5. Use a piping bag to fill eggs with mixture.
6. Top with a thinly sliced (1-inch) piece of prosciutto ham with additional chives for garnish.

Brandy Pear Cake | By Chef Keil Herman (pdf)
44 Stone

Ingredients:
8 pears
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
3-plus cups Anjou or Bartlett pears, peeled or not, cored, and diced medium
2 tablespoons brandy cake
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4  cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced small and chilled
1 cup whole milk
1 large egg, room temperature and fork beaten
1 tablespoon brandy

For Brown Butter Glaze:
1/4  cup butter
1 tablespoon hot water (more if needed)
1½ cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch deep pie pan with cooking spray.
2. Place a round portion of parchment paper onto the bottom of the pan.
3. Warm the butter and brown sugar in a skillet over medium heat. Add the pears and sauté just until tender (five minutes or less). Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the brandy, return the skillet to the heat and cook, stirring, for another minute (be careful — it may flame up).
4. Pour pear mixture into prepared pie pan.
5. Using a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Scatter the butter over the top of flour and pulse until crumbly like uncooked oatmeal. Transfer to a bowl.
6. Combine milk, egg, and brandy. Mix into flour mixture just until blended. Spread over the pears in the pie pan.
7. Bake until risen, light golden, and able to have a wooden skewer come out of the center cleanly (about 30 minutes). Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter. Cool completely. Drizzle with brown butter glaze

Brown Butter Glaze
1. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a small sauce pan; continue to cook the butter, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter turns nutty and golden brown.
2. Remove from the heat and whisk in 1½ cups powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon hot water. Add a little more if needed to achieve a drizzling consistency.

This glaze can also easily be made in the food processor.
1. Place your powdered sugar in the food processor bowl. Have your hot water ready next to your food processor.
2. Cook the butter until it has reached the level of brown that you are after.
3. Moving swiftly, turn on the food processor, slowly drizzle in the hot brown butter, making sure to scrape all the browned butter from the pan.
4. Slowly add hot water to the food processor until your glaze has reached the desired level of consistency.

Pear, Sweet Potato, and Parsnip Salad | By Chef Daniel Pliska (pdf) 
University Club and University Catering

Makes 18 servings (approximately 12 cups)

Ingredients:
1 quart sweet potatoes, roasted and diced 3/4 by 3/4 inch
2 cups parsnips, roasted and diced (3/4 by 3/4)
2 cups pears, poached, cored, peeled, and diced (3/4 by 3/4)
2 cups celery, diced (1/2 by 1/2)
1 cup golden raisins

Dressing
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup white balsamic
1/2 cup parsley
1½ cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup tarragon
1½ teaspoons cumin powder
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Prepare the dressing by whisking the honey and white balsamic vinegar with the herbs and cumin.
2. Whisk in the oil in a slow stream to make a vinaigrette.
3. Toss with the vegetables, pears, and raisins. Chill and serve.

Chocolate-Covered Caramel Toffee Cheesecake | By Chef Chris McDonnell (pdf)
Chris McD’s

Ingredients:
Crust
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter (adjust to proper consistency)

Cheesecake
3 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
2½ tablespoons flour
5 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
5 Heath bars or toffee, crushed
1/2 cup melted caramel (can make from scratch or melt store-bought Werther’s chewy caramels)

Ganache
1½ cups dark chocolate
3/4 cup heavy cream
Melt together in a double boiler until melted.
Add cream until desired consistency.

Toppings
3/4 to 1 cup melted caramel
1 Heath bar, cut into shards

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter, and then press it into the bottom of the greased springform pan. Set aside.
3. In a mixer with paddle attachment, mix cream cheese, cream, flour, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.
4. Add eggs one by one, only adding the next one after the first is completely mixed.
5. Add Heath bars and warm caramel.
6. Pour the cheesecake batter over the top of pressed crust.
7. Bake 2 to 2 ½ hours, rotating halfway through.
8. Cool the cheesecake until cool to the touch before pouring the ganache. It doesn’t have to be completely cooled, since you’ll refrigerate after the ganache is on, but make sure it does remain in the fridge overnight (or for around 8 hours) to ensure that it’s cold all the way through before serving. Be sure to wait to cut it until the ganache has fully set. It’s best to allow for chilling overnight to ensure that everything is cold and set.

Parmesan Au Gratin Potatoes | By Chef Ben Randolph (pdf)
ElevenEleven

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup onions, minced
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
3 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced
1/8-inch thick

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
3. Combine cream, flour, garlic powder, and kosher salt.
4. Toss onion, parmesan cheese, and potato slices in cream mixture.
5. Shingle potato slices in baking dish in layers.
6. Pour remaining cream mixture over potatoes.
7. Cover potatoes with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
8. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes.