Trying to tweak a couple of Thanksgiving recipes

So every year at the in laws Thanksgiving dinner I am tasked with the cranberry sauce and green bean cassarole. What I am looking for is a new way to make this stuff. Here is my basic recipes for both.
 
Cranberry Sauce:
2 packages of fresh cranberries
1 cup of orange juice
enough water to cover
1/2 cup sugar
and about a good 1" in diameter by about a 1/4" thick slice of fresh ginger (that way I can take it out at the end like a bay leaf with out anybody biting into it)
 
Green Bean Cassarole:
2 cans of green beans (I have tried it with fresh but it doesnt work well)
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup
a few dashes of soy sauce
freshly ground pepper to taste (I like a lot!)
A whole ton of those processed fried onions both in and on top....what can I say I am a sucker for those things!

How about using Maple syrup instead of suger for the sauce.
add some Philadelphia Cream Cheese with chives to the beans

you get asked to do those 2 for a reason: you do them well and everyone likes them. tradition and reliability especially if aunt bunnie brings her newest version of butternut squash soup with tofu and chocolate chips or roasted beets in bloody mary aspic.
 
both your recipes sound like the great standard fare we love at the holidays. the sauce could get a bit of zing by adding the zest from the orange and 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice.
 
the casserole is one of those things you just shouldn't mess with. the only preference i have is to use frozen frenched green beans (the ones cut in slivers instead of straight across).  

I like to add a couple of sprigs of fresh Rosemary to the cranberry sauce while cooking. Pull out before serving. Adds a unique fresh taste. I would probably not add the ginger if doing this.

I agree about the frozen french green beans. I add some finely minced onion and a little grated cheddar to my soup sauce. Where you use soy sauce, I add a dash of Worcestershire sauce - similar condiment.
 
Great idea to add the slice of ginger to the cranberries as they cook!

The green beans are one recipe that I don't tamper with anymore with one exception. A few years ago I tried the Cook's Illustrated remake of the recipe and everyone gave it  thumbs down. The soup makes the casserole. I do put near double the amount of fried onions in the sauce and beans and also the top them with more then recommended. The only change otherwise I've made to the original recipe is the beans themselves. Instead of canned, cut green beans, I've changed to Allen's cut,flat Italian type in the yellow cans. I haven't bought mine yet, so I don't remember what they're called.

There is no tweaking a Thanksgiving meal.  The only thing I can do different is add a new dish.  All the oldies but goodies must remain the same.

Here is a tweak for the green bean casserole: stir in about 2 - 3 Tbs. real bacon bits (not Bacos, not bacon pieces) to the mixture.

When I started doing fresh Cranberries, always followed the recipe on the back of the package.
Now I do a Cummin and Chipotle Cranberry sauce for the Dinner.
 
1/3 C sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1-2 chipotles , pureed (depends on how warm or hot you need it)
1-2 tbsp Adobe sauce, depending on how warm you want,
1 tsp Cummin
1/2 C water
6 OZ  Fresh Cranberries
 Add all ingredients to a sauce pan, place over a Med-High heat, stir . Bring mixture to a slow boil. Stir
 Here I taste to find for seasoning. Reduce heat, stir and simmer till berries burst. 20-25 min. Stirring  occasionally
Cool and refrigerate. Can be made up to 2 days ahead.

DawnT


The green beans are one recipe that I don't tamper with anymore with one exception. A few years ago I tried the Cook's Illustrated remake of the recipe and everyone gave it  thumbs down.

 
I had almost the exact same reaction from my family.  My dad actually said after one bite that he didn't think it was worth the extra effort (and it was quite a bit of extra effort).
 
My big change to the classic recipe now is to add swiss cheese.  Something my college roomate did and I liked it.

Wow....see this is why I love this site, everyone is so helpful!
 
CTF - I like the idea of the cream cheese and chives.....just wish I would of cut some from my herb garden and froze them...LOL! I'm pretty sure if I walked out there right now they are still there but here in Wisconsin they are probably chivesicles!

I love my Mom's fresh cranberry relish and it is almost stupid easy.
1 bag of fresh cranberries
2 large oranges (seedless is best)
3 medium apples (cored)
she would run the whole thing..skins and all...through a foley food mill, add enough sugar to taste, and put it in the fridge to chill.  Like you I get asked to bring this one every time.
But...I do mine in a food processor and just pulse it until I get to the semi-chunky texture.
 

I've done the real bacon bits too 6star. That actually led to another dish with the same beans, pintos,and the bits simmered and reduced that I make for Christmas day. Problem in this family is you can't really tamper with anything without someone resisting the way things were. It was my dad too that was the most vocal about the CI version. It was a waste of time though.
 
I bought the rest of my needs last evening. The green beans that I've been using are Allen's Sunshine Italian cut green beans Southern Style. They have two varieties. One in a green can and another in the yellow can. They are seasoned a bit differently and the yellow can tastes better. Something about the texture and the Italian, flat bean work better in this recipe then the regular cut green beans that makes a difference.
 
Anyone do classic corn pudding? That's also part of my Thanksgiving day dinner.

Jellied Cranberry Sauce
12 oz. bag cranberries
1-1/2 cups sugar ( could use light brown for a different flavor)
1 cup decent quality port wine
zest of 1 lemon, grated
2 Tblsp. lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in a sauceopan, simmer and stir for 15-20 minutes until the mix is thickened. Cool a bit and pour into a mold or serving dish and refrigerate. Unmold if needed.
 
Cheers, John 

I do corn pudding IF I can find decent fresh white corn. It's pretty late, but most years the farmer's market still has it.