Kimchi mac and cheese, please: Swap in banchan for your typical Thanksgiving sides

This Thanksgiving, try replacing the usual stuffing and cranberries with these banchan, or Korean side dishes.

Caroline Choe, a Korean American chef and the author of a new cookbook, “Banchan: 60 Korean American Recipes for Delicious, Shareable Sides,” shares ideas for bringing Korean flavors to a Thanksgiving meal.

The New York City-based chef said that initially, when her parents moved to the United States in 1973, they didn’t know how to roast a turkey. “But they wanted their kids to have it so that they could tell their friends at school that they had turkey, too,” she said.

Her family gradually learned to cook a Korean American Thanksgiving spread with whatever ingredients they could find. Two of Choe’s dishes they love the most are kimchi mashed potatoes and her kimchi mac and cheese. “It’s a huge hodgepodge of a lot of Korean food, but also a lot of American food,” she said.

The book contains traditional banchan recipes from Choe’s family members and a few of her own inventions.

Maple doenjang dip

Choe’s father dreamt up this dip one summer when he wanted a sauce to go with his vegetables. “It was his ‘invention’ to put a sweetener in there that could add his own edge,” she said.

The doenjang, or fermented soybean paste, meets sesame oil and black pepper for a salty, sweet and tangy kick. Choe suggests using the dip for blanched vegetables, or using it as a glaze for roasted vegetables.

Vegetable anchovy broth

This broth, which can serve as a foundation for Korean stews, has been adapted by Choe’s family for their New England oyster stuffing at their Thanksgiving table.

She recommended it as a versatile, flavorful pescatarian alternative to chicken broth. “It can be a base for your gravy or stuffing, or just a cleanser for the heavy food,” Choe said.

Fermentation meets more fermentation with this dish. “I served this at an event, and it was just gone in the blink of an eye,” she said.

The key is to saute the kimchi to concentrate its pungency — the more fermented the kimchi, the better. The sharp cheddar and the Gruyere add a nuttiness and richness that will make for a Thanksgiving hit.

Seasoned broccoli salad

Choe’s parents didn’t eat much broccoli until moving to the U.S. Growing up, her mother tossed together steamed broccoli, garlic, green onion and sesame oil for a refreshing salad. 

“It was just her hand in a plastic glove, mixing it all together in one of those silver bowls,” she said.

For Thanksgiving, Choe said the salad’s light flavors can go with any dish. “It can counteract all the heavy action going on during the meal,” she said.

Smoky gochujang chicken salad

Unsure what to do with roast chicken or turkey the day after Thanksgiving? Choe said this smoky gochujang chicken salad will take care of your leftovers.

“My parents actually hate turkey,” she said. “They would take the leftovers and dip it into gochujang.”

Instead, Choe developed this salad for their leftover poultry. She said the smokiness from the paprika and the spice from the gochujang creates a flavorful but easy next-day dish for when you don’t want to turn on the stove.