Food: Great turkeys need great classic sides
The turkey may be the centerpiece, but a classic Thanksgiving dinner simply isn’t complete without a bevy of traditional sides. Pictured is a dinner plate of cider brined turkey with sage gravy, peach cranberry sauce, sour cream and chive mashed potatoes, sausage pecan stuffing, arugula pear salad with pomegranate vinaigrette and goat cheese and herb crusted sweet potatoes.
The turkey may be the centerpiece, but a classic Thanksgiving dinner simply isn’t complete without a bevy of traditional sides. To accompany our cider-brined bird, we went with a gently sweet cranberry sauce cooked with peaches for a delicate texture and fruitiness to balance the tart berries. For the mashed potatoes, we kept it basic — sour cream, butter and chives — but delicious.
And because you can never have enough carbs at Thanksgiving (Stuffing! Mashed potatoes! Rolls! Cranberry sauce!), we added a second variety of potatoes — herb-crusted sweet potatoes.
Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes
Start to finish: 45 minutes
Servings: 8
4 pounds red potatoes
Sour cream and chive mashed potatoes, a classic side dish for Thanksgiving dinner.
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sour cream
Salt and ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
Peel half of the potatoes. Place of the potatoes in a large pot, then add enough water to cover them by 1 inch. Cover the pan and set over medium-high. Bring the water to a simmer and cook until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Thoroughly drain the potatoes, then return them to the pot.
Herb crusted sweet potatoes, a classic side dish for Thanksgiving dinner.
Set the pot over low heat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, shaking or stirring the potatoes to dry them. Using a masher, roughly mash the potatoes, then stir in the butter and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the chives.
Herb Crusted Sweet Potatoes
Start to finish: 45 minutes
Servings: 8
4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Salt and ground black pepper
Peach cranberry sauce, a classic side dish for Thanksgiving dinner.
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
Heat the oven to 350 F. Coat a large casserole dish or a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil. Cook until firm-tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes, then spread them in an even layer in the prepared casserole dish or baking pan.
In a small bowl, combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, the panko, thyme, rosemary and sage. Sprinkle over the sweet potatoes. Drizzle the melted butter over the crumbs and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and tender.
Peach Cranberry Sauce
Start to finish: 15 minutes
Servings: 6
12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
10-ounce bag frozen peaches, chopped
Zest and juice of 2 oranges
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch salt
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries pop and the mixture has reduced to a thick sauce, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
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- The turkey may be the centerpiece, but a classic Thanksgiving dinner simply isn’t complete without a bevy of traditional sides. Pictured is a dinner plate of cider brined turkey with sage gravy, peach cranberry sauce, sour cream and chive mashed potatoes, sausage pecan stuffing, arugula pear salad with pomegranate vinaigrette and goat cheese and herb crusted sweet potatoes.
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- Sour cream and chive mashed potatoes, a classic side dish for Thanksgiving dinner.
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- Herb crusted sweet potatoes, a classic side dish for Thanksgiving dinner.
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- Peach cranberry sauce, a classic side dish for Thanksgiving dinner.