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, we added a second variety of potatoes — herb-crusted sweet potatoes.
Peach cranberry sauce
112-ounce bag fresh cranberries
110-ounce bag frozen peaches, chopped
Zest and juice of 2 oranges
3/4cup 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.
Makes 6 servings.
Sour cream and chive mashed potatoes
4pounds red potatoes
1/2cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1cup sour cream
Salt and ground black pepper
1/3cup 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.
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.
Makes 8 servings.
Herb crusted sweet potatoes
4pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Salt and ground black pepper
1cup panko breadcrumbs
1tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1/4cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. 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 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.
Makes 8 servings.
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