Turkey with a side of...?

JENN McKINLAY: This time last year, I was in Ireland (research!) and it was fascinating because as they were taking down the Halloween/Samhain decorations, they were popping up the Christmas ones. I know retail stores are now doing Halloween-Christmas mashup displays that start in July  (good grief!) but this was private residences and whatnot. Of course, I realized after a beat, that they don’t have Thanksgiving in Ireland so of course they can roll right into Christmas. It made me actually appreciate Turkey day as the stop gap it is.

For some inexplicable reason, I volunteered to host Thanksgiving dinner this year. Hub is cooking so that technically leaves me with cleaning and baking duty, which is not a hardship but given that the Hub’s definition of cooking is meat – just meat – well, I suspect I’m going to have to produce some side dishes.

So, I implore you, Reds, what are your favorite Thanksgiving sides? I need the next three weeks to practice if we’re really doing this, which apparently, we are. 

HALLIE EPHRON: My favorite side from growing up was a sweet potato and apple casserole. Sadly I have never been able to reproduce it so I post a plea, just in case any of our readers have a recipe! It was layers of sweet potato and apple slices, layered with something like brown sugar and butter. There must have been some liquid …I’d have guessed apple juice. Or water. But I’ve failed miserably trying to make it, figuring out what the proportions are to make the potatoes and apples absorb the liquid and congeal into a delicious sweet gluey hunk. Anyone??

JENN: This sounds amazing!

RHYS BOWEN:  we are having a big celebration for John’s birthday at the same time as Thanksgiving, renting a huge house in Paradise Valley and thus I’ll be cooking for 16 (actually I’ll be overseeing. I’ll have help) Among those 16 are gluten, lactose, vegan challenges!

We always have to have the green bean casserole for my son in law but my son Dominic has promised to make it with real beans, mushrooms and coconut milk so that our lactose intolerants can eat it. Clare will make gluten free stuffing. The stuffing is my favorite dish. Lots of onion and sausage and herbs in the non vegan one!

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I also have a lactose-intolerant guest, and very frequently either vegetarians or vegans as well, Rhys. A standard for the vegetarians has been a couple of quiches: fairly quick and easy to make, and everyone likes them. One year I made a vegan version (using egg substitute and fake cheese from Trader Joe’s) that was a smash with the meat eaters as well!

As for sides, Jenn, I like ones that can be made a day or more ahead. Coleslaw would be great, considering your warmer temperatures, and maple baked beans (very New England) can cook and be reheated in the crockpot. If I’m not prepping them ahead of time, they need to be quick and easy - mashed potatoes, canned cranberries with some spices and mandarin oranges stirred in, good store-bought buns. 

We’ll be skipping it this Thanksgiving, as I’ll have TWO sober kids there (my son is four months and counting!) but in the old days when we used to host a crowd, I liked to make a punch instead of offering cocktails when guests arrive. Everyone can help themselves, and you can also do it as a non-alcoholic base with a bottle of rum/tequila/gin on the side.

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: One, mashed potatoes. You can make them in advance, and put them in the fridge. To reconstitute,  put in a baking dish, dot with butter, cover and heat at 350 for 30 mins. DELICIOUS. Add chives or bacon bits.

Same with mashed sweet potatoes. WIth just salt  and pepper and butter, I don’t gussy them up with sugary stuff.

Green beans. Cook in advance until almost done, blanch, wrap in paper towels, refrigerate. Day of, throw more butter in a frying pan, saute quickly, add slivered almonds and s & p, go.

Stuffing. SO EASY. Follow the instructions on the Pepperidge Farm stuffing package. I usually saute onions and celery first, then do the rest. DELICIOUS. You can also make in advance, put in a baking dish, and reheat with the potatoes.

Oh, cranberries. Buy a package of Ocean Spray. Follow the directions. Add zested orange rind. You can make this in advance, too, and it’s much better.

THE GRAVY IS THE HARDEST PART. We’ll talk.

Backtime the turkey, but it can rest an hour. 

BE SURE TO TAKE THE GIBLETS AND STUFF OUT OF THE TURKEY.

Get fresh parsley for garnishing everything.

Oh. Make sure your turkey pan fits in the oven WITH the turkey. Seriously. 

DEBORAH CROMBIE: My absolutely favorite side is my own homemade cranberry relish, so I will make this even if I'm not cooking anything else. Next up is my daughter's roasted Brussel sprouts. I don't cook Brussels, because Rick doesn't like them, so they are a real treat for me. Kayti roasts them with lots of olive oil and flaky sea salt until they are starting to get crispy and caramelized, then once out of the oven, drizzles them with a little balsamic vinegar. So yummy, and good for vegetarians, too.

We make dressing, not stuffing, so cornbread is an essential, although I usually use half cornbread (homemade!) and half a good country wheat. Lots of celery and onions sauteed in butter (it's Thanksgiving!), then mixed with the dried cubed breads and loads of sage, moistened with chicken stock. Can be baked ahead and frozen. Easy to sub olive oil and veg stock to make vegetarian/vegan. 

We also really like haricots vert, the way described above. I actually don't care anything about the turkey–it's all about the sides for me.

HANK: What’s the difference between dressing and stuffing? Whether it’s cooked IN the turkey?

LUCY BURDETTE: I don’t know the answer Hank, but I suspect it’s regional. We call ours stuffing, even though it’s no longer stuffed into the turkey. Mine sounds a lot like Debs’, sometimes with the addition of sausage, but always cornbread. Once I made it with oysters–it was good but weird. Here’s the link to my recipe: https://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/2013/11/thanksgiving-cornbread-and-sausage.html

I love the sound of Kaytie’s brussel sprouts, but prefer the can of cranberry jelly to anything homemade. Oh, and here’s one more recipe for decadent corn spoonbread: https://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/2019/01/donna-kleins-corn-spoon-bread-revised.html

The cranberry debate is a blog post for another day as I am firmly on Team Canned Jelly with Lucy.

Okay, Readers, your turn. What's your favorite side dish? And are you a canned cranberry jelly or homemade cranberry relish person?

What Makes Your Thanksgiving Menu?

LUCY BURDETTE: Many years ago, my sister Sue and I were headed toward what was shaping up to be an "orphan" Thanksgiving-that is, no way (and no real urge) to get home, but in no position to host the holiday ourselves. Sue's college roommate's mother (who later became our stepmother but that's a big digression) invited us to join their family. It was a lovely invitation and an even lovelier day.

Except for one thing: Being good southerners, this family served-oh the horror, oh the disappointment-RICE with the gravy instead of mashed potatoes.

And that Reds, brings me to today's question. What one dish could you absolutely not do without on the Thanksgiving holiday? (For me, it's those mashed potatoes, absolutely drenched in gravy. And no giblets please...)

RHYS BOWEN: The one dish I could absolutely definitely do without would be candied yams with marshmallow topping. I only ate it once, and I was pregnant at the time but I spent the rest of the day barfing... so never again. My favorite part of the meal is the stuffing, if it's really good. John does a great sausage stuffing with lots of sage and onions. Yummy.

LUCY: I'm going to skip the candied yams just hearing about that Rhys! I make a darned good stuffing too--cornbread and sausage, yum!

JAN BROGAN: You know Lucy, I would have said the mashed potatoes myself, (I live for potatoes) but my sister-in-law did Thanksgiving last year WITHOUT the mashed potatoes, (no rice either) and it was still fabulous. In fact, she did a very streamlined meal that made me rethink my own tendency to make a zillion different dishes.

But the one thing that I've never forgotten is another sister in law who served cake - YES CAKE!- Instead of pies. And I've never gotten over it. And frankly, I'd rather the pies be the EXACT same selection that my Aunt Clare used to serve. So I always volunteer to make the pies - even when I'm hosting and doing the main meal.

ROSEMARY HARRIS: You girls are picky - I'm just happy when someone else cooks for Thanksgiving and invites me!

Yams..love 'em, need 'em, gotta have 'em. I don't care if they have pineapples, pecans or marshmallows, whether they come from a can or from a farmstand, brown sugar or straight. Did I mention I like the yams?

Now, stuffing, I just don't get. Bruce has tried to tempt me with his stuffing (a touch of chicken liver - ick!) And he has sung the praises of Bell's Seasoning - which comes in a cool package but reminds me of my grandmother's snuff - but I remain steadfast. Pass the yams, please.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I'm a Southerner! At at least as close to the South as Texans are willing to admit. We don't say YAMS--they are SWEET POTATOES! And I do like them, although without sugar added. And we don't say stuffing, we say DRESSING. And it must be made with at least half cornbread. That, I think, is the sticking point for me. No cornbread dressing, it's not Thanksgiving. Oh, and I've made a cranberry relish with orange zest, honey, vinegar, mustard seeds, and chopped jalapenos for years. I know it sounds really weird, but it was a recipe from Gourmet, and it's fab. Can't do without.

HALLIE EPHRON: I'm with you, Rhys. I hate THOSE potatoes.

The problem with Thanksgiving is that the entire meal is sacrosanct. In my house it's roast turkey (wings reserved for yours truly), Pepperidge Farm stuffing with celery mixed in, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans. I absolutely won't do without canned whole cranberry relish, please, and still canned shape if possible. And a homemade pumpkin pie with real whipped cream.

I'm with Jan on the cake. CAKE for TG? Should be illegal.

LUCY BURDETTE: Although girls, I cannot help but mention that I came across an amazing looking recipe for southern caramel cake with southern caramel frosting, and I immediately thought: Thanksgiving! I'd do the pies too, of course. The only thing that holds me back is the Crisco in the icing...

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I have to sympathize with Rhys - during one pregnancy, Thanksgiving dinner was the last meal I had before my morning sickness kicked in at 6 weeks (which it always did, like clockwork.) I couldn't even HEAR the word turkey without tossing my cookies for the next few months.

That charming anecdote aside, at our house we MUST have Bird's Eye green Beans and Spaetzel. This is one of those quirks Ross brought to the marriage. On my side, I must make home-made dressing, using the same recipe my mother and grandmother used. I'm sorry, Hallie, but pre-made stuffing is an abomination unto the Lord. Pecan pie. Ross makes a wonderful pecan pie.
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I could live on stuffing forever. FOREVER. Bread, butter, celery and gobs of salt? Sigh. I'm longing for it, even thinking about it. My mother used to carefully make two kids of stuffing--plain (yum),and oyster, (yuck), which none of us kids would eat.
It wasn't til years later I found her putting the same stuffing in both turkeys.
Wait! I yelped.(I was about 20 years old.) You're putting oyster stuffing in BOTH turkeys!
She shook her head. Yup, she said. Been doing it for years. You kids never knew.

Your turn Reds: What Thanksgiving dish can you never do without? And by the way, if you have Thanksgiving conundrums, here's a link to the New York Times Thanksgiving hotline.