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.
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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.
Nutrition information per serving: 130 calories; 0 calories from fat (0 percent of total calories); 0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 33 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 30 g sugar; 1 g protein; 25 mg sodium.
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SOUR CREAM AND CHIVE MASHED POTATOES
Start to finish: 45 minutes
Servings: 8
4 pounds red potatoes
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.
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.
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