The Best Thanksgiving Sides

Unpopular opinion. Turkey isn’t the most important dish of Thanksgiving. In fact, I would say this is the only holiday where the sides make or break your meal. But not to worry, I have roughly 15 years of experience with my mother and sisters preparing Thanksgiving for 30 people. Short on time? No worries, I have some cheats listed for each.

Sausage, Apple, Cranberry Stuffing

This recipe was a dream of mine, the bright fresh cranberries with the succulent sausage make for a rich yet balanced stuffing. One time cheat, make the sauté a day or two ahead of schedule and store in the fridge.

1 shallot, minced

4 celery ribs, chopped small

2 apples, cored peeled and chopped small

1 cup of fresh cranberries cut in half (1/2 cup of dried cranberries if you want a sweeter stuffing)

1 TBSP of fresh rosemary chopped

½ stick of butter

Saute the above for a good 30 minutes on low. Season as you go.

1 lb. Fairmont Market Sausage. I used breakfast, but sweet Italian or hot Italian would be great too!

Brown and cook though on a separate pan.

1 large loaf of crusty bread, torn or cut into pieces and toasted at 350 degrees while cooking the above ingredients.

Mix the bread with the apple saute, sausage, 1 beaten egg, and roughly 2 cups of chicken stock. Season with ground poultry seasoning to your desired taste. Season with salt and pepper.