Back in the early days of creating meals in my own kitchen, Thanksgiving side dishes became quite a dilemma for me. I love Thanksgiving dinner and wanted to get mine just right!

It’s no secret. The holidays are known to present some intense pressure for cooks every year. Finding the balance of blended family culture with personal developing tastes is a years-long process that takes dedication and a high value of tradition and great food.

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Thanksgiving side dishes were dramatically different in Stache’s family home as compared to mine. His mom is an excellent cook and has taught me SOOOO much (!), but coming from my background, Thanksgiving at Stache’s parent’s house was like a lovely ramped-up version of a nice Sunday dinner.

Apparently, I had an unusual piece of historical perspective missing from my parents’ culture. I didn’t have a clue that the incredibly vast, delicious spread my parents prepared for our family was their attempt to recreate an entire Pot-Luck Family Reunion Feast that they were missing back home in Georgia! Among several absurdities, the appearance of both Mashed Potatoes and Potato Salad should have given me a clue!

Obviously, I was blinded by ignorance and tradition. No wonder nobody else’s efforts on Thanksgiving (and our identical feast at Christmas!) could compare to my mom’s! We seriously ate on that feast for a week afterward. Values and traditions are funny things!

At some point, I realized the insanity of trying to prepare such a wide variety of Thanksgiving side dishes. I began paring the choices to what we have today as a reasonably abundant, delightfully delicious, traditional Thanksgiving celebration meal.

Thanksgiving Side Dishes

• Mashed potatoes – see recipe below
• (Almost) Mom’s Giblet Gravy – see recipe below
• Sourdough Cornbread Dressing – see recipe below
• Southern Kissed Greenbeans – Grammie&Stache IGTV
• Buttered Cut Corn – Grammie&Stache IGTV
• Deep Dish Sweet Potatoe Casserole – Grammie&Stache IGTV
• Mom’s Old-Fashioned Fruit Salad – see recipe below
• Cranberry Sauce
• Potatoe Rolls – Grammie’s How to Make Potato Rolls – YouTube Video

Do yourself a favor and pace yourself!

I would encourage you to pace yourself. Your Thanksgiving Day will be much more pleasant if you do as much ahead as possible. I generally shop for this meal on Monday of Thanksgiving week for maximum freshness and availability.

On Tuesday, I bake the fresh sweet potatoes and chop onions and celery for all recipes needing them. I saute those that call for it and store each recipe portion separately for easy use. (I also bake a cake that day and freeze it.)

Wednesday, I wash and cut potatoes, then cover them with water and store. I bake the Cornbread and toast the Sourbread, leaving them out to dry. Then I wash and snap the green beans and put together the Sweet Potato Casserole, minus the marshmallows. I also make the Fruit Salad (and bake pies).

These steps all set me up for success, leaving plenty enough to do on Thursday. This list is just for the Thanksgiving side dishes. Don’t forget to weave in desserts where you can for the best quality – and, of course, the Turkey!

Each recipe serves about 10 adults.

Mashed Potatoes:

Our family enjoys chunky, country-style mashed potatoes without apology. We use Yukon Gold, Red New potatoes, or a combination of both – and we leave the skins on. What they lack in refined fluffiness, they pack in creamy, full-flavored, potato-y greatness!

5 pounds of Potatoes, Yukon Gold or Red
2 Tablespoons of Salt
3 small Bay Leaves
2 teaspoons Fresh Rosemary, minced fine
3 cloves of Garlic, crushed and minced
1 cup Butter
1/4 cup Sour Cream
2 1/2 teaspoons of Salt
1/4 teaspoon of Ground White Pepper
2 cups warmed Half and Half  

Wash and trim the potatoes of any blemishes or eyes. Cut potatoes to approximately the same size and throw them in a large pot. Cover completely with cold water. Add the 2 Tablespoons of salt, garlic, rosemary, and bay leaves. Bring the pot up to a medium-high simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 30-45 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and carefully remove the bay leaves.

Add potatoes back to the large pot. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Add the melted butter and mix together thoroughly. Whisk the sour cream, salt, and white pepper into the warm half-and-half. Add the warm cream mixture to the potatoes, mix well, and place it in a serving dish. Add a Tablespoon of butter on top and a couple of dashes of sweet paprika for garnish if desired.

(Almost) Mom’s Giblet Gravy

Affectionately known as “Green Gravy” among my five siblings and me, this sagey delight is the hit that brings the entire meal ‘home.’

Very similar to my mother’s recipe, except that she never added onion to this gravy. As well, the addition of milk and the couple shakes of Jalapeno Sauce would likely make her choke, but trust me! These few additions simply bring the other primary ingredients up to their full potential and make them shine.

Turkey Giblets
6-8 small stalks Celery Hearts - rinsed, trimmed, halved and sliced to 1/4''  pieces.
1/4 of a Sweet Onion - leave whole, it will be removed after simmering giblets
4 cups Water 
2-3 sprigs Fresh Sage
1 heaping Tablespoon of dried, rubbed Sage
2 teaspoons Salt
4 cups Drippings +Turkey or Chicken Broth 
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
4 Boiled Eggs, diced medium small
6-8 Tablespoons of Cornstarch
1/2 cup Whole Milk
2 shakes Trader Joe's Jalapeno Pepper Sauce

In 3 quart pot, add the giblets, celery, onion, fresh sage and rubbed sage and salt, along with the water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer until giblets are done, about 45 minutes or so.

Remove from heat and pull the giblets out of broth to cool. Pull out and discard the fresh sage and onion. When giblets are cool enough to handle, carefully pull meat from the neckbone and cut meat into small pieces. Discard center gristle from the gizzard. Slice and cut gizzard and heart to small pieces. Add back to the pot.

Next, feed the liver to your cats (yes, it’s a real tradition), unless you must have it – in which case, dice it up and throw it in the pot along with rest. Add turkey drippings + broth (equaling 4 cups) to the pot, the black pepper, and prepared eggs.

Bring the pot back up to a simmer. Mix cornstarch, cold milk, and Jalapeno Sauce together in a dish. When the pot is at a heavy simmer, add the cornstarch mixture in. Adjust temp so the gravy doesn’t boil too hard and don’t over stir. Taste to see if more salt is needed, easy does it if necessary.

Sourdough Cornbread Dressing

Being raised by two born and bred Southerners, this recipe is nothing short of a ‘grievous sin.’ First off, it’s a Dressing as opposed to a Stuffing. And then there’s that bit about the addition of Sourdough Bread added in with the Cornbread! I think my Daddy might forgive me if he had the chance to taste it. I don’t know if Mama would’ve let this one go?

All kidding aside, this Dressing is seasoned similarly to the Cornbread Stuffing I grew up with. We are no doubt, a sage loving bunch. The Sourdough Bread lightens the Dressing without overtaking the Cornbread. Scrumptious! The final result is a must-have on our Thanksgiving table.

1 recipe of your favorite plain Southern Cornbread, baked thin in a 9x13 and cut into 1/2" cubes when cooled. Leave out to dry for a few hours
1 loaf San Fransisco style, sliced Sourdough Bread (Use only equal amount to cornbread. You may not need the entire loaf, depending on it's size) - lightly toasted and sliced into 1/2" cubes. Leave out to dry with cornbread
4 Tablespoons Butter
1 Sweet Onion, diced small
4-6 stalks(depending on size) of Celery Heart, sliced small
3/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Sage 
8 medium-sized fresh Sage Leaves, slivered and chopped fine
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
6 Eggs, beaten
3 cups Milk
2-3 cups Turkey Dippings or Poultry Broth (depending on how dry your breads are)   

Saute onions and celery together with the butter, until translucent. Set aside. Whisk eggs, milk, and salt together.

In a large bowl, toss equal parts of both the sourdough and cornbread together, along with the black pepper and ground sage. Toss in onions, celery, and fresh sage. Add in the milk and egg mixture and fold together. Set aside for about 10 minutes and toss again.

Coat sides and bottom of roasting pan with butter. Add dressing to the pan. Drizzle with 1-1 1/2 cups drippings&/or broth. Loosely cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and again, drizzle 1-1 1/2 cups of drippings &/or broth over the dressing. Bake until slightly puffy and browned on top, about 30 minutes more.

Serve with turkey and gravy. A worthy addition to your holiday table. Aside from convenience, you’ll wonder why you ever let the boxed version in your house.

Southern Kissed Green Beans:

When preparing annual dishes, each year is a toss-up as to how good any given recipe might turn out. Although the recipes are tried and true, you just never know what circumstances might impact one thing or the other. It’s yet another tradition.

I bring this up because Stache says this batch of Southern Kissed Greanbeans turned out the best ever, and that’s just what I was hoping to hear!

Southern Kissed Greanbeans are full of traditional flavor, however, they are cooked much shorter than the 1-1 1/2 hours of traditional Southern Greanbeans. If you enjoy fresh vegetables, give these a try. They are amazing!

2 1/2 pounds Fresh Green Beans
5 slices thick Bacon, cut to 1" pieces
1 small Sweet Onion, diced fine
2 cloves Garlic, crushed and minced
1 pinch Red Pepper Flakes
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Sweet Paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
1 cup Chicken or Turkey Broth
1 Tablespoons Butter

See Grammie&Stache IGTV video instructions for Southern Kissed Greanbeans

Buttered Cut Corn:

I didn’t include cut corn as a Thanksgiving side dish one year and missed it something terrible. It’s a basic dish that simply belongs. And it’s delicious.

2 pounds frozen, cut Super Sweet Corn, best quality
1/2 cup water
3 Tablespoons Butter
1/2 teaspoon ground Black Pepper

See Grammie&Stache IGTV video instructions for Buttered Cut Corn

Deep Dish Sweet Potato Casserole:

This dish is a favorite of one of our sons. Stache doesn’t usually touch it because there’s so much else to eat, and he prefers a plain buttered yam, That is until this week when we made them together. See our IGTV video. This dish is delicious and easy to set up, days ahead (leave off the marshmallows until the sweet potatoes are hot).

8 large Sweet Potatoes or Garnet Yams, baked to fork tender and natural sugars caramelizing
1 stick melted Butter 
8 ounce can crushed Pineapple, with juice
1/2 cup dry roasted Pecans, chopped
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg *Note: 1/4 tsp is correct! I misspoke on the video - Yikes!!)
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Brown Sugar or real Maple syrup
20-30 (depending on baking dish size) large Jet-puffed Marshmallows

See Grammie&Stache IGTV Video instructions for Deep Dish Sweet Potato Casserole

Mom’s Old-Fashioned Fruit Salad

It was a dilemma pairing food cultures of two entirely different ‘world’s’ and making them into one. But we love our combined family heritage! Add era to the different regions, and that’s quite another thing to consider.

Take fruit salad, for instance. Both Stache and I have a family favorite, dressing coated, canned fruit salad recipe coming straight out of the ’50s that we enjoy. How do two fresh-loving, hobby farming, garden enthusiasts handle such unnecessary recipes as this? We relish them once a year!

2  cans Fruit Cocktail, in heavy syrup  
8 ounces Cream Cheese 
16 ounces Sour Cream  
1 small jar Maraschino Cherries, cherries quartered and juice reserved
2 large handfuls Mini Marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped Walnuts
1/2 cup sweetened, shredded Coconut 

Cream together, room temperature cream cheese and sour cream. Drain fruit and gently fold it into the cream mixture along with cherries and half the reserved juice. Fold in the rest of the ingredients and give the salad a taste. If not sweet enough, add more maraschino juice, until preferred sweetness. Best if made a day ahead of serving, giving the marshmallows time to soften and the salad time to set.

Although there’s nothing fresh (except the walnuts) about this recipe, it’s an absolute favorite. Don’t let me undersell its greatness. Between you and me, if I were ever ‘tragically’ asked to choose only one favorite dish at Thanksgiving, this is the one.

Cranberry Sauce

I’ll just say it from the get-go. A proper, traditional Thanksgiving meal doesn’t happen without Cranberry Sauce. Particular as it might sound, even this is too broad a statement. There are firmly held opinions around here on the particular KIND of Cranberry Sauce that should enhance our meal.

Not only is our heritage split on this subject, but our family is also split on which one is best. Stranger still is that I am personally split on the matter. I prefer the Whole Berry with my dinner and the Jellied Cranberry Sauce on my leftover Turkey Sandwiches!

Naturally, I serve both. Canned Jellied Cranberry Sauce and Fresh Whole Cranberry Sauce are both delightful condiments belonging on your Thanksgiving table.

Potato Rolls

Present on every holiday in our household, Potato Rolls are a family favorite! Stache and I silently compete for Star Baker with these delectable beauties. No kidding, it’s a challenging competition. The man can bake bread!

Early each Thanksgiving morning, Stache builds us a fire and one of us gets the bread dough going. Then we usually sit and sip coffee while the dough rises by the fire. It’s a lovely tradition

1 1/2 cup warm Water 
1 package Dry Yeast 
2/3 cup Sugar 
1 1/2 teaspoon Salt 
2/3 cup Butter 
2 Eggs 
1 cup lukewarm Mashed Potatoes 
7-7 1/2 cups Bread Flour  

See Grammie’s How to Make Potato Rolls – YouTube Video for instructions.

Well, there you have it! Eight Thanksgiving Side Dishes and a favorite Condiment. Each one is relatively easy to prepare, but I’ll be honest, I sure wished I had a full-time Sous Chef/Dishwasher while I made these dishes for pictures. I haven’t done these entirely alone since our kids were super Littles.

Grab some friends or family helpers and make the work fun. Then build some new thankful memories together around your Thanksgiving dinner table.

I’d love to hear about your Thanksgiving side dishes. Do you have an ultimate favorite? Let’s chat real soon!

See other Special Occasion Meals in Grammie’s Cottage Kitchen