Roasted Turkey Gravy
Roasted Thanksgiving vegetables and drippings from the turkey pan, plus toasted roux for thickening, make for a deeply flavored gravy.
Recipe: Roasted Turkey Gravy
Rye and Butternut Squash Dressing
The caraway from the rye bread is delicious with the roasted squash. If you like the flavor, use a darker rye. If you’re not a fan, you can easily use a good-quality sourdough. This makes a good main dish for vegans (use kosher rye, which excludes dairy). But it’s good with sausage too; add about 1 pound, casings removed, browned and crumbled.
Artichoke Parmesan Sourdough Stuffing
Every November, we're asked again and again for this recipe, created by reader Leslie Jo Parsons of Sutter Creek, California. (Sunset readers from all over the West have actually called Parsons to thank her for it too.)
She still makes the stuffing every year, and she agrees with us: It's even better with extra parmesan, so we added some more here.
Buttermilk Cornbread Stuffing
If you’re juggling turkey and stuffing in one (small) oven, make the stuffing first, then reheat it while the turkey rests before carving.
Recipe: Buttermilk Cornbread Stuffing
Pancetta, Sourdough, and Apple Stuffing
Tangy Western sourdough bread, flavorful pancetta, and sweet apples combine for a mouthwatering stuffing.
Italian Chard Stuffing
If we could have only one other dish besides turkey for Thanksgiving, this would be it: Hunks of juicy sausage, good bread, and lots of chard―a stuffing that works as a side dish too.
Recipe: Italian Chard Stuffing
Cornbread Stuffing with Sage and Dried Fruits
You can buy cornbread, but we prefer to use homemade muffins with fresh corn kernals for added sweetness and flavor.
Southwest Cornbread and Chorizo Dressing
A medley of Thanksgiving vegetables including bell peppers, butternut squash, and mushrooms and a generous helping of spicy chorizo make this hearty dressing a crowd-pleaser.
Cornbread and Gorgonzola Dressing
Like a cross between a dressing and a savory bread pudding, this rich mix of slightly sweet cornbread, earthy dried mushrooms, and creamy, sharp blue cheese had Sunset's staff clamoring for seconds.
Basmati Rice Dressing with Dried Fruit, Toasted Almonds, and Coconut
Dried fruits, nuts, and array of seasonings make this rice dressing stand out from the pack during holiday entertaining.
Recipe: Basmati Rice Dressing with Dried Fruit, Toasted Almonds, and Coconut
Marmalade- and Ginger-glazed Sweet Potatoes
This simple recipe highlights the sweet potato's bright flavor with hits of orange and ginger.
Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Goat Cheese
This is a decadent yet savory way to serve sweet potatoes. If you’re expecting vegetarians, make a couple of potatoes without the bacon. One potato can be enough for at least four people, depending on its size.
Recipe: Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Goat Cheese
Coconut Pan-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Sesame Seeds
Virgin coconut oil is unrefined and cold-pressed, like extra-virgin olive oil, and isn’t hydrogenated. It has a clean, slightly nutty taste that’s delicious in this dish. Deborah Madison, who adapted this recipe from one in a new revision of her book Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (1997), likes to use a mix of sweet potatoes, but it’s fine to go with just one kind. Paler sweet potatoes tend to be drier, so if you use them, add more oil.
Recipe: Coconut Pan-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Sesame Seeds
Chili-Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Spicy red jalapeno jelly plays perfectly against sweet potato's sugary flavor in this easy side dish.
Recipe: Chili-Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Baked Sweet Potatoes with Apricots and Bourbon
Dried apricots and a hint of bourbon are mashed with creamy sweet potatoes in this crowd-pleasing side.
Whipped Potatoes with Three-Onion Butter
The tricks to achieving very creamy mashed potatoes are to not overcook them and to whip them just until smooth (if you overwhip, they’ll get gluey). Serve some of the butter on the side, so guests can determine their level of richness.
Browned Butter and Hazelnut Mashed Potatoes
Rich, brown butter infused with the flavor of hazelnuts makes a decadent, but easy addition to mashed potatoes.
Green Onion Mashed Potatoes
We’ve used two low-calorie tricks in here: broth instead of whipping cream, and neufchâtel cheese for rich creaminess with one-fourth the fat of butter.
Recipe: Green Onion Mashed Potatoes
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
This dish has Southern roots but omits the usual candied syrup.
Recipe: Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Celery Root and Potato Mash
Mashed potatoes are even better blended with celery root, which has a gentle but penetrating flavor. Don’t be deterred by the root’s hairy exterior; just trim it off with a knife. This recipe is adapted from one in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (1997), by Deborah Madison.
Recipe: Celery Root and Potato Mash
Sage-infused Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips
Sage adds an earthy flavor to these mashed potatoes, parsnips lend sweetness, and sour cream brings a bit of tang.
Chipotle-Corn Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are good just about any way, but here they’re smoky, filled with crunchy bits of corn, and irresistible.
Recipe: Chipotle-Corn Mashed Potatoes
Fruit and Spice Cranberry Chutney
Once you taste this warm and spicy chutney that’s a snap to make, you’ll never go back to store-bought cranberry sauce.
Spiced-Tea Cranberry Sauce
Earl Grey tea is the secret ingredient in this sweetly aromatic, lightly spiced sauce. Just pay close attention to the timing--too much steeping can turn the sauce bitter.
Recipe: Spiced-Tea Cranberry Sauce
Anise Pear-Cranberry Sauce
Anise, pear, orange, cinnamon, and honey flavor this unusual but outstanding take on cranberry sauce to serve beside the big bird.
Recipe: Anise Pear-Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry Port Sauce
The combination of cranberries, orange, and Port in this easy sauce makes a wonderful accompaniment for turkey.
Recipe: Cranberry Port Sauce
Spiced Pickled Quinces
Bright but not too sweet, this relish is great with turkey as an alternative—or addition—to cranberry relish. You’ll need three pint-size canning jars.
Recipe: Spiced Pickled Quinces
Cranberry Ginger Sauce
Fresh ginger and the zest and juice of an orange gives a tart and fresh kick to this Thanksgiving mainstay.
Recipe: Cranberry Ginger Sauce
Buttermilk Cornbread
This buttery, moist cornbread is the starting point for an amazing stuffing.
Recipe: Buttermilk Cornbread
Overnight Soft Herb Rolls
These rolls are so good, we could eat a dozen–and they rise overnight, so there's little to fuss with on the big day.
Recipe: Overnight Soft Herb Rolls
Squash Pull-apart Dinner Rolls
Soft, cheerfully orange, and slightly sweet, these rolls are perfect for the Thanksgiving table.
Recipe: Squash Pull-apart Dinner Rolls
Buttery Dinner Rolls
This dough is so easy to work with that we find ourselves making it over and over again, with slight variations.
Recipe: Buttery Dinner Rolls
Leek and Walnut Bread
Leeks and crunchy walnuts flavor this hearty whole-wheat loaf.
Recipe: Leek and Walnut Bread
Buttermilk Skillet Cornbread
For this moist, fragrant cornbread, based on a recipe in her classic Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (1997), author Deborah Madison searches farmers’ markets for interesting cornmeal, such as Floriani Red Flint (used here), Roy’s Calais, or blue corn. For a denser bread, you can use all cornmeal instead of mixing it with flour.
Recipe: Buttermilk Skillet Cornbread