Step Aside, Turkey

Thanksgiving dinner is the Oscars of food, and while the turkey thinks it’s the Best Picture, we all know the real glittering stars are the side dishes.

Mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, these supporting actors steal the show every year.

How did these traditional culinary co-stars rise to fame?

Stuffing, or dressing, depending on your zip code, dates to ancient Roman times with the earliest recorded recipe coming from the 1st century AD Roman cookbook Apicius, which included recipes for stuffing animals with mixtures of spelt (an early wheat), herbs, vegetables, and spices. While these versions didn’t use bread, they laid the groundwork for the concept of stuffing to enhance flavor and stretch ingredients. Today, this reborn bread rises like
a carb Phoenix.

The first recorded recipe for mashed potatoes appeared in Hannah Glasse’s 1747 cookbook, The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, a favorite among Colonial Americans. French army pharmacist Antoine-Augustin Parmentier helped popularize the dish in the late 1700s after surviving on potatoes during his imprisonment in Prussia. Once home, he launched a full-on potato PR campaign, complete with mashed potato dinners for dignitaries.

In 1912, Marcus L. Urann, a Massachusetts lawyer-turned-cranberry-bog-owner with a vision, and apparently, a lot of berries, began canning cranberry sauce (200 berries per can) to extend its shelf life and make it available year-round. His wobbling jellied version—smooth, sliceable, and famously shaped like the can it came in—was a hit. By 1941, it was being sold nationwide under the Ocean Spray brand, which Urann helped found. Whether you love the log or prefer it fresh and zesty, it’s a must-have.

Green bean casserole may not scream gourmet, but even the most sophisticated palates can’t resist its nostalgic charm. Invented in 1955 by Dorcas Reilly at the Campbell Soup Company, it was designed to be simple, affordable, and made from pantry staples.

Despite its humble origins, it hits all the right notes: creamy, crunchy, savory, and comforting. Even if you’ve graduated to truffle oil and microgreens, there’s something deeply satisfying about a dish that doesn’t try too hard, still wins hearts, and can make fried onions feel like haute cuisine.

Sides are reliable, comforting, exotic, and full of personality. Aren’t they the ones we dream about, argue over, and sneak seconds or thirds of when no one’s looking?

Here’s to giving side dishes the standing ovation they deserve. Whether you’re whipping up a roasted root vegetable medley with maple glaze or crafting an oyster stuffing that could win awards, sides should be bold, beautiful, and unapologetically delicious.

This Thanksgiving, flip the script. Let the turkey be the background music while the sides take center stage. After all, it’s the mashed potatoes that hug your soul, the stuffing that tells stories, and the casseroles that bring generations together.

So go ahead, pile your plate high with sides. Your taste buds will thank you.

On November 15, join Tucson’s beloved tamalera Matilde Santa Cruz for a hands-on beef tamale class celebrating tradition, flavor, and family. From masa to filling to fold, you’ll learn the secrets behind her legendary tamales, make 4-6, leave with a dozen to share or savor solo, and enjoy lunch.

Wishing you joy in the kitchen,
Michele

Roasted Sweet Potato & Cranberry Hash with Maple-Balsamic Glaze
Yield: 6 servings

2 large sweet potatoes, about 4 cups, peeled and diced
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries or ¾ cup canned whole cranberry sauce
1 small red onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Optional: ¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
2. In a large bowl, toss sweet potatoes and onion with olive oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
3. Spread mixture evenly on the baking sheet and roast 20 minutes.
4. Remove from oven, stir, and add cranberries or dollops of canned cranberry sauce and pecans, if using.
5. Return to oven and roast another 15–20 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender and cranberries have burst or caramelized slightly if using canned.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup and balsamic vinegar.
7. Drizzle glaze over hash right after removing it from the oven. Toss gently to coat.

Photo credit: Karolina Grabowska for Unsplash