So now that we’ve conquered making the turkey, we’re ready for the fun part. In my world, Thanksgiving has always been about the sides. And Chef Travis, Executive Chef at the Williamsburg Inn, is back in the kitchen with us to share some of his favorite delicious (and doable!) Thanksgiving sides. Get ready for Brussels sprouts with bacon, the creamiest mashed potatoes ever to hit your spoon, smoked sausage stuffing with a secret ingredient, and a cranberry sauce so good that it just might threaten to steal the show.
Rich & Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Let’s begin with a Thanksgiving standard—mashed potatoes. The best way to dress up the humble, ground-dwelling potato? Cream, butter, and cheese. (Hey, Thanksgiving only comes once a year, right?)
- 6 Russet Potatoes
- Salt
- 1/2 cup Cream (heated)
- 4 Tbsp Butter
- Block of Boursin Cheese (4 oz)
- Black Pepper
- Fresh Chives and Parsley (chopped)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Wash potatoes and poke each with a fork several times
- Layer your baking sheet with foil, place potatoes roughly one inch apart, then sprinkle with salt
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, flipping every 20 minutes or so (they’re done when you can easily pierce with a fork)
- As soon as they’re cool enough to touch, immediately slice them open length-wise and scoop out the potatos
- Mash them in a large mixing bowl
- Add hot cream and mix
- Add the butter and cheese and mix until smooth
- Top with black pepper and fresh herbs to taste
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
As a self-proclaimed “veggie lover,” to me a meal just isn’t complete without something green on the table. I personally love Brussesls sprouts—but if you don’t—Chef Travis’ recipe can easily be used with any hearty vegetable, like green beans or kale. And if your non-veggie-loving family members need convincing? We have one word that should do it: bacon.
- Olive Oil
- 2 cups Brussels Sprouts (quartered)
- 1/4 cup Bacon, Virginia Ham, or Pancetta
- 1/4 cup Shallots (sliced)
- 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- Salt and Pepper
- Fresh Chives and Parsley (chopped)
- Optional: Pine Nuts, Almonds, or Crushed Pecans
- Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan over medium heat
- Add bacon or meat of choice
- Cook for several minutes, until bacon is about 1/2 cooked but not yet crispy (it will cook later!)
- Add sliced shallots, and cook until softened
- Add Brussels sprouts and cook 5 to 8 minutes until caramelization begins
- Add apple cider vinegar and sugar to increase caramelization
- Add salt and pepper and fresh herbs to taste
- Optional: stir in pine nuts, almonds, or crushed pecans
Smoked Sausage Dressing with a Secret Ingredient & How-to Video
If your Thanksgiving isn’t complete without a hearty and savory dressing, then Chef Travis has a recipe for you. (We debated calling this recipe stuffing, but because we did not cook it inside our turkey we went with dressing. What do you call it?) Can you spot the secret ingredient in the above photo? Hint: it’s golden. And it’s not the butter. And no, this recipe does not use ALL that butter. Chef reassures us of this in the demonstration video below the recipe.
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 1 cup Smoked Pork Sausage (diced)
- 1 Tbsp Garlic (minced)
- 2 Tbsp Shallots (minced)
- 1 small Onion (diced)
- 1 small Carrot (diced)
- 1 stalk of Celery (diced)
- 1/2 small bulb of Fennel (diced)
- 1 cup Golden Raisins
- 1 loaf Brioche (or other leftover, crunchy) Bread (diced)
- 2.5-3.5 cup Turkey or Chicken Stock
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- 1/4 cup Fresh Tarragon, Sage, Chives, and/or Parsley (diced)
- Kosher Salt
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a large sauté pan over medium heat place the butter and sausage, and render the sausage for about 5-6 minutes until the sausage begins to crisp
- Add the garlic and shallots and sauté for 1 minute
- Add the onion, carrot, celery and fennel and cook for about 4-5 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften
- Add the golden raisins and cook for and additional 2 minutes
- In a large mixing bowl, place the diced bread and add contents of the sauté pan and mix
- Add 2 cups of the turkey or chicken stock and the heavy cream and fold in herbs to season
- As this dressing is egg-free, you may need to add a bit more stock if it appears dry
- Place dressing into a 9 x 13″ baking dish or a 10″ skillet
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. If you like a crispy dressing bake with a cover of aluminum foil for the first 15 minutes then remove the foil and finish baking. For a more moist and soft dressing leave the aluminum foil on for the first 35 minutes and then remove and finish baking.
Cranberry Sauce with Grand Marnier
This cranberry sauce blew my mind. Sweet, but vibrant with hints of orange and spices. Don’t skimp on the chilling time, as that’s when the flavors really come together. Make this! I promise you, you won’t regret it.
- 2 cups Sugar plus 2-3 additional cups Sugar (separated)
- 1 cup Water
- 2 cups Fresh Orange Juice
- 2 cups Cranberry Juice
- 1/2 cup Grand Marnier (or other orange flavored cordial)
- 2 lbs Fresh Cranberries
- 1 sachet (cheesecloth of tied spices) containing:
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
- 1 Whole Nutmeg
- 5 Whole Cloves
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 10 Black Peppercorns
- In a 1 gallon sauce pot, place the water first then add 2 cups of sugar
- Heat over medium-high heat till a medium caramelization occurs, this may take up to 20-25 minutes. Keep an eye on the sugar so as not to burn
- After this “caramel” is made, carefully add the orange juice, cranberry juice, Grand Marnier, cranberries, and the sachet of spices. Stir well to incorporate
- Cook, stirring often as not to burn over a medium heat until the cranberries have broken down and the sauce has thickened, approximately 30-45 minutes of simmering
- Add 2 cups of sugar to the sauce to sweeten. Depending on how tart your cranberries were, the sauce may take up to 3 cups of sugar
- Chill the sauce, up to several days
So now we have the food covered. But what about cocktails? Check back tomorrow when Chef Travis shows us how to make a Caramel Apple Hot Toddy & Pomegranate Apple Cider Sangria!
What are your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes? Give Chef Travis’ recipes a try and let us know how it goes!
Janet says
The brussels sprout recipe does not give the number of people it serves. If I am making this for 8 people,
what proportions would I use ? It seemed that the recipe as given, would be enough for approx. 4 people.
Thank you for clarification.
The turkey croissants and brussel sprouts look great!
I wish I had seen this before Thanksgiving. I hope you will have this next year.
Thank you
Thanks, Mary we absolutely will. And we’ll try to get this out a little earlier next year!
Chef Travis,
I made the Brussels sprouts for the family for Thanksgiving dinner. Everybody loved them - even the ones that said they didn’t like Brussels sprouts. Thanks for the recipe and instructions. Happy Thanksgiving!
John Lockwood
Thanks, John! That’s fantastic. We’ll pass the word on to Chef Travis.