Root Vegetable and Apple Mash with Caramelized Onions and Sage

And a Thanksgiving recipe round up!

Nov 17, 2023

∙ Paid

I had originally planned to offer you something more turkey-centric this week, but I couldn't imagine how I could top last year’s Braised Turkey Thighs, Osso Buco Style, so instead, I offer you a slightly unconventional side dish. Instead of the usual mashed potatoes, this mashup of root vegetables — run through with caramelized onions — is a flavorful way to take advantage of some of the more neglected and unappreciated veggies like celeriac, parsnips, and rutabaga, none of which get enough love in my opinion. There’s still a few potatoes in there, and a few apples too, which add just the right amount of tartness.

The other reason I decided to steer clear of turkey here is that we are being barraged on social media with the best, the ultimate, the only way to cook the bird and the rest of the meal too. It can be a bit overwhelming. Like my friend Sarah said over on Edible Living a few days ago, after spending many years developing and shooting Thanksgiving recipes — in July and August no less — it’s nice to just pull over and leave the driving to others.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Thanksgiving, and I'm hosting this year, as I usually do, but I’m getting better and better at not OVERdoing it. I only wrote down my menu in my Notes app yesterday. I was planning on picking up my turkey on Tuesday and then going to my local farmstand to see what looks good, just like any other dinner, but then I thought I should at least have a game plan. And of course, I made my stock and reduced it early (it’s in the freezer) so it will be easy to finish my gravy on the day of the feast. It’s not too late to make it ahead, and at this point you should be able to get some turkey parts for stock from your butcher or supermarket. It’s one thing I’m fanatical about, because I don’t think you can make a great gravy at the last minute. So many things can go wrong and there’s too much going on in the kitchen!

Though the internet is full of can-you-top-this cranberry sauces, I usually make a simple version almost off the back of the bag, but with a little less sugar, and some clementines and a cinnamon stick thrown in. This year, I’m intrigued by Clare De Boer’s Roasted Cranberry Relish over on The Best Bit. It has just enough of a twist to make it interesting while still remaining familiar. This is a very low-risk area to experiment. A bag of cranberries is cheap, and you can always offer two iterations if you’re afraid of a rebellion.

My general advice to you about cooking the feast? Get as much done as possible ahead of time to make the day more enjoyable and so you can concentrate on cooking a giant bird. I’ll be making mine outside on my Traeger grill again this year, because it comes out so succulent and juicy with a hint of smoke. And it leaves my ovens (yes, I have two) completely free for everything else.

If you have any questions going into the holiday week, leave them in the comments section here. Or if something pops up last minute, know that I’ll be on hand to help you next Wednesday. Look out for thread landing in your inbox — you can ask any burning questions you may have the day before the feast! If I don’t see you there, have a very Happy Thanksgiving!