Thanksgiving sides and pies: A feast of flavors and memories

We are officially 15 days from the big day — Thanksgiving — when many families will gather and share a meal of thanks. Most will have a roasted turkey as the centerpiece, and maybe some of you will use my time-tested dry brine method from last week’s column (Nov. 6 edition).

I was at a wonderful Crown Royal dinner at The Corkscrew Saloon last Thursday and was seated with a few Italians who told me that Italian families do indeed have turkey as a Thanksgiving meal centerpiece, but it is preceded by many courses like ham, lasagna, olives and antipasto salad, and more. One thing’s for sure: Italians know how to put on a proper feast!

While the turkey will always be the star of the show for me, many people look forward to the plentiful array of sides and pies. I have to admit that I do too — especially the pies. Next week, I will have a column dedicated to the most important side: the stuffing. I have a recipe given to me by a great Medina family that will be a perfect addition to your Thanksgiving meal.

Some of the most common sides are mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, sausage stuffing, the all-important gravy, roasted Brussels sprouts, the omnipresent green bean casserole, cranberries in sauce or tube form, my favorite sweet potato casserole, au gratin potatoes, roasted carrots, Southern-style corn casserole, and of course, perfect rolls.

The sides bring back memories for most of us. For instance, when combined families get together, there are often two types of sweet potatoes. Some prefer the mini marshmallows on top, while others prefer my mom’s and my wife’s grandma’s version, where the sweet potatoes are cooked peeled but whole or halved in a casserole dish with some butter and a bit of brown sugar added. Then there’s the great cranberry debate. My family always had the canned cranberry roll of gelatinous cranberry, which was sliced. It was goofy, but it was tradition! In later years, my mom got fancy and started using cranberry relish. Most of us kids rejected this better version for our fun tradition. For the Gerhards, there had to be pitted black olives and sweet gherkin pickles. I have no idea why, but I still enjoy both on my Thanksgiving plate.

The pies, though — the pies are the grand finale, the pièce de résistance, the thing you eat even though you’re full, the last memory you have of the Thanksgiving meal. The pies have to be good, and the pies have to be plenty. After all, everyone has their favorite, and everyone is right on Thanksgiving. I am an apple pie and pumpkin pie guy, but pecan pie is always a close third. I do have a recommendation for all the non-bakers out there, though: pre-order some great pies and pick them up fresh a day or two before Thanksgiving. Preorder deadlines from Keller Market and Richardson Farms are both very soon, so get that done now and return your focus to the turkey and the stuffing.

I leave you with my annual Thanksgiving prayer, which has a proper focus on pies:

Thank you for family, Thank you for friends, Thank you for blessings that never seem to end. Thanks for the sun, and thanks for blue skies, But mostly, God, thank you for the ratio of one person per pie.

As always, I urge you to eat fresh, dine local and be happy!