Sides show Turkey might be the star of Thanksgiving, but these culinary supporting roles earn the spotlight Homemade
By: Eva Wasney Posted: 3:56 PM CDT Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 Last Modified: 11:25 AM CDT Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025 Updates

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Turkey is often considered the star of Thanksgiving.

It’s the centrepiece of the holiday table, hogging the spotlight and monopolizing the oven. Search “Thanksgiving” in your emoji library and the results will settle on an icon of a plump Tom.

No shade if you’re a turkey fan, but I’m all about the sides. They add contrast and colour. They bring an otherwise sleepy protein to life.

Thankfully, I come from a family of fellow side-dish enthusiasts.

We got together for an early Thanksgiving dinner last weekend and, as usual, the kitchen was full of fixings: my aunt’s pickles, three different salads, roasted veggies, cabbage, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy. I barely had space on my plate for turkey after piling on the sides. It was magical.

For those splitting the wishbone this weekend, here are three reader side-dish recipes, each with a fun twist. Enjoy Diane Nelson’s recipe for Zippy Carrots, Debbie Hurrell’s Cranberry Salad and Debbie Nolan’s Pork Sausage Stuffing.

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eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com

Zippy Carrots

• 1.25 L (5 cups) carrots, sliced
• 45 to 60 ml (3 to 4 tbsp) onions, diced
• 125 ml (½ cup) mayonnaise
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) horseradish
• 2.5 ml (½ tsp) salt
• Pinch pepper
• Breadcrumbs

Directions:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add carrots. Boil for 3 minutes and drain.

Sauté onions on the stovetop.

In a large bowl, mix together mayonnaise, horseradish, salt and pepper. Stir in parboiled carrots and cooked onions. Transfer mixture to a casserole dish and refrigerate until ready to use. This dish can be prepared a day ahead.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the casserole and bake uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes.

— Diane Nelson

Cranberry Salad

• 1 can (348 ml) cranberry sauce
• 2 boxes (170 g) orange Jell-o
• 1 can (398 ml) crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 can (355 ml) ginger ale

Directions:

Heat cranberry sauce in a medium-sized pot. Dissolve Jell-O powder into hot cranberry sauce. Stir in drained pineapple and ginger ale.

Pour into a mould and let set. Invert mould when ready to serve.

— Debbie Hurrell

Pork Sausage Stuffing

• 2 L (8 cups) bread, cubed*
• 125 ml (½ cup) onion, diced
• 125 ml (½ cup) green pepper, diced
• 125 ml (½ cup) celery, sliced
• 125 ml (½ cup) mushrooms, sliced
• 3 large Italian sausages
• 125 ml (½ cup) chicken stock
• 3 eggs
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) Italian seasoning

* Note: You can use any kind of bread for this recipe. Save bread ends in the freezer for future use.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Sauté onion, green pepper, celery and mushrooms in a pan on the stovetop. Set aside to cool. Remove sausage from casing and cook until just browned. Let cool.

In a large bowl, mix together bread cubes, vegetables, sausage, stock, whisked eggs and Italian seasoning.

Grease two loaf pans with cooking spray. Divide stuffing mixture evenly between pans and bake for 1 hour.

— Debbie Nolan

Eva Wasney
Reporter

Eva Wasney has been a reporter with the Free Press Arts & Life department since 2019. Read more about Eva.

Every piece of reporting Eva produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.