The holidays, especially Thanksgiving, are a time to make yourself nuts. No, I don’t mean a cashew side dish. I mean people just make themselves crazy this time of year.

So here we are again. What to do? Well, and turkey or the cooking part can be much easier. The first step is to simplify. If you’re going to be making a turkey, then take a long look at making the side dishes as simple as possible. This is where tradition and wackiness usually coincide. Most people have the basics at the table: turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, and 17 side dishes. It’s these side dishes that make you crazy. There’s one cousin’s favorite yams and marshmallow dish, which is awfully similar to another cousins sweet potato and crushed pineapple. Or how about the four variations of potatoes? Then there are the other vegetables like squash, beans, and Brussels sprouts. So what do you do?

This is the easy part. If you are preparing the meal, just make one of these side dishes, just as you would if you were making a normal sized meal, and not one that could fill a school bus. If you’re lucky enough to be visiting someone else, and thus absolved from all housecleaning and turkey roasting, then bring your favorite dish. That’s the one that you can’t live without because it’s the holidays. While everyone says they’re shocked and appalled at that 1960’s classic side dish of (previously) frozen string beans, mushroom soup, and canned onion rings, everyone dives into this like there’s nothing else on the table. So be a sport, and bring your favorite dish.

In keeping it simple, just make one potato dish, and one vegetable. The two recipes below come from my sister Bea, and her spectacular cranberry sauce that came from who-knows-where, my cousin Paula. The potato recipe is one she’s been making for years. Not only does it taste great, but it’s easy, and can be as rich and filling as you’d like. You can even substitute yogurt for the sour cream, and it doesn’t sacrifice the taste at all. Plus, both dishes can be made a few days ahead.


Bea’s cranberry sauce is as simple as chopping a few ingredients, and throwing them into a pot to simmer for a while.

And finally, a word about the bird. People sometimes get confused when faced with a 16-25 pound turkey in their oven. It’s just like roasting a chicken in your oven, only it takes just a teensy bit more time. As a rule of thumb, if you’re cooking a very large bird, there’s no reason it will need more than 4 1/2-5 hours to roast. Also, make sure that the temperature of the bird, at the inner thigh, is 180°. And if the bird is stuffed, then the stuffing should be 160°.

So remember, try to simplify. Everyone will eat well, and you’ll be able to spend less time at the stove, and more quality time on your housecleaning ]. And isn’t that what counts for the holidays?

Cousin Paula's Mashed Potatoes Deluxe (adapted from the Washington Post)

2 1/2 quarts (10 cups) chicken broth (or water)
3 lbs. (6-8) russet potatoes, scrubbed (or any type of potato)
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1" lengths
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into quarters
1 teaspoon. dried dill weed (or more to taste)
4 Tbs. butter, cut into small pats
1 1/2 cups sour cream or plain yogurt, at room temperature
3 Tbs. chopped parsley
1 teaspoons salt and fresh ground pepper

Boil the potatoes, covered, in stock or water for 10 minutes. Add the carrots and
onion and cook 20 minutes longer, or until the potatoes and carrots are
tender. Drain, cool and peel the potatoes. Combine and mash the potatoes,
carrots, onion, dill and butter. Add sour cream or yogurt, parsley, salt
and pepper and mash again. Serve hot.

To make ahead: Place in buttered, covered casserole dish and chill or freeze. Bring to room temperature and dot the top with butter. (Sprinkle with paprika, if desired). Bake covered at 325° for 1 – 1 1/2 hours, until it’s hot in the middle.

Makes 8-10 servings

Bea’s Cranberry Sauce
2 pounds fresh cranberries
3 apples, peeled, cored, diced
2 pears, peeled, cored, diced
2 Cups golden raisins
2 Cups sugar
1 Cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons grated orange peel
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 Cup orange liqueur (Triple Sec, Cointreau, etc.)

Heat all ingredients, except the liqueur, in a large pot, and bring it to boil. Simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, until it thickens, about 45 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in liqueur
Serve chilled.

This makes approximately 1 1/2 quarts

Bill Collins is a professional chef who lives in Beverly. To contact him for holiday lessons on turkey carving, or questions in general, he can be reached via email at bill@chefbill.com