ALISON LADMAN, Associated Press

The turkey may be the centerpiece, but a classic Thanksgiving dinner simply isn't complete without a bevy of traditional sides. To accompany our cider-brined bird, we went with a gently sweet cranberry sauce cooked with peaches for a delicate texture and fruitiness to balance the tart berries. For the mashed potatoes, we kept it basic — sour cream, butter and chives — but delicious.

And because you can never have enough carbs at Thanksgiving (Stuffing! Mashed potatoes! Rolls! Cranberry sauce!), we added a second variety of potatoes — herb-crusted sweet potatoes.

___

PEACH CRANBERRY SAUCE

Start to finish: 15 minutes

Servings: 6

12-ounce bag fresh cranberries

10-ounce bag frozen peaches, chopped

Zest and juice of 2 oranges

3/4 cup sugar

Pinch salt

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries pop and the mixture has reduced to a thick sauce, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool.

Nutrition information per serving: 130 calories; 0 calories from fat (0 percent of total calories); 0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 33 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 30 g sugar; 1 g protein; 25 mg sodium.

___

SOUR CREAM AND CHIVE MASHED POTATOES

Start to finish: 45 minutes

Servings: 8

4 pounds red potatoes

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sour cream

Salt and ground black pepper

1/3 cup chopped fresh chives

Peel half of the potatoes. Place of the potatoes in a large pot, then add enough water to cover them by 1 inch. Cover the pan and set over medium-high. Bring the water to a simmer and cook until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Thoroughly drain the potatoes, then return them to the pot.

Set the pot over low heat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, shaking or stirring the potatoes to dry them. Using a masher, roughly mash the potatoes, then stir in the butter and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the chives.

Nutrition information per serving: 310 calories; 150 calories from fat (48 percent of total calories); 17 g fat (10 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 45 mg cholesterol; 37 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 5 g protein; 290 mg sodium.

___

HERB CRUSTED SWEET POTATOES

Start to finish: 45 minutes

Servings: 8

4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

Salt and ground black pepper

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

Heat the oven to 350 F. Coat a large casserole dish or a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil. Cook until firm-tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes, then spread them in an even layer in the prepared casserole dish or baking pan.

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, the panko, thyme, rosemary and sage. Sprinkle over the sweet potatoes. Drizzle the melted butter over the crumbs and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and tender.

Nutrition information per serving: 260 calories; 50 calories from fat (19 percent of total calories); 6 g fat (3.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 15 mg cholesterol; 47 g carbohydrate; 7 g fiber; 12 g sugar; 4 g protein; 380 mg sodium.