Thanksgiving is just a few days away. I will go to a Thanksgiving Eve meat loaf party on the 21st, have Thanksgiving with family in Newburyport and then drive back to Connecticut to have another turkey dinner the next day in Durham. For the one with my family, I will make the turkey stuffing and a new side, so here is an old and a new; none is blue but one is borrowed.

Roasted Grape, Apple and Cranberry Sauce

From Cooking Light, November 2018

Serves 12

2 cups seedless black grapes (about 10 ounces)

1 3/4 cups chopped Honeycrisp apple (or Gala or your apple of choice)

2 tablespoons chopped shallot

1 cup fresh or frozen whole cranberries

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 1/2 teaspoons pure maple syrup

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or sprigs (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with spray. Place grapes, apple and shallot on prepared baking sheet and lightly coat with cooking spray. Bake until shallots begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add cranberries to baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees until cranberries burst, apple is tender and grape skins are beginning to burst, about 20 more minutes. Remove from oven and transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in butter, maple syrup and salt. Cool completely, about one hour. Sprinkle with thyme, if desired.

Stuffing

1 large Pepperidge Farms herb-seasoned stuffing mix

6 to 8 tablespoons butter

1 cup onions, minced

1 cup celery, minced

1 small can of diced mushrooms

1 cup walnuts, chopped (I chop it with my hands because I don’t want it chopped fine)

salt and pepper, to taste

Bell’s seasoning, to taste

Make Pepperidge Farms stuffing according to package instructions.

In a skillet, add butter and melt over medium heat. Add onions, celery, mushrooms and walnuts. Saute for about 10 minutes. Add salt, pepper and Bell’s seasoning to taste. Add to stuffing mix and stir. Refrigerate until cold; I often put the stuffing in a large plastic bag and put it in the porch, since I rarely have much space in my refrigerator.

I make the stuffing at least the day ahead because it should be cold when you put it in the turkey, which is also cold. This is probably more stuffing than you will use. You can put the rest in a casserole and bake for Thanksgiving, or freeze it for another turkey or chicken dinner.