Turkey Day Side Dish

Can you believe Thanksgiving is only a little over 2 weeks away? I swear, as soon as Halloween is over, it's a downward coast to the holiday season and they come, and pass quicker and quicker every year. 

There is no doubt Turkey Day will look different for so many this year, but no matter if you're only cooking for your immediate family, having a few guests over, or going for a traditional family gathering, menus need to be planned. And even if you are only cooking or a few, it is still a holiday, and your meal can still be special, delicious and festive. 

In that spirit, I've got a couple new side dishes coming your way before Thanksgiving, and this is the first. A sweet and savory version of autumns favorite spud, the sweet potato. This is perfect to make for a small gathering, or easily double or triple it! 

Sweet potatoes have been on holiday tables for years, and finding new ways to enjoy them can give your meal a little breath of freshness. Tradition means so much when planning a holiday meal, so it's great when you find ways to enjoy the same dishes you have for years, just in a new way.

 The reason I chose this dish (and a outstanding squash recipe later this month) is because not only would they be perfect alongside that big roasted bird, but a nice glazed ham as well. I wanted to give you double the dishes this time of year. If you are planning turkey now, ham for Christmas, or ham instead of turkey, or both...now you've got some dishes that would be so good with either. 

However you are planning on spending Thanksgiving this year, it is coming fast, and I hope you are looking forward to it. Even if you have find joy in a new way of celebrating. Surround yourself with love, happiness, gratefulness and some yummy food!

 Cinnamon & Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/4 c. olive oil

1/4 c. honey

2 tsp. cinnamon

Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Toss all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. Transfer to a large baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes until fork tender.

 

 Shared at Weekend Potluck

Po-Tay-Toe

When Alex was little, he was a fantastic eater, just like now. About the only thing I can even remember him not being a huge fan of was potatoes. Gasp! I know. It was a little confusing for him spud loving parents. Well, and let me be clear, he might not have been thrilled with them, but he ate them anyway. Why? Because that's how we roll. 

But I can distinctly remember his dad trying to get him to eat mashed potatoes and him crying! Seriously...who was that kid? Then all of a sudden, he began eating them more and more, and found his love for them, and has never looked back. In fact, we can always tell when he is ready for a growth spurt because he craves them. Wants as much as he get. 

We don't have this problem with Max. He has been a potato lover since he could chew. And he will tell you.. "Po-tay-toe" yummy!"

 It's so funny because as much as they look alike, and many times act alike too, there are definitely differences too. 

Since Max is such a fan of all things potato, it keeps me on my toes even more to make sure he gets a variety. Sweet potatoes were one of his favorite baby foods, and now he loves them mashed, baked, and roasted too. 

I make breakfast for dinner so much, it would be easy to fall into a rut, so when I thought of these, I was pretty proud of myself. Time for home fries. Put the russets down and grab the sweeties instead. 

They are perfect with eggs and toast, but would be just as tasty as a side to any protein too! I can see these on our table a lot this fall and winter; and maybe next to a holiday ham as well! 

Sweet Potato Home Fries

6 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 1/2 TBS vegetable oil

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. dried parsley, extra for garnish

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Salt and Pepper 

In a large bowl combine potatoes, oil, and seasonings. Stir well to combine. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes. Preheat oven to 400. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Place potatoes on it, spreading evenly into one layer. Cook for 30 minutes, turning the tray (bring the back to the front) half way thorough, or until fork tender. Sprinkle with extra parsley before serving. 

Shared at Weekend Potluck

Put Some Ease Into Your Holiday

When it comes to the holiday rush, and by rush, I mean every day from now until New Year's, I think all of us are looking for ways to make things just a little easier on ourselves. From the cooking, to the entertaining, to the shopping, and everything in between, any time we can find a shortcut we will take it. Of course, for my purposes as your Everyday Mom, it's my job to try to find you as many of those when it comes to the food, as I can.

If we are going to talk about finding shortcuts in the kitchen, I think we would be remiss not to turn to our slow cookers! We use them any other day of the week to help us get dinner on the table, so why not on the holiday? Those are the days we should be really putting them to the test!

We love sweet potato casserole, and I have a terrific and really quite simple recipe for it. So why try a new one? Easy. This one doesn't involve the oven! Think about it. With a giant turkey basting away for hours, we need to make sure we have side dishes that can be cooked stove top, or in our trusty slow cookers. The more we have cooking outside the oven, the better, in my opinion anyway.

My husband says this is like eating dessert for dinner. I can respect that. It really is quite sweet, but it's a pecan brown sugar topping, it's supposed to be sweet! It really does come together so simply, and would taste perfect next to your Thanksgiving turkey, or even ham too!

Putting some easy into our holiday really should be at the top of our "to do" lists. After all, the less time we spend stressing about the holidays, the more we can enjoy them, spending time with the ones we love most in the world.

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole

2 (29 oz.) cans sweet potatoes in syrup, drained

1/3 c. butter, melted

3 TBS packed brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/3 c. heavy cream

Pecan Topping:

1 c. chopped pecans

1/4 c. flour

2 TBS butter, melted

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

In a large bowl, mash sweet potatoes. Add butter, 3 TBS brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat with an electric mixer, on low, until smooth. Stir in cream until combined. Spray slow cooker generously with nonstick spray. Add sweet potato mixture and spread evenly. In a medium bowl combine all topping ingredients and stir until combined. Sprinkle over sweet potatoes. Cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours until browned and set. Serve immediately, or remove slow cooker insert and keep covered until ready.  *NOTE*  I have a 6 quart slow cooker and mine was done in 2 hours. A smaller one might take longer. I always use light brown sugar, but especially in this recipe because it gets dark enough, the darker variety might make it too dark. Watch this carefully because with all the sugar, this can burn easily.

Recipe from Pillsbury
Shared at Weekend Potluck

Another Turkey Day Idea

So, is that Thanksgiving menu set in stone yet? Or are you still looking for a little inspiration? If the first one is true, good for you! Way to be ahead of the game! Way to be prepared! But if the second one rings more true for you right now, your friendly neighborhood blogger is here to help!

Sweet potatoes are such a staple on so many holiday tables, sometimes we forget there are more things we can do with them than the traditional marshmallow topped dish. But there are, there really are!

This recipe actually came about last week when I had bought sweet potatoes to simply bake; but decided I wanted something more. And how could I say no to the addition of great flavors like brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and pecans? I could not! I mean, who can resist the words pecan crumb topping?

I love this dish because you can easily adapt it to feed a few (This version fed the 3 of us with leftovers, so I'd say it would feed 6 as a side dish easily.) or the masses. It can also cook in the oven alongside the bird while you are working on other dishes. It's the perfect mix of savory and sweet, and literally tastes like a holiday on a plate. Plus, it would travel really well too, in case you have to go "over the river and through the woods!"

That Turkey Day menu needs to be coming together pretty soon. We've got 2 weeks to finalize it; and I for one love knowing what's going to be served so my taste buds can start looking forward to it now! If there is room on yours, this might just be what you've been waiting to add to it!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

with
Pecan Crumb Topping

From McCormick

5 large sweet potatoes (about 3 lbs.), peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

2 TBS orange juice

1/4 c. packed brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

2 TBS butter, diced

1 c. dried cranberries

Topping: 

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

4 TBS butter, diced

1 tsp. ground cinnamon 

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 pan. Add sweet potatoes to a large bowl. In a small bowl whisk together orange juice, 1/4 c. brown sugar, vanilla, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. ginger and salt. Pour over potatoes. Stir well to coat. Transfer to pan. Sprinkle with cranberries. Dot with butter. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger for topping. Mix well. Cut in butter using two forks. Stir in pecans. Remove potatoes from oven. Uncover. Sprinkle with pecan mixture. Bake an additional 25-30 minutes until potatoes tender and browned on top.

Shared on The Country Cook

Eat It or Save It

I love potato salad. I can't get enough of the stuff. I have a hundred different recipes for it, each one delicious and mouth watering. But I make all of them mostly in the summer months. You know, picnic weather. Grilling and cookout season. But when the leaves begin to fall, and the days are cooler, my craving doesn't stop there.

 Normally I just say forget the season and I make one we enjoy during summer, and it tastes just as delicious. But this time around, I remembered a recipe a friend had given me, and I decided to put a little autumn into our tater salad. 

This makes a terrific side dish to any fall inspired meal. I served it with some ham and cheese sammies. (That recipe is coming later this week!) And it travels very well too, because it can be served warm, chilled or at room temperature. Since we ate at different times the night I made this, that theory was actually tested, and it was just as delicious two hours after it had been in the fridge and then sitting out. Mr. E. said so! 

But here's how my mind works. I'm sitting there eating this delicious combination of flavors, looked at the beautiful autumn colors, and thinking " This would make a great dish at Thanksgiving time as well." Maybe a new twist on your traditional Turkey Day sweet potato dish. It would taste terrific with turkey. Or a day after fix for those leftovers you might have. A couple extra sweet potatoes, the pecans from pies, the cranberries from dressing...they could all come together in something new to go with turkey sandwiches! 

Rather you eat this, or save it, this recipe is going to become a new favorite potato salad in your house too. A great addition to those foods you look forward to eating every fall! 

Autumn Sweet Potato Salad 

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 tsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary

3 TBS finely diced white onion

1/2 c. chopped pecans

1/4 c. dried cranberries

2 tsp. dried parsley

Salt and Pepper to taste

Dressing:

2 TBS olive oil

2 TBS lemon juice

2 TBS honey

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. In a baking dish combine sweet potatoes, rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir to coat. Roast in oven for 30-35 minutes until just fork tender. Do NOT over cook. Remove and allow to cool slightly. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for dressing. Whisk well. In a large bowl combine potatoes, pecans, onion, and cranberries. Stir well. Pour dressing over and toss gently. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve slightly warm, chilled or room temperature...it's delicious any way!

Shared on The Country Cook Oct. 10, 2014

Sweet Potatoes at Very Good Recipes

A New Kind of Chili

September, slow cookers and soups. Now, there is a group of things that go together like peas in a pod! Autumn is quickly approaching, and that means we are all going to be looking for more recipes to come home to after a long, probably chilly day, to warm us up while they fill us up. And my good friends at Red Gold couldn't agree with me more. "After coming home from work, picking up the kids, taking them to and from practice, and running your daily errands; there's nothing better than the aroma of a great tasting , warm meal waiting for you."  

Your slow cooker is a great way to make tasty dishes without having to be a slave to the stove. So, while you are away, a delicious, hearty meal can be waiting for you at home. And for me, there is nothing that tastes better on a chilly day than a big bowl of soup; and in this case chili. 

Chili...it's one of those things I save to make during the fall and winter months. I think everyone has that go-to family chili recipe that you rely on to be yummy and something the family will love. But why not switch it up a little? Put an unique twist on it? Well, thanks to Red Gold, I was able to do just that. 

This is not only a great weeknight meal that can be cooking while you are away, but it would also make a terrific dish for your next tailgating party! Chili and football are two more things that were just made for each other. Plus, this one has the added nutrition from sweet potatoes, one of our favorites. 

In the spirit of all things slow cooked, starting next Wednesday, September 17th and running through October 8th, Red Gold will be running their "Red Gold 2-a-day Crock-Pot Give-a-way!" Every day, two loyal Red Gold consumers will get a Red Bold branded Crock-Pot!! That's 44 slow cookers in over 3 weeks! During that period, they will also be sharing their new slow cooker recipes featuring Red Gold ® Tomatoes, including this one! 

To enter, be sure to drop by the Red Gold Facebook page starting Sept. 17th. 

Oh, and that same day, be sure to drop by EMM again for a fantastic giveaway from Red Gold too...more details to come!! 

Sausage and Sweet Potato Chili

1 lb. Italian sausage

1 TBS chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

3 c. beef broth

2 (15 oz.) cans or 1 (28 oz.) can Red Gold ® Crushed Tomatoes

1 (14.5 oz.) can Red Gold ® diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes

1 c. shredded Mexican cheese blend or 1/2 c. crumbled cotija cheese

Spray a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker with nonstick spray. In a large skillet, brown sausage over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until cooked through. Drain excess fat. Add sausage and remaining ingredients, except cheese, to slow cooker. (Use tomatoes with juice.) Cover and cook on LOW 5-6 hours. Stir chili and top each serving with cheese. *NOTE* I added salt and pepper to taste. I also garnished with some chopped chives for a hint of onion flavor. 

 

Shared on The Country Cook Sept. 12, 2014

 

Disclaimer: I received a gift pack in exchange for this review. Plus one to giveaway to a fan. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Easter Side Dish

Less than a week people. That's right, in case you haven't been paying attention to the calender, we have less than 7 days until Easter. So, if you are finishing up your menu plan, or maybe just beginning, I've got a great idea for you today.

Now, I realize that when most people think of sweet potatoes for a holiday they immediately go to Thanksgiving and images of turkeys and pilgrims. But I say that's not fair. Why should Turkey Day get all the sweet potato love? After all, most of us eat them year round, so why can't they be included in another holiday? Maybe a springtime one. Maybe one that has a different woodland creature as its mascot. That's right! I think the sweet potato needs to be included in more Easter meals. 

For our family, Easter means ham, and to us, no other side dish goes with ham as well as a sweet potato. Many times when I make ham steaks, baked sweet potatoes are sitting on the plate too. I'm not sure why my brain works that way, but it does. In fact, the night I tested this recipe I served them will some ham steaks. 

These are great because you can easily adapt the amount depending on the amount of people sitting down to your Easter meal; and the are done completely stove top, saving room in your already packed full oven! Sweet and savory, they please all the taste buds. In fact, if you think your kids won't eat sweet potatoes, try these. Anything "candy" related is usually a lot easier to convince them with.

If you are still planning your Easter meal, be sure to jot this one down, especially if ham is on the menu. But if you don't need an idea for Sunday, just remember it for a simple side dish any night of the week too!

Skillet Candied Sweet Potatoes

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

6 TBS. butter, divided

1/4 c. brown sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large skillet heat 2 TBS butter over medium heat. Add sweet potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.  Saute until fork tender, about 15 minutes, stirring often. Will brown around edges a little. Scoot potatoes to edges of pan, add remaining 4 TBS butter to center and melt. Add brown sugar to melted butter. Gently toss potatoes to coat in sugar mixture. Lower heat to low. Allow to simmer in sauce about 7 minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Stir to combine. Transfer to serving dish and pour extra sauce on top.

Shared on The Country Cook April 18, 2014

 

Breakfast For A Crowd

Christmas morning breakfast or brunch. Is that something your family wants/needs? I will fully admit I'm relieved to know mine isn't. See, we get up super early, open presents, grab a quick bite and then head to my parents 20 minutes away, where my mom always has snacks for us before our huge meal in the afternoon. And Lord knows we don't want to be too full for it, so a big breakfast is not something I have to worry about!

But for those of you who need to plan on a big spread Christmas morning, or maybe hosting family for brunch, I've got a great recipe for you! One, it couldn't be easier. Two, it can bake in the oven while you enjoy time with the family. And three, it tastes amazing and can feed a crowd!

Plus, if you don't really like the ingredients, you can change them up to include your favorites, or even what you have on hand. But if you're up for it, I encourage you to make it as is. I love the sweet potato and spinach. Such great winter time flavors marrying in a brand new way!

Now, I'm not going to fib to you. When I tested this recipe, as is the case with most breakfast ones I do, this was a simple Sunday supper. So, keep that in mind too. If your family loves breakfast for dinner, it makes a simple weeknight meal too!

There are so many meals to be planned in the upcoming weeks. Wouldn't it be nice to know at least one is already on the menu? And the comfort of knowing you'll be starting your family's day off with something so delicious, filling and beautiful is just an added bonus!

Sweet Potato and Sausage Breakfast Casserole From Multiply Delicious
11 large eggs, beaten
3 c. fresh spinach, chopped
1 lb. breakfast sausage
1 TBS vegetable oil, optional
2 medium sweet potatoes, chopped
2 green onions, chopped, few reserved for garnish
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 9x13 pan. In a large skillet brown sausage, drain and leave drippings. If not enough, add oil. Saute sweet potatoes until browned and tender, about 10-15 minutes. In a large bowl combine sausage, spinach, sweet potatoes and onions. Mix well. Beat eggs and season with salt and pepper. Pour spinach mixture into pan and spread evenly. Pour eggs over top. Allow to settle a couple minutes. Bake for 25-35 minutes until set. Remove and allow to sit 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra green onions.

Shared on The Country Cook Dec. 13, 2013

Breakfast at Very Good Recipes

Make Ahead Holiday

Sweet Potatoes. It seems folks either love 'em or hate 'em. There doesn't seem to be much wiggle room, or gray area. For our family, they are definitely a love. Any way we can get them! Mashed, baked, roasted, fries, it doesn't matter, we gobble them up.

But one thing we can't stand? The traditional addition of marshmallows to the top! Yep, what most Americans consider the norm, is not allowed on ours. And I when I say I don't enjoy the marshmallows, it's minor to the hatred my husband feels for them. Any time he sees those white clouds sitting atop, he says "Great, now they are ruined." Yeah, he's not really one to mince words. But we realize for many, they are a must, and we respect that, we just can't join in.

So I'm always on the lookout for new ways to serve sweet potatoes, especially around the holidays, and when I can also ease the stress of holiday cooking, it's an added bonus. See, these can actually be made a day or two ahead, refrigerated and then reheated in the oven, right alongside the bird! If you can check a few items off the list before the big day, why not make it a little easier on yourself?

Sweet, buttery and full of flavor, these sweet potatoes are sure to be a star at any holiday table. And if your family digs the marshmallows, by all means, add some on top. Just don't offer them to my husband.

Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes
6 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled
1/2 c. maple syrup
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter, diced
1/2 tsp. cinnamon, extra for garnish
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375. Lay potatoes on baking sheet, or 2 depending on size. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Roast for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until tender. Remove to a large bowl. In a small sauce pan combine syrup, sugar, butter and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Allow to slightly thicken. Add syrup mixture to potatoes. Mash with potato masher, or whip with electric mixer until desired consistency. (We likes our to have a few small chunks.) Transfer to serving bowl. Top with pecans and extra cinnamon.

*NOTE* To make ahead, prepare through mashing. Put in an air tight container with lid and store in fridge for up to 2 days. When ready, preheat oven to 325. Put potatoes in casserole dish. Bake uncovered for 1 hour until warmed through. Remove and garnish as recipe states.

Shared on The Country Cook Nov. 15, 2013

Sweet Potatoes at Very Good Recipes

One Potato, Sweet Potato

Have you noticed in the frozen potato section of your grocery store if they are carrying bags of frozen sweet potato fries? Well, mine is and it's a development within the past year. Before that I could only find them at stores like Fresh Market. I think it's absolutely wonderful that companies have started to make healthier options for families who shop at "regular" stores like Walmart, Meijer, Kroger, etc. I think convenience is one of the major reason for some of the poor eating habits in this country. I know it is for my family. When we're rushing around from one activity to another, or I've been out all day and home late, it is so easy to hit a drive thru or order pizza. And to be quite honest, I think every once in a while, neither of these choices are as evil as some would like us to believe. There are people out there who want parents to feel guilty about some of the choices we make when it comes to feeding our families, and I believe everything in moderation. Fast food burgers 4 nights a week.....absolutely not. Grabbing a bite to eat so your day can go a little easier every now and then....okay w/ me. So if next to the french fries there is a bag of easy to prepare, precooked, frozen sweet potato fries I think it's a fantastic option. I've used them before, and they are really tasty. But this week I had some extra sweet potatoes I needed to use, so I decided to make my own. OMGosh, how good! We love sweet potatoes, and I've done roasted "chips" in the oven before, but there is just something about having them in fry shape that I think makes them taste even better! And the best part? They were done in about the same times as the frozen ones :) I'm a mom all about feeding my family healthy delicious food. But I'm also a realist that know convenience is something every parent needs a little taste of now and then!

Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries

3 medium sweet potatoes ( I figured 1 potato per person)
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 450. Line a large baking sheet w/ aluminum foil. Peel the potatoes (you can leave the skin on for extra nutrients, but it tends to be a bit chewy). Chop a small piece off each end of each potato, making the ends "flat". Slice each potato in "planks"--stand the potato up on end and slice downwards. Then slice each plank into "sticks" making fry shapes. Place on baking sheet. Drizzle w/ olive oil. They should glisten, but you don't want them laying in pools of oil. Season well w/ kosher salt and pepper. Toss around to coat evenly. Add just a tad bit more oil. Cook for 10 minutes. Turn and flip. Cook for 15 additional minutes until tender and golden brown.

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Steak House at Home

Nine times out of ten when Adam and I go out for a steak dinner, he will order a baked sweet potato for one of his sides. He loves them w/ butter, brown sugar and cinnamon; and b/c of this I make them all the time at home too. So when I put steak on the meal plan for this week I knew I wanted something w/ sweet potatoes, but something different. So I turned to my trusted friend, the internet. I found this on a southern food website, and am very excited to try it. (It is the 2nd new recipe of the week!) I think it will give us all the same flavors of the baked sweet potatoes, with a few extra and a different texture. And besides, how bad can something turn out if it has brown sugar, butter and pecans on top???

Sweet Potato Casserole
1 large can sweet potatoes, drained and mashed
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter

Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine first 6 ingredients. Pour into a buttered 1 1/2-2 quart casserole dish. Mix topping ingredients together and sprinkle on top. Bake @ 350º for 30-40 minutes until hot and browned.

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