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Potatoes

What would Thanksgiving me without Sweet Potatoes?

I’ve tried many different recipes, but always go back to my tried and true Junior League of Northern Virginia Cookbook  “What Can I Bring” for HOLIDAY SWEET POTATOES.

Why I love this recipe…it’s easy to make and perfect to prepare a few days ahead and keep in fridge until ready to bake on Thanksgiving.

Holiday Sweet Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

• 3 lbs of sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3 T butter
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup milk

DIRECTIONS

• Boil sweet potatoes in water (after peeled and cubed) covered until tender…drain and let cool slightly
• Process potatoes in a food processor until smooth. Add brown sugar and next 5 ingredients until smooth. Spoon into a 9×13 baking dish.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 30 min. (if you made ahead and it’s coming cold from the fridge, add 10 to 15 min. to bake time).
• You can top with marshmallows (and pecans) and broil until toasty brown on top (watch it in oven because it will literally take a minute).

Variation:  Replace marshmallow topping with a nut mix: 1/4 c. butter, 1/2 cup flour, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup pecans — combine melted butter with rest of ingredients and spread over sweet potatoes and bake about 10 min. more

Mashed Potatoes

In my family, we call this recipe “Bud’s Spuds” since old Uncle Bud always brought the mashed potatoes to Thanksgiving and they were always divine!

INGREDIENTS

• 5 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 1 T salt
• 4 peeled and smashed garlic cloves
• 1 – 1/2 cups whole milk
• 4 T butter
• 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• s & p, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Peel potatoes and cut them into large 1-1/2 inch pieces. Place them in large pot with 1 T salt and the garlic cloves covering with water and bring to boil.  Reduce to medium heat and simmer until tender – about 12 – 15 min.

Drain potatoes and garlic and return to pot.  Add milk, butter, s & p to taste, and cream cheese and beat until smooth and creamy….yum!  Serve or refrigerate

Note: you can also make these potatoes a few days ahead and store in fridge.  Heat them up on Thanksgiving Day at 350 degrees until hot – approximately 30 – 45 min.

TIP – PREP AHEAD:  You can peel and cut potatoes or sweet potatoes and store for up to 2 days.  Store them in the fridge in an airtight container with water. If you leave potatoes peeled and cut for too long without cooking or storing properly, they can turn brown.

STUFFING MUFFINS 

Apparently lots of people make these so I am not as original as I had thought. About 5 years ago,  my cousin and I concocted these scrumptious savory stuffing muffins from a magazine article we saw and I’ve made them ever since!

• 1 pound sausage (I use Jimmy Dean roll)
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 package (14 ounces) crushed corn bread stuffing
• 2 medium apples, peeled and chopped
• 1 package (5 ounces) dried cranberries
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 to 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 large egg

1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a large bowl; set aside.
2. In same skillet, saute celery and onions in butter until tender. Transfer to bowl; add stuffing, apples, cranberries, pecans, salt and pepper. Stir in enough broth to reach desired moistness. Whisk egg and add to stuffing mixture.
3. Spoon into 18 greased muffin cups. Bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of muffin cups to loosen. Serve immediately.

 photo credit…Pinterest

Brussels Sprouts

You either love these or you don’t, but if you have not tried roasting them, I suggest you try it now.  It really brings out a nice flavor and they also end up slightly caramelized and crunchy…

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper and garlic. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt and the balsamic vinegar, and serve immediately.

Variations:

Rosemary Parmesan Brussels Sprouts Add 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary to Brussels sprouts before roasting. During the last 5 minutes of roasting, add 1/4 cup pine nuts. Stir well and continue roasting until Brussels sprouts are tender. Before serving, toss with 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese.

Cranberry Pecan Brussels Sprouts
During the last 5 minutes of roasting, add 1 cup dried cranberries and 1/4 cup pecan pieces. Stir well and continue roasting until Brussels sprouts are tender.

Cranberry Relish

You’ll never go back to canned cranberry when you see how easy this is and how tasty…I really look forward to this in my post-thanksgiving turkey sandwiches!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1  12 OZ. bag of cranberries
• 1 orange
• 1/2 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS

Empty half the bag of fresh cranberries into a saucepan, keeping the other half set aside. Add 1/2 cup sugar, and the juice of 1 orange and fresh orange zest to the pan  (I love the extra orange zing) and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the cranberries are soft, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and cook until the cranberries burst, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the remaining half bag in the food processor.  Reduce the heat to low and stir in the reserved cranberries.  Easy to double the recipe for a big crowd and plenty of leftovers.

Gravy Angst? 

No worries…try this simple trick to make perfect smooth gravy every time!

I had (unsuccessfully) tried several different and somewhat labor intensive gravy recipes until my mother-in-law taught me this very simple turkey gravy recipe that always comes out perfectly  – never any lumps or separating. You want the true turkey flavor to come through so you don’t need to doctor it up with alot of herbs and spices.

• 1 cup turkey drippings
• 3 T flour
• 1 cup water
• s & p

DIRECTIONS

Separate drippings from fat:  pour juices from turkey pan into this special measuring cup that pours from the bottom…brilliant! Buy for  $8.07 at Amazon or pour into a large pyrex measuring cup (the fat will rise to the top and you can scoop it out with a baster).  Once you have your 1 cup of drippings (not fat) from the measuring cup, pour it in a large saucepan.

In a container with a top, mix 3 T flour with 1 cup water (use hot water) and mix/shake well.

Cook drippings on medium-high heat while slowly whisking in flour/water mixture…whisk constantly until thickens, turn down heat to simmer and add s & p to taste.   Yes, it’s that easy!

Wine Pairings 

Red:

Pinot Noir: this red wine is a traditional favorite for Thanksgiving. Pinot Noir’s subtle earthy undertones and often mushroom inspired flavors surround the fruit features of the wine and tend to show well with the traditional flavors of turkey and stuffing (AboutFood)

Try this one:

La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast So good and under $20….”Aromas of ripe cherry, cocoa, anise and rich baking spices. Plush flavors of cherry, plum and pomegranate meld with hints of delicate tea leaf. Structured, balanced acidity and elegant, firm tannins round out the mouth.”

Zinfandel: A fuller bodied red wine that ups the intensity from a Pinot Noir, but still maintains a balancing effect on many traditional Thanksgiving side dishes. This would be a great wine pick for those looking for a heartier red wine.

Try this one:

Rombauer Zinfandel Retails for $25.97 at Total Wine and worth every penny!  The essence of Napa Zinfandel, this fruit forward wine boasts bright aromas of black cherry and plum layered on the palate with red and dark berry flavors and a slightly spicy finish.

White: 

Food & Wine suggested this reasonably priced choice:

2005 Hogue Pinot Grigio ($8.99 at Total Wine) Pinot Grigio (or Pinot Gris; they’ re the same grape) has become one of the Pacific Northwest’s most widely planted white varieties. Hogue’s version hews to the lighter, more Italian style, with a light floral aroma and nectarine-citrus flavors.

Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling (retails for $7.99)  Elegant ~ Light-bodied

What is more Thanksgiving than Pumpkin Pie!? 

FILLING INGREDIENTS