In all the years I have had my blog, I have never used the same recipe twice… until now. I am making an exception here because this recipe has become a family favorite. Out of all the dishes on our Thanksgiving table, this sweet potato side has become a healthy and delicious and a crowd pleaser. This amazing side has all the perfect Thanksgiving flavors, bringing to mind images of a perfect New England feast.
Sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows is yummy, sure, but also overdone. In this recipe, the sweet potatoes are combined with pecans, giving it a nice, crunchy texture. The rich, buttery taste of the sweet potato filling blends perfectly with the crispy topping. The welcoming aroma of the casserole cooking in the oven is enough to make you fall in love with it. When you taste it, it is so delicious and satisfying, you can’t help but look forward to Thanksgiving.
You can definitely use this as a side dish or dessert on that wonderful holiday (which is right around the corner)! This dish will absolutely be on my menu this Thanksgiving. I hope it will be on yours too.
I will not be posting on Thanksgiving, as I am preparing my home and my menu for 48 guests this year. With much love and thanks for all your support over the years, I wish you and your family a very happy holiday!
This recipe is courtesy of myrecipes and will serve 18 people who will love this delicious casserole with its crispy, crunchy topping.
Ingredients for Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole
14 cups (1 – inch) cubed peeled sweet potato (about 5 pounds)
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 375.
Place potato in a Dutch oven, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 12 minutes or until tender.
Drain.
Combine the half-and-half and next four ingredients (half-and-half through egg) in a large bowl.
Whisk ingredients together.
Add potatoes to egg mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.
Spoon potato mixture into a 13 x 9 -inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Combine flour and sugar in a food processor; pulse to combine.
Add chilled butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Stir in pecans.
Sprinkle pecan mixture over potato mixture.
Cover and bake for 15 minutes.
Uncover and bake for an additional 25 minutes or until topping is browned and the potatoes are thoroughly heated.
I am lucky that I have good friends and family who live nearby. Due to the varying tastes of my immediate family, it is hard to please them all. Many times, the recipes I make for the blog contain ingredients that somebody doesn’t like. It feels ridiculous to make multiple meals at the same time, but if it keeps my family happy, it’s fine by me. When my experimental dishes aren’t quite crowd-pleasers with my husband or children, it falls to friends and extended family to help out. I bet they just love to see me pulling into their driveway!
As for my immediate family, well, they make concessions too. They are proud of my website, so they don’t mind waiting the extra minute or two if I have to take pictures. By now, they are used to it, and often help me with suggestions on what to place in the photo. If it is a dessert, they will make me a cup of coffee for me to place in the picture.
Usually, banana bread goes into the “experimental” category. I usually don’t have much success in making banana bread- it often comes out too mushy or too dry. I know I have a few on my blog, but I think this one is the best. Whoever gets to try this banana bread is going to be very happy. The yogurt and applesauce make this bread perfectly moist and gives it a little tang and a deliciously rich flavor. The cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves add a nice Fall touch. The crunchy texture of the walnuts combines beautifully with the bananas. Perfect for dessert on Thanksgiving.
This recipe is courtesy of Tory Avey and will serve 16 people who will definitely want a taste of this beautiful loaf.
Ingredients for Greek Yogurt Banana Bread:
3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature 2 large eggs, room temperature 1/4 cup applesauce 1 lb very ripe bananas, mashed (about 3) 1 cup Greek yogurt (whole, 2% or nonfat) 1 tsp vanilla 2 1/4 cups flour 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp salt Dash cloves Dash nutmeg 1/3 cup chopped walnuts Nonstick cooking oil spray
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
Cut the butter into small chunks and place in a large mixing bowl along with the sugar and brown sugar.
Use an electric mixer to beat together the butter and sugar for a few minutes.
Make sure the butter is fully integrated into the sugar and the mixture becomes small, even sized crumbs.
Add the eggs and applesauce to the bowl and continue to mix till smooth.
In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork till smooth.
Add the mashed bananas, Greek yogurt, and vanilla to the bowl.
Use a spatula to stir the mixture till smooth.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet to make a thick batter.
Don’t over mix– a few lumps are okay.
Fold in the chopped walnuts.
Grease two loaf pans with nonstick cooking oil spray.
Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.
Bake the banana bread for 45-55 minutes, turning once halfway through baking, till the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
If the top of the bread browns faster than it bakes, cover with foil for the remainder of baking time.
Let the loaves cool for 10 minutes in their pans, then put them on a wire rack to cool completely.
As I have surely mentioned before, my first job out of high school was teaching aerobic dance class — this was well before Zumba days, mind you! Aerobic dance was originated by a woman named Jackie Sorenson, who was from New Jersey. Being a New Yorker, New Jersey seemed like a foreign land to me. Little did I know I would end up here.
When I was asked to teach the class, I thought it would be easy. It was not. They had very strict requirements for their staff members. You had to maintain a certain weight, you had to be able to run an 8 minute mile, and you had to attend teacher training three times a year. Nowadays, these requirements would never be instituted. But I really wanted to teach, and I loved every minute of my ten years of it. Even though I’ve since stopped teaching, those requirements instilled a love of running that persists to this day.
When I moved to New Jersey, I began taking personal training lessons. During one of my sessions, my trainer taught me a bit of boxing, and I fell in love with the sport. Until that point, I had looked at boxing as a brutal sport. Learning it made me see it differently. I loved the fast pace of it, and as a woman, it empowered me. I will never be Mohamed Ali, but I put all my effort into it and became the best boxer I could be.
It was around that time that I started running more seriously too. I cannot run in the hot weather (my body does not like the heat), but during the fall and winter months, I am so happy to be out there. It also makes me feel strong and has made my body muscular again. Yet another reason to love the colder weather!
After a cold run, there is nothing better than a warm plate of comfort food. This is the perfect dish to satisfy those cravings. In fact, it is two classic comfort foods made into one. How amazing is that?! The instructions are perhaps longer than usual, so be sure to prepare your mise en place, and to dread through the recipe completely. The sauce is made with Gruyere cheese, which is used in French onion soup. The addition of the Cheddar makes it creamy and smooth. The onions are beautifully caramelized, giving it homey goodness. Add some vinegar for a little tang and you’re all set. This dish is so delicious and satisfying! It is a “must try now”.
This recipe is courtesy of NYT cooking and will serve 6 to 8 people who will love warming up with this beautiful homestyle mac and cheese
Ingredients for French Macaroni and Cheese:
Kosher salt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan 2 pounds yellow or Vidalia onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced 5 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more thyme leaves for garnish 1 fresh or dried bay leaf (optional) Black pepper 1 pound cavatappi or elbow pasta 1 baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices 1 garlic clove 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 4 cups whole milk 16 ounces Gruyère, grated (about 5 cups) 12 ounces white Cheddar, grated (about 4 cups)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. (If you’re planning to bake the macaroni and cheese in a baking dish instead of a skillet, butter 9-by-13-inch baking dish or other 3-quart casserole.)
Meanwhile, in a deep, large (12-inch) ovenproof skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat.
Add the onions, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper.
Cover with a lid, baking sheet or foil and cook, stirring once or twice, until the onions are softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
Uncover and continue to cook on medium-high, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
If the onions look dry, add a few tablespoons of water at a time to prevent them from burning, scraping up any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the skillet. (You will need to do this several times.)
While the onions are cooking, heat the oven to 450 degrees.
Cook the pasta in the boiling water until 2 minutes shy of al dente; drain and set aside.
Rub one side of each baguette slice with garlic.
When the onions are a deep golden brown, discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf and deglaze the skillet with the vinegar until evaporated, scraping up browned bits as you go, about 30 seconds.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
When melted, add the flour and cook, stirring, until the flour begins to stick to the bottom of the pan and has turned a light golden brown, about 3 minutes.
Slowly whisk in the milk and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, whisking often.
Reserve 1 cup of the Gruyère.
Carefully add the remaining Gruyère and all the Cheddar to the caramelized onion mixture and carefully stir until melted.
If your pan is big enough, add the cooked pasta and stir to combine, or combine the sauce and pasta in the prepared dish.
Spread the pasta mixture in an even layer in the prepared dish.
Top with the baguette slices, garlic-side up.
Sprinkle the toasts with the reserved 1 cup Gruyère and season with pepper.
Place the skillet or dish on a sheet pan and bake until bubbly and brown in spots, 10 to 15 minutes.
If you like a crispier top, broil for a few minutes.
Let cool slightly, then garnish with fresh thyme leaves.
This one isn’t as simple, but it sure is worth it!
My Aunt Esther loves to read cookbooks. So does my friend Beth. I never understood that… Until I started learning to cook. Turns out, once I got started, I never stopped– I now own hundreds of cookbooks that I use to find recipes to share with all of you.
I read every cookbook from start to finish and use a stickie to mark off the recipes I want to try. I know I will never get to them all, but it doesn’t hurt to try. While I also use the internet to find recipes, I will never stop buying and reading cookbooks. I love to see the covers, turn the pages, and look at the beautiful pictures that accompany them. I find the pictures especially intriguing because I am in awe of both the presentation and the quality of the photography. People are so imaginative and clever, I wish I were one of them.
Over the years, I’ve learned a thing or two about using cookbooks. I’m sure that many of you take the book and use it while you are preparing the recipe. I used to do it too, but I found that this is a one way trip to a dirty book with pages that are stuck together forever. Yuck! My advice to you is to make a copy of the recipe you are using. This way the recipes in your book will stay clean and crisp and will always look brand new, and you’ll never have to worry about peeling two pages apart.
When I find a recipe I would like to use, I also search the internet for similar recipes. Then I write down all the ingredients I want to add and make it my own. It takes time and effort, but I enjoy doing this and feel especially accomplished when my recipe turns out to be, as we call it in my home, “blog-worthy.” Sometimes it takes many tries to do this, and I have certainly made countless recipes that have ended up in the garbage. Only the best of the best make it to the blog for you.
This casserole is so easy to make and makes a beautiful presentation. The carrots and cabbage give it a little bit of crunch. It is topped off with lots of gooey cheesy goodness. The paprika gives it just the right amount of heat. This would be a great addition to any Thanksgiving menu.
This recipe is not my own, but courtesy of Allrecipes and will serve 6 to 8 people who will want the recipe printed to take home for themselves!
Ingredients for Carrot-Cabbage Casserole:
2 cubes chicken bouillon 2 cups water 2 pounds cabbage, sliced into thin strips 2 large carrots, grated 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 cup milk 2 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese, or more to taste 1/4 teaspoon paprika, or to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Dissolve bouillon cubes in water in a large pot over medium-high heat.
Cook cabbage and carrots in the seasoned water until tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
Transfer cabbage and carrots to an 8×11-inch casserole dish.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Stir flour into melted butter until hot, about 1 minutes.
Pour reserved cooking liquid and milk into the flour mixture; stir until smooth.
Add cheese to milk mixture; cook and stir until cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth and thick.
Pour cheese sauce over cabbage and carrots; stir to coat.
Season with paprika.
Bake in preheated oven until hot and bubbly, 20 to 30 minutes.
Many of our friends have grown children who have moved out and are living independently. Most of those empty nesters are selling their homes and downsizing to smaller homes or apartments– they have no need for so much space any longer.
As luck would have it, my two sons are back at home living with us. We are delighted to have them here, but I close the door to their rooms every day so I do not have to look at or deal with the mess within. I had them both cleaned out so nicely and that certainly did not last for long. Even still, I am happy to have them home, cooking for them and eating as a family.
Looking at it from the other side, people usually renovate their homes for aesthetic reasons or to create more space for their families. Recently, my family has grown quite a bit. We have new nieces/nephews, and cousins are getting married and having children too. All of them are invited to my home for Thanksgiving, no matter what. When I suggested an addition to our house, my husband was flabbergasted. But he knew I had my heart set on it, and understood the reasoning. That was about three years ago and we are enjoying our newly renovated space even more than we imagined!
Every year, my married nieces and nephews switch off whose home they go to for the holidays. I have to admit, I miss them if they are not with me. I like to think they would rather be at my home because our Thanksgiving is fun and special and just plain wonderful. We cook together, eat together, and even hire a bartender, so it is a big, big festive occasion. This year, I am so excited to be hosting them all back at my home.
Now that my niece’s shower is over (pictures to come!) I have one more wedding and onto Thanksgiving. Cooking has not been a priority for me with all the whirlwind events happening, so it has become time to practice what I preach and keep my menus simple. This recipe is a rare find– both my boys love it!
Besides being a picky-eater pleaser, this pasta dish is also one of my favorites. The sweet Italian sausage brings not only a sweet flavor to it but a wonderful texture as well. Despite the name, the heavy cream and half and half make it creamy, not heavy. It is just the right amount. The true star of the dish is fennel, both the seeds and the fresh plant itself. If fennel isn’t your thing, just leave them out– you will still have a tasty, hearty pasta, but you will be missing out. These two ingredients are the secrets that give this dish it’s rich, magical taste. And of course, topping it off with Parmesan makes this dish a wonderful new comfort food. It is easy to make and worth every minute.
This recipe is courtesy of Ina Garten and will serve 6 people who will add this to their list of favorites.
Ingredients for Rigatoni with Sausage and Fennel:
3 tablespoons good olive oil 3 cups chopped fennel (1 large bulb) 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion 1 1/4 pounds sweet Italian sausages, casings removed 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves) 1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seeds, crushed with a mortar and pestle 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 cup dry white wine 1 cup heavy cream 2/3 cup half-and-half 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 pound rigatoni 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves 1 cup freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese, divided
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat.
Add the fennel and onion and saute for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the sausage and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, crumbling it with a fork, until nicely browned.
Add the garlic, crushed fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper and cook for one minute.
Pour in the wine, bring to a boil, and add the heavy cream, half-and-half, and tomato paste.
Bring back to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 2 tablespoons salt, and cook the rigatoni according to the directions on the package.
Drain and add to the sauce, stirring to coat the pasta.
Cook over low heat for 5 minutes to allow the pasta to absorb the sauce.
Off the heat, stir in the parsley and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan.
Serve hot in shallow bowls with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan on the side.
Cover and bake for 15 minutes.
