Hi everyone, thanks for stopping by! As promised I’m going to give you a few side dishes that you can make quickly and ahead of time so you can focus on that pesky turkey or ham. In my last post I had a revelation that I might be getting tired of pumpkin pie, I know I was shocked too! I also think the same is happening for the side dishes of cranberry sauce ,especially with orange added, and sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top. If this keeps up I’ll be making tacos for Thanksgiving dinner! I don’t have anything against the old sides and I know that sometimes you have to make them because Uncle Bob can’t live without mom’s sweet potato mush. So I’m just going to give you a little twist on a few sides that I think you’ll enjoy and they’re easy to make and can be done a couple days ahead of time.
There’s a bunch of ways to make sweet potatoes, you can make wedges or cubes or mash them or baked them whole. Today I’m going to bake and mash them for a couple reasons. When you bake them I feel it brings out the flavors better and I’m going to need a few extra cups of mashed sweet potatoes to make some pies. This way I get two things done at once. What I love about this recipe is the twist, you’re going to add some sherry or whiskey. I’ve got a little Green label Jack Daniels laying around so that’s what I’m going to use. On a quick side note because people ask me about the Green label, according to the folks at the Jack Daniel’s distillery the Green label casks are aged in the middle of the building so they aren’t exposed to the extremes of weather as the regular Black label casks, giving the Green label a mellower flavor. I can usually find the Green label in my area especially around the holidays. So let’s cook the Sweet Potatoes with Whiskey. I was in a hurry so I cut the sweet potatoes in half and turned the oven up to 375 degrees to give a little extra heat to bring out the sugars.
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Whiskey or Sherry
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- 3-5 Sweet Potatoes cut in half lengthwise
- 1/4 Sherry, Bourbon or Tennessee Whiskey
- 1/4 brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 stick of butter or 1/2 Cup heavy cream ( I like butter)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Place the cut potatoes on a foil lines baking sheet and cook for about 45 minutes to an hour. They should feel soft and ooze a little sugar.
- Remove form the oven and let cool a little before scooping out the insides into a pot big enough to hold all the scooped out goodness, 8 quart pot should do the trick.
- Turn the stove onto medium heat and add the remaining ingredients and stir them all together. If you’d like the potatoes a little creamy you can use an electric hand mixer. I like little bits of potato in my mash. Cook just until the butter melts.
- Give it a taste before taking it off the heat , some people might like it a bit sweeter or a dash more alcohol.
- Remove from heat and place in a bowl to cool before storing in the fridge.
- Reheat before serving .
While the sweet potatoes are cooking you can be making the cranberry sides. I’m going to be making a cranberry apple sauce and a very quick cranberry chutney. I love the cranberry applesauce because I love apples but the two work together to create a dish that you can eat anytime of the year. The added cinnamon always gives it that holiday sparkle and, even though I sort of like the weird cranberry gel thing that comes sliding out of a can, I know what’s going into my cranberry sauce! The recipe for the cranberry apple sauce can be made any way you like it. If you’re more of a cranberry person add an extra cup if you’re move of an apple person add an extra apple. When I made this version I went with more cranberry because I was in a tart mood yesterday!
- Cranberry Apple Sauce
- 2-4 apples cored and sliced into cubes
- 1-2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 3/4 apple cider ( secret ingredient) or water
- 1/2 brown sugar
- Juice of 1/2 lemon or to taste
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- Toss all the ingredients into a large sauce pan stir them together and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer. Keep stirring occasionally to keep things from sticking . You may need to add a little more water or cider
- Cook until apples are tender and most of the cranberries have popped. You can remove from the heat and use a potato masher if you’d like less apple chunks.
- Taste and adjust to your liking.
- Remember this is just a guideline so add more of the things you like.
- This stuff is really yummy so don’t eat it all before Thanksgiving!
- I like leaving in the cinnamon stick even when it goes into the fridge , just remember to take it out before serving .
The next cranberry dish is something you might really like as it’s a bit savory and you still get that cranberry punch. I’m sorry I didn’t have time to prepare it and take picture. This dish is easy to make but, I didn’t have time to run to the store and buy the shallots which are a must have!
- Cranberry Black Pepper Chutney
- 1/2 cup diced shallots
- 2 cups frozen or fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3/4-1 tsp fresh ground black pepper. (try 1/4 tsp Cayenne for a twist!)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- In a medium sauce pan melt the butter and add the shallots.
- Cook until they turn golden brown about 4 minutes
- Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer stirring occasionally until the cranberries pop and the chutney thickens, about 2o minutes.
- If you like spicy replace 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper with 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Only do this if you LOVE hot chutney and maybe make two batches, one for those who don’t like the heat.
I’m chuckling at myself because I’m getting hungry just typing about this food! There really is something special about Thanksgiving dinner. Right now in our crazy mixed up world we need to take a moment and think of those who aren’t as fortunate. If you can find the time and spare a couple dollars please pick up a few non-perishable items and drop them off at a local food bank. Many super markets have drop off locations. Some local libraries as well as gym and local businesses may also offer drop off locations. It can make a positive difference in someones life as we all try to navigate the trials of the way things are, (currently). Thank you all for stopping by and I hope you give at least one of these recipes a try. If you have anything at all to share please do so in the comment box. Until next time Boone Appétit!
