Baked Sweet Potatoes

Thanksgiving is coming up, and you'll notice plenty of recipes popping up featuring poultry, stuffing, and cranberries. But my new favorite holiday side dish is a big spoonful of these baked sweet potatoes.

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First, you'll need three big sweet potatoes. You won't need to do anything to them--just stick 'em on a baking sheet and roast them at 425F for about an hour, or until they're completely cooked.

If your oven is already filled with something, you could microwave them or peel and boil them, too. Roasting really helps bring out their sweetness, though.

Once the potatoes are cooked, let them cool a bit and then peel them. The skin should come right off.

Add some half-and-half. The liquid will help you once you're ready to mash them, and it will also give your side dish some richness.

Next is some melted (or mostly melted) butter. Because Thanksgiving sucks without butter.

Maple syrup will sweeten the side dish. Not too much, since the potatoes are already plenty sweet--just enough to add a bit of mapley goodness.

A couple of eggs will add some substance to your side dish.

Don't forget the salt! The salt will bring out all the flavors you've already added.

Vanilla will add a depth of flavor and enhance the sweetness of the potatoes.

And, just to kick things up a little, some cayenne pepper is the last ingredient to go in.

Now grab your handy-dandy potato masher (or electric beaters) and mash those potatoes to the chunky- or smoothness that you like.

Spread your potato mixture in a large, shallow baking dish and set it aside.

The thing that really makes this dish a killer is the topping. Sure, you've got the slightly-sweet orange concoction underneath, but on top is a crunchy, sweet topping that does nothing but enhance the sweet potatoes it tops.

Using a food processor (or a pastry cutter) makes the topping a cinch. Grab some cold butter.

Measure out some brown sugar.

Then cut the two together until they become like one ingredient.

If I had been doing it by hand, I don't think I would have made the bits of butter so small, to leave the topping more streusal-like. But since I used my food processor, I didn't have a choice. If you like a more rough, crumbly topping, I'd suggest doing this step by hand.

Now that the hard work is done, you can add some nuts. I picked pecans because I love pecans, especially in fall food.

A little flour will help bind your topping too, and ensure the sugar doesn't melt into a straight-up caramel.

Just a few whirrs will do it--you still want idenfiable bits of nuts in the topping. Once it's combined to your satisfaction, you can pour it over the top of the potatoes.

Spread the topping evenly over the potatoes and then pop the dish in a 350F oven for about 30-35 minutes.

Let it bake until the potatoes are bubbling hot and the topping is golden brown. (I mean, golden-browner than it was before ... )

Scoop yourself up a huge spoonful. It's addicting--I promise!

Recipe: Baked Sweet Potatoes

3 large sweet potatoes

1/3 c. half and half

1/4 c. butter, melted

1 tbsp. maple syrup

3 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper


Topping:
2 tbsp. cold butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. pecans
1/4 c. flour


Roast sweet potatoes in 425F oven for 1 hour or until completely cooked through. Let cool.

Peel sweet potatoes and place in large bowl. Add half and half, maple syrup, butter, eggs, salt, vanilla, and cayenne pepper. Mash or blend sweet potato mixture until smooth. Pour into a large, shallow baking dish.

Using a food processor or pastry cutter, combine brown sugar and butter until well incorporated. Add in pecans and flour until just combined. Sprinkle topping over sweet potatoes.

Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes until potatoes are hot and topping is golden brown.

Breakfast Egg Bake

With the holidays coming up, it's always nice to have some quick breakfast ideas in your pocket for when people drop by unexpectedly. Nobody will notice you're still in your PJs when they show up and you've got this Breakfast Egg Bake ready for them!

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Look how easy this looks already.

Measure out half of the sausage and start it browning on the stove.

While the sausage is cooking, chop up your favorite vegetables. I used onions, peppers, and mushrooms, but feel free to use whatever you like.

Once the sausage is browned, spread it out evenly in a baking dish.

Then spread the cheese over the top.

Saute the vegetables in the same pan you browned the sausage. Add the potatoes, too.

Now leave the vegetables alone. You want the potatoes to get nice and crispy, and they won't if you keep poking at them.

So instead you can start on the eggs. Crack a bunch of eggs into a bowl. There are only 6 eggs in this picture--I thought I could get away with using fewer eggs--but you really do need 10. I swear. Use 10.

Add a bit of half and half or milk to get a creamier texture. And don't forget to add salt and pepper.

Then stir everything together, taking care to break up the yolks.

Once the vegetables are softened and the potatoes are crisp, spoon them over the sausage and cheese.

Then pour the eggs over the top.

Bake at 350F for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of the bake comes out clean.














Mmm. Baked deliciousness! Make this for your unexpected guests--they'll never notice that you haven't cleaned the house and are still wearing your bathrobe and pajamas. And if they do, they won't be able to say anything because their mouths will be full.

Recipe: Breakfast Egg Bake

1/2 lb. ground sausage
1 c. shredded cheese
1 1/2 c. vegetables, diced
1/2 bag (1 1 /2 c.) pre-cooked potatoes
10 eggs
1 tbsp. half and half or milk
salt and pepper, to taste


In a large pan, brown sausage until cooked through. Pour into a baking dish and spread out. Sprinkle with cheese.

Using the same pan the sausage was cooked in, saute vegetables. Add potatoes. Let cook until vegetables are softened and potatoes are golden brown. Spoon mixture over sausage and cheese.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, half and half, and salt and pepper. Stir until combined. Pour over potato and sausage.

Bake at 350F for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of the bake comes out clean. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Roasted Root Vegetables

With fall coming, things are turning such beautiful colors. But it's not winter yet, and there's time to enjoy what's left of this year's bounty. Roasting root vegetables is a great way to admire what nature still has to offer us.

Look at all this purple! I've got beets, purple potatoes, fingerling potatoes, carrots, and onion. I was hoping to add a parsnip or rutabaga, but no one at my market grew those, and I didn't want to buy a huge rutabaga or a pack of 6 parsnips at the store. Looking at how purple it is, I wish I had had some acorn or butternut squash here, even though they're not root vegetables. A sweet potato would have been nice. But that's what's great about this. You can use whatever vegetables you like.

I peeled the carrots and the beets but just gave everything else a nice cleaning. Then I cut them into nice bite-sized pieces. (Here's a hint--do the beets last, or everything will be a little purple!)

Make sure they're all roughly the same size--although I did make the beets a bit smaller, as they take a little longer to cook.

Drizzle everything with some olive oil. Enough so everyone gets some.

Sprinkle with salt--and just a little sugar, to help bring out the vegetables' natural sugars. And crack some fresh pepper over the top.

You can add your favorite herbs if you want (they're fine without them, too.) I used fresh rosemary and fresh thyme. Whatever herbs you like. Or some garlic. I didn't add garlic because I wanted the flavor of the vegetables to shine through, but that doesn't mean you couldn't add some to yours!

And, just because I could (and because I had a ton sitting in the freezer), I added a lump or two of duck fat.

Duck fat is totally optional. But I find it adds a little richness to the vegetables' flavors. A pat of butter would have a similar, but not quite the same, effect. I dare you to try it.

Toss everything together, to make sure each piece is coated with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Roast at 425F for 45 minutes-1 hour, until all your vegetables are tender. Open the oven a couple times to stir the vegetables around, to prevent sticking and to make sure they stay evenly coated and get the chance to get caramelized.

Stir carefully, or you may end up with lots of beet-stained potatoes ;)



This is a really easy and delicious side dish (and a great way to get your family to eat their veggies.) The potatoes are rich and creamy, the carrots are sharp, and the beets turn sweet and tender. Use your favorite vegetables and your favorite herbs and make this a weekly meal your family will love.

Recipe: Roasted Root Vegetables

your favorite root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, onions, parsnips, etc.)
olive oil, for drizzling
salt and pepper, to taste
pinch sugar
your favorite herbs (2-3 tbsp. fresh, 2-3 tsp. dried)
1-2 tbsp. duck fat or butter (optional)


Clean and peel root vegetables, if necessary. Cut into bite-sized pieces and lay on a sheet pan in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt, pepper, and sugar. Add herbs and duck fat/butter. Toss to evenly coat. Roast in a 425F oven for 45 minutes-1 hour, stirring occasionally, or until vegetables are cooked through and caramelized on the outside.

Fried Green Tomatoes

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I was at the farmer's market this last week and saw my favorite vegetable seller had baskets and baskets of ... green tomoates! I've been craving fried green tomatoes all summer but hadn't seen any (and my own foray into growing tomatoes this year was, let's just say, completely unsuccessful.) It's been years since I tried making fried green tomatoes last, and thought I would give it another go as a more experienced cook.

And let me tell you. So easy. I wish green tomatoes were available year-round, I'd make these all the time.

Start out with, what else, green tomatoes. I gave mine a light wash and then dried them really, really well.

Cut them about 1/2 an inch thick. I like when they're more substantial--easier to grab. If you like thinner slices, well, then, that's between you and your tomatoes.

Now get your coatings ready. The amount you make will completely depend on how many tomatoes you fry. So everything given from here on out will be "equal parts."

In one bowl, you'll want equal parts of bread crumbs and cornmeal. I apparently did not take a picture of this. Just imagine a bowl full of salted and peppered bread crumbs and cornmeal.

Uh. Now here's the reason there's no picture of the bread crumbs and cornmeal. I got a little too creative with the wet mixture and took tons of pictures of it and neglected my dry ingredients completely. Sorry, dry ingredients.

This fine gentleman is a mix of equal parts eggs and buttermilk, with some hot sauce thrown in.

I think I got up too early this morning.

Anyhow. Mix your ingredients together and start a pan of oil on the stove. Medium heat'll do ya.

Dip your tomatoes into the wet mixture.

Then coat them in the dry.

When your oil's hot, carefully slide your tomatoes in. Not too many in the pool at once--you want your tomatoes to be crisp.

When one side is golden, it's time to (carefully) flip.

Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt right away.

Here's my frying setup. Each stage has tomatoes waiting in line for the next one.

Serve with ranch, bleu cheese, honey mustard, bbq, hot sauce, or your "other" condiment of choice. And eat them while they're hot!

Recipe: Fried Green Tomatoes
 (this recipe is for 3 tomatoes. If you do more, you'll want to increase your ingredients in equal parts.)

3 green tomatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 c. breadcrumbs
1/2 c. cornmeal
salt and pepper

1/2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
dash of hot sauce
salt and pepper

Oil for frying

Heat oil over medium heat.

Combine mix buttermilk, eggs, hot sauce, and salt and pepper in a bowl.

In another bowl, breadcrumbs, cornmeal, and salt and pepper.

Dip tomato slices into buttermilk mixture.

Coat buttermilked-tomato slices in breadcrumb mixture.

Gently put tomatoes in pan; flip when one side is golden brown.

Remove from oil when all sides are golden brown and fried. Drain on paper towels or newspaper. Sprinkle with salt.

Serve while hot.