twice-baked sweet potatoes

I'm popping in to share a simple and delicious side dish that would make a great addition to any Fall meal . . . twice-baked sweet potatoes!

Our little family enjoys sweet potatoes throughout the year! I don't wait until Fall, or Thanksgiving, to add them as a side dish to our meals. They're too delicious (and versatile) to enjoy for just one season a year.

My husband loves baked sweet potatoes topped with whipped butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon . . . and that's fine, on occasion; BUT, I like to mix up it up. And when I do - I make this amazing savory version.

What makes this simple twice-baked sweet potato extra special is the addition of goat cheese. The goat cheese adds a little tang and creaminess to the already naturally sweet potato.

And to round off the sweet and tangy, I sprinkle the top with chopped pecans and buttery, salty  breadcrumbs. It's put back into the oven and baked again until the top is a crisp, golden perfection. Yum! Serve alongside roasted chicken  . . . and you have a simple and delicious dinner.

I think these might even make a great side dish for Thanksgiving Dinner!

twice-baked sweet potatoes

.     .     .     .     .     .

5 medium sweet potatoes

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

4 ounces fresh goat cheese

1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup pecans, chopped *optional

3 Tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

.     .     .     .     .     .

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Prick 5 medium sweet potatoes (about 3 pounds) all over with a fork. Place on a large piece of foil on a baking sheet; fold foil around sweet potatoes to form a packet. Bake until tender when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour.

When cool enough to handle, halve sweet potatoes lengthwise. Scoop our all but 1/4-inch flesh from inside skins. Arrange 8 skins in a single layer in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (discard remaining skins). Place flesh in a food processor, along with 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, and 4 ounces fresh goat cheese; season with salt and pepper. Process until smooth, 2 minutes. Add 3 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives and pulse to combine; spoon skins.

In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup chopped pecans, 1/4 cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), and 2 Tablespoons butter, room temperature, until combined; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle Panko mixture over sweet potatoes. Bake until topping is golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Serves 8.

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Haricots Verts Almondine, a Thanksgiving side dish

There aren't many dishes that I would change for this year's Thanksgiving dinner, but I thought I would serve Haricots Verts Almondine, in lieu of Garlic Roasted String Beans. 

I had Haricots Verts Almondine for the first time at a wedding reception several years ago, and I never forgot it. It's a simply delicious French String Bean dish.  

In this dish, the French string beans are blanched and then sauteed in butter and olive oil . . . but what makes it amazing is that the string beans are tossed with caramelized minced shallots and toasted almonds, and then the very important splash of fresh lemon juice and zest . . . just takes it over-the-top. 

TIP: Be sure that each and every bite has shallots and almonds . . . and don't be surprised when helping yourself to a second serving ~ you find yourself spooning plenty of EXTRA shallots and almonds for the tasting! YUM!

Although I will be serving Haricot Verts Almondine as a Thanksgiving side dish, it tastes just as delicious alongside a perfect roast chicken for a weeknight dinner.  

With such an easy preparation ~ yielding such great flavors, I promise you THIS French string bean dish will make its appearance at your dinner table for many years to come.

Ingredients

Kosher salt

1/4 cup almonds

1 1/2 pounds haricots verts (French string beans), root ends removed

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallots, minced

Freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 lemon, zested and juiced

Preparation

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, toast the almonds over medium-high heat until golden brown and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the pan, finely chop and set aside.

Blanch the string beans in salted boiling water until crisp but tender, 2 to 3 minutes. The salt will impart flavor as well as help keep the string beans crisp. Immediately drain and run cold water over the beans or plunge into an ice bath to cool and stop the cooking process, then remove and completely dry.

Return the saute pan to the burner over medium heat and melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the shallots, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until starting to brown, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes. Toss the drained beans with the shallots and add the lemon zest and juice. Cook to heat the beans completely through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Toss with the toasted chopped almonds and transfer to a serving dish.

bon appetit!

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sweet potato sonker

   
My dear 'at home' friends, it's been several days ~ if not weeks ~ since my last post.   
   
I've been extremely busy and have wanted to post for days, but haven't managed to find the time to escape to my office and share with you what I've been up to . . . let alone the new recipes that I've discovered while researching dishes for my Thanksgiving menu this year.   
  
I know that I'm behind on posts, but I'm planning on budgeting time to share a variety of new and updated Thanksgiving dishes that I hope will inspire you to serve a new dish this season.  

It's not surprising that I'm choosing to share a dessert with you first.  If you're the person designated to bring desserts this year, then surprise your guests with this . . . 

Sweet Potato Sonker

courtesy Cook"s Country   

Sonker is not to be confused with classic pureed sweet potato pie. This deep-dish beauty is chock full of thinly sliced, steamed sweet potatoes coated in a mixture of cider, brown sugar, butter, flour, and warm spices, such as cinnamon and allspice, and is served with a thin, custard-like sauce.   
    
Ingredients   
Sonker    
2 (15-ounce) boxes Pillsbury Just Unroll Pie Crust   
1large egg, beaten    
2cups apple cider    
4pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and sliced 1/4 inch thick   
1cup (7 ounces) packed light brown sugar   
4tablespoons unsalted butter, softened      
2 1/2tablespoons all-purpose flour   
2tablespoons lemon juice    
1teaspoon vanilla extract    
3/4teaspoon ground cinnamon     
1/2teaspoon ground allspice   
1/4teaspoon salt   
1tablespoon granulated sugar   

Custard Dip

2cups whole milk

1/4cup (1 3/4 ounces) sugar

2teaspoons cornstarch

1/4teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8teaspoon salt

1 1/2teaspoons vanilla extract   

Instructions

for the Sonker

1. Working on lightly floured counter, unroll 2 dough rounds. Brush half of 1 round with egg and overlap with second round. Roll out dough to 17 by 13-inch rectangle and fit into 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Repeat shaping and rolling with remaining 2 dough rounds; reserve beaten egg. Trim dough into rectangle and cut into ten 1-inch strips. Transfer dough strips to parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Bring cider to boil in Dutch oven. Place steamer basket in Dutch oven and fill with sweet potatoes. Reduce heat to medium and cook, covered, until potatoes are nearly tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove and reserve sweet potatoes, leaving cider in pot.

3. Cook cider over high heat until reduced to ½ cup, about 5 minutes. Combine drained sweet potatoes, brown sugar, reduced cider, butter, flour, lemon juice, vanilla, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, allspice, and salt in large bowl. Spread out sweet potato mixture on rimmed baking sheet and let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

4. Scrape cooled sweet potato mixture into dough-lined dish and press into even layer. Brush edges of dough with reserved egg. With long side of dish facing you, lay 4 dough strips lengthwise over sweet potato mixture. Weave remaining 6 strips into lattice pattern. Press dough strips into bottom crust and trim excess. Fold dough sides inward under lip of baking dish and crimp with fork.

5. Combine granulated sugar and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in bowl. Brush dough with reserved egg and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake until deep golden brown, 55 to 60 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking. Let sonker cool on wire rack for at least 1 1/2 hours before serving. (Sonker can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 day. Bring to room temperature before serving.)   

for the Custard Dip

Meanwhile, bring milk, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt to simmer in medium saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, whisking frequently, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Off heat, add vanilla. Transfer to bowl and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Serve with sonker.  

Serves 12

Bon Appetit!