Thanksgiving Sides - Love 'Em or Hate 'Em?

There are two vegetables that people have very strong feelings about at their Thanksgiving tables – sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts. My family loves Brussels sprouts so that's not a problem for us. However, sweet potatoes are a different story. Some of us like our traditional dish of candied sweet potatoes. Some hate them. Maybe your family feels the same.

There are different ways to cook these two vegetables that might make you feel differently about them. We will explore some of these new recipes today.

SWEET POTATOES

Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
Serves 8

3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium shallot , finely diced
1 teaspoon sea salt
black pepper
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Lightly butter a baking dish and set aside.
Add sliced sweet potatoes to a large mixing bowl.
In a small saucepan heat the butter over medium-high heat.
Once warm, add in the garlic and shallot, sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Add in the fresh thyme, salt, and pepper.
Remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese and stir until cheese is melted.
Pour the cream mixture over the sweet potatoes, toss well to combine.
Arrange potato slices upright in the prepared baking dish, top with any remaining cream sauce.
Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
Serve immediately garnished with extra fresh thyme.

Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls
Makes 16

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup sweet potatoes, mashed (can used canned sweet potatoes)
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees)
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Dissolve yeast, warm water and 1 tablespoon white sugar in a large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.
Add the brown sugar, sweet potato, butter, salt and eggs to the bowl.
Beat with electric mixer on low until the ingredients are well-mixed.
With the mixer on low speed, add 3 cups of flour to the bowl, mix until flour is incorporated .
Turn the dough out onto a clean lightly-floured surface.
Knead the dough and add enough flour to make a soft, tacky dough. Do not over knead the dough.
Place dough in a large bowl coated with oil, turn the dough in the bowl so all sides are coated with oil. Let rise until double in size, about an hour.
Punch down the dough. Divide the dough into 16 pieces rolled into balls.
Place in a greased, 13x9 inch baking pan.
Place in a warm place to rise covered with a clean kitchen towel. Allow to double in size.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Brush rolls with butter and bake for about 20 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven, let cool.

However, if you like your sweet potatoes to be featured in a sweet, dessert-like dish, this is a good one....

Sweet Potato Souffle
Serves 9

4 medium sweet potatoes
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar (divided)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream, half and half, or whole milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
Topping:
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped (optional, but highly recommended)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter an 8×8 baking dish.
Peel, chop, and boil sweet potatoes until fork-tender. Drain and mash.
In a bowl, whisk sugars, eggs, cream, butter, vanilla, and salt.
Mix sweet potatoes with egg mixture until smooth.
Spread into the baking dish.
Mix topping ingredients with softened butter until crumbly.
Sprinkle topping over potatoes.
Bake for 30–40 minutes, until topping is golden brown.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS
These are different ways to serve sprouts. They are delicious!

Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad
Serves 6

12 oz. Brussels sprouts, tough outer leaves removed
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup pecan, roughly chopped
1/4 cup blue cheese or goat cheese crumbles
1 pear, chopped
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
For the Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon real maple syrup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper

Using a very sharp knife, thinly shred the Brussels sprouts while holding onto the core end. Discard cores and put shredded sprouts into a large bowl with dried cranberries, chopped pecans, cheese, and chopped pears. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add half the shallots and fry for about 2-3 minutes, until light golden brown (NOT dark brown), stirring frequently.
Remove onto a paper-towel-lined plate to drain, and repeat with remaining shallots. Sprinkle with salt and let cool slightly.
Measure ingredients of vinaigrette together in a jar then shake to combine.
Pour over salad adding fried shallots and toss to coat.

Parmesan Brussels Sprouts
Adapted from Spoonful Bites
Serves 4

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely-grated
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (optional)
Rinse the Brussels sprouts thoroughly and trim off the ends. Remove any yellow or damaged outer leaves, then slice each sprout in half lengthwise to ensure even cooking and maximize surface area for a crispy crust.
Place the halved sprouts in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle garlic powder, salt, and black pepper over them. Toss well until every sprout is evenly coated with oil and seasonings.
Generously sprinkle the finely-grated Parmesan cheese over the coated Brussels sprouts. Toss gently to distribute the cheese evenly, which will form the signature crust during roasting.
Spread the seasoned Brussels sprouts in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through to brown all sides evenly and create a crispy, golden crust.
After roasting, optionally squeeze fresh lemon juice over the sprouts to brighten the flavors. Serve immediately while hot for the best crunchy texture and cheesy flavor.
Notes:
Use freshly-grated Parmesan cheese for better melting and crisping compared to pre-shredded varieties.
Do not overcrowd the baking pan to allow proper air circulation for maximum crispiness.
Choose medium-sized Brussels sprouts to avoid uneven roasting; smaller ones tend to burn while larger ones may cook unevenly.
Carefully flip the sprouts halfway through roasting with a spatula to preserve the Parmesan crust.
Serve the sprouts immediately out of the oven to enjoy the crispiest texture.

My Recipe for Brussels Sprouts
Here's how I do them and my family loves them.....
Trim and cut the sprouts in half. Melt a lot of butter in a skillet. Put the sprouts into the skillet and allow them to brown a little. Add about a ½ inch of chicken broth (or water) and put a lid on the skillet. Lower the heat and allow them to simmer until they are the softness that your family likes. Remove from heat and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve.