Thanksgiving Special Edition: Sides & Sweets, Part 2

The holidays are just about the only time of year when you can get away with calling a dish made up of about 80% cheese, butter, or cream a "vegetable".

As much as I love buttery mashed potatoes and Cream of Mushroom-laiden green bean casserole, I also like to explore other ways to make "veggies" a part of the Thanksgiving menu.

Today, I'm sharing two more easy recipes that will update your side dish recipe collection. {If you missed yesterday's post, make sure to check out the Sausage, Kale, & Butternut Squash Stuffing/Dressing and Lemon-Scented Broccoli Souffle!}

The hardest part about either is the chopping & prepping, so I suggest that you get ahead of the game and pre-chop your veggies so that putting it all together the day of is a cinch. {This is a good time to bribe family members to "help out" in the kitchen! Note: Let the kiddos sit this one out, these veggies are hard to chop & require extra motor function to manage. We want all little fingers in tact for dinner!}

If you're looking for an elegant way to serve potatoes, this Provencal Potato Gratin is just the thing. It's one of those dishes that makes you look like you actually know what you're doing without having to go through too much trouble. {Aren't those the best?}

If you have a mandolin, it will make the slicing part of the prep much easier... but since I'm anti-absolutely necessary tools in my already-too-small kitchen, I don't own one. So I sliced {carefully} by hand and it only took me a few minutes more than it probably would have with fancy tools.

The dish is extremely flavorful, with tender potatoes, basil, and slightly sweet, tangy roasted tomatoes on top. And it's pretty, to boot!

One of my families favorite Thanksgiving dishes is Sweet Potato Casserole, which we all know is code for "dessert during dinner". This year, I'm suggesting a twist on the old favorite: Caramel Apple & Sweet Potato Casserole.

Sweet potato & apple cubes are tossed in a homemade cider caramel sauce and baked until tender. While this version certainly leaves some of that classic sugariness in tact, I feel like it's more of a subtle sweetness that brings out the flavor of both the apples and the sweet potatoes. The savory breadcrumbs on top keep it balanced and interesting with an added crunch.

Alright, so now I've given you FOUR new side dishes to try out this year... all worthy of precious dinner plate real estate.

But now that we've been good and eaten our supper, it's time for dessert! Make sure to stop by tomorrow for some sweet Turkey Day treats!

Provencal Potato Gratin
adapted from Food Network

4 large clove garlic, smashed

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

1 red pepper, peeled, seeded and diced

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (about 4 to 5), peeled

1 cup water

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

4-5 plum tomatoes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup grated Parmesan

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a casserole dish by rubbing with a cut garlic clove and coating with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside.

 

2. Slice potatoes to about 1/8 inch thickness, and tomatoes to about 1/4 inch thickness with a mandolin or sharp knife. {Watch those fingers!} Set aside.

 

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion, pepper, and garlic, as well as salt & pepper to taste, and saute until tender about 4-5 minutes. Add white wine and simmer until reduced by about half.

 

4. Add sliced potatoes and water to pan. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until the liquid is slightly thickened.

 

5. Stir in basil.

 

6. Pour potato mixture into prepared dish, layering evenly, and sprinkle with salt. Carefully arrange tomato slices {in a pretty shingled pattern} over top of potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with about a tablespoon of olive oil.

 

7.  Bake, uncovered, for about 1 1/2 hours or until potatoes are tender.

 
8. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for another 10-12 minutes until bubbly and beginning to turn golden brown.

Cool for 10 minutes before serving,  or serve at room temperature.

Caramel Apple Sweet Potato Casserole
adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple cider, such as Zeigler's
5 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes {approx. 6 cups}

1 pound tart apples, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes {approx. 2 cups}

3 cups whole wheat or favorite crusty bread {I used homemade}, cubed 

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish {optional}

 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9x13 inch dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

 

2. Place sugar in a heavy bottomed pot and, withouth stirring, cook over medium high heat until it begins to melt. Once the edges begin to brown, stir slightly with a wooden spoon until a deep amber caramel forms. {Be careful, this part can burn very quickly.}

 

3. Remove from heat and add cider, 2 tablespoons of butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. The mixture will bubble & steam; the caramel will harden temporarily. {Use precaution, this mixture is very hot and caramel burns are no fun!}

 

4. Return pot to burner over medium heat and stir until caramel dissolves into a sauce. Cook until mixture is slightly reduced and thickened, about 4 minutes. Set aside to cool.

 

5. Combine chopped sweet potatoes and apples in a large bowl. Pour cooled caramel sauce over top and toss to coat. Pour into prepared dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 40-50 minutes, uncovering an stirring about half way through cooking time until potatoes and apples are fork tender.

 

6. Meanwhile, melt remaining butter in a large skillet and add cubed bread, stirring gently to coat all bread cubes. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until bread is toasted and golden in parts.

 

7. Remove casserole from oven and sprinkle toasted bread cubes over top. Return to oven for an additional 10 minutes.

 

8. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Have I ever told you the story of how I started cooking? {Is there any story I haven't told you?!}

Yup, it's true. I wasn't always into cooking, but I have always loved baking. In fact, I used to bake cupcakes back in the day during my college years and take them down to the neighbors' apartment for no particular reason.

Did I mention that one of my then neighbors turned out to be my now husband? They must've been some good cupcakes. ;)

But I digress.

While baking came naturally to me {even though it wasn't until after college that I stepped away from the boxed cake mix}, I was never very comfortable with cooking. Something about all the "pinch of this and dash of that" really freaked me out. So I stayed within the comfort zone of measurements and exact oven temperatures for the most part.

Right after Steve and I got married, we were visiting with his family, which we do pretty often since they only live a 45 minute drive away. As we sat around the table chatting, his sassy Aunt Fran {who recently turned 90!!} decided to pry ask us questions {some that would make you blush} about life as newlyweds.

I'll never forget it. There we were, eating and talking, enjoying the company and still all glowy from being newly married, when Aunt Fran asks, "So, does Dianna cook for you?"

Now, cooking wasn't my top skill at the time I'll admit, but during all the years we lived together I'd never let the guy go hungry, so I figured I was in the clear.

You can imagine my shock when I heard my sweet husband very frankly answer his Aunt with, "No... not really." Nearly fell out of my chair.

Our ride home that evening seemed a lot longer than 45 minutes. I could barely put the words together to ask what in the world he had been eating for the past 3 years of living together. Once I could muster the words without cursing, Steve confessed that he didn't consider casseroles & one pot meals "cooking", necessarily.

What the.

That week, as a complete joke, I made a 5 course dinner. I can't for the life of me remember what I made. I'm pretty sure I was possessed by the spirit of Julia Child for an evening. I wanted to make sure that I "cooked" thoroughly enough for it to be considered "cooking" in Steve Land.

And you know what? I enjoyed it so much, I couldn't stop.

So thank you, honey, for accidentally helping me discover a passion I never knew I had. I was determined to prove my skills, and I think I have over the past 3 years of our marriage.

But now that you know I can, indeed, "cook"... we're having a casserole for dinner. And I just know you'll love it.

Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash Casserole

1 medium spaghetti squash
2 cups arugula or spinach {I'm sure thawed frozen would work, too}
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup low fat or fat free cottage cheese
1 egg
1 cup marinara sauce {homemade or storebought}, divided
1/2 cup grated parmesan, divided
10 black Greek olives, pitted and chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil.

Puncture spaghetti squash a few times with a sharp knife. Place on sheet pan and bake for about 1 hour {should be tender when pierced with a knife}. When finished baking, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

Cut in half and carefully scrape out seeds. With a fork, scrape the squash to separate flesh into "strands" and place in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. Add grated garlic to pan and cook for about a minute, careful not to burn. Add arugula or spinach and sautee until just wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, add 1/2 cup cottage cheese and egg. Process until almost smooth. {Ricotta cheese consistency} Set aside. 

In a large bowl, combine squash, sauteed greens, cottage cheese mixture, 1/2 cup marinara sauce, 1/4 cup grated parmesan, chopped olives, oregano, and basil until well incorporated.
Spray a glass baking dish with lightly non-stick cooking spray.  Spread squash mixture evenly in baking dish. Spread remaining marinara sauce evenly over squash mixture. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Lightly spray with olive oil. {Or drizzle if you don't have a Misto.}

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue baking for 15 more minutes or until bubbly and slightly browned.

Serve hot.