Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Candied Pecans
5 pounds sweet potatoes
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 cup 100% real maple syrup
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup candied pecans, finely chopped (We like Trader Joe's Candied Pecans.)
35 minutes
Serves 12
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel sweet potatoes and chop into quarters, lengthwise. Chop each quarter into 1/2 inch pieces. In a large cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add sweet potatoes, salt and pepper. Saute for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add maple syrup and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Place cast iron skillet into oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely. Store in a tight sealed container until Thanksgiving Day. Ten minutes before dinner is served, microwave on high for several minutes until heated through. Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle with candied pecans.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes Au Gratin
8 large russet potatoes (Chef's Note: Russet potatoes mash the best and are the least sticky.)
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
3 Tbsp. butter
3/4 cup nonfat milk
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup cheddar cheese + 1/2 cup for topping
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Sweet Paprika
20 minutes prep, 30 minutes bake time
Serves 12
Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pasta pot. Peel potatoes and chop each into 2 inch pieces. Boil potatoes and whole garlic cloves in water for 15 minutes. Drain water and use a hand mixer to mash potatoes and garlic while still very hot. Add butter, nonfat milk, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Whip potatoes until creamy and cheese is melted. Place potatoes in 11 x 11 baking dish and cover with remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese. Sprinkle with sweet paprika. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil. On Thanksgiving day, bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until cheese is melted and potatoes are heated through. Remove foil and place potatoes under oven broiler for 3-5 minutes until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.