A Sweet and Savory Thanksgiving!

Orange Glazed Sweet Potatoes

This is the time of year when our Sassy Sweets really get the attention they deserve.  Would any Thanksgiving meal really be complete without sweet potatoes.  When my family gets together for Turkey Day, it is not unusual to have two or even three sweet potato dishes.  And why not?  Sweet potatoes are so versatile - roasted, mashed, fried, baked, boiled, and of course, casseroled!  The possibilities are endless. Unlike a lot of the foods we might consume in the coming weeks, sweet potatoes are really good for us. Just 4 ounces of sweet potatoes exceeds the RDA of Vitamin A, plus you get lots of fiber and potassium to boot.

Since Sweets are so versatile, I decided to offer two recipes this week.  Both are roasted, but one is savory and the other is a little sweet.  Both are super quick and easy to make and both are delicious additions to any Thanksgiving meal plan. Bon Appetit and Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Orange Glazed Sweet Potatoes 

The tartness of the orange combines with the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes to make a dish that you will not soon forget. This one is almost guaranteed to become a holiday tradition.

1 tablespoon butter
3 large sweet potatoes or yams
1 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a 9” x 9” baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Brown butter in a small skillet over medium heat, swirling the skillet, until butter turns a nutty color. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Peel sweet potatoes or yams, cut in half lengthwise, and then into 1/2”-thick slices. Place in the prepared baking dish. Pour orange juice over sweet potatoes or yams. Sprinkle with orange peel, salt, and nutmeg. Top with brown sugar and browned butter. Cover and bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until sweet potatoes or yams are crisp-tender. Uncover and cook 12 to 15 minutes, or until juices are almost absorbed

Savory Onion Roasted Sweet Potatoes 

This recipe is packed with so much flavor! Your guests will never realize that it only takes about 10 minutes of prep time.

Ingredients:

1 Envelope Onion Soup Mix
4 - 6 Medium Sweet Potatoes, Cut into bite size pieces.
1 small onion, cut into small chunks
⅓ cup vegetable oil
Fresh herbs (parsley, chives, or rosemary are my faves)

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients in a 9x13 baking dish.  Toss until well coated.  Chop fresh herbs (or use whole sprigs of rosemary) and sprinkle over sweet potatoes. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or 425 degrees for 35 minutes.