Tag: holiday side dishes

Food, mustard seed sentinel

Sweet Potato Souffle

meghanewhite

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Every cook has a signature dish. It’s the recipe that you get asked to make at each holiday gathering, or get together. One of my mom’s iconic dishes at Thanksgiving was sweet potato souffle. Mom started making these wonderful sweet potatoes many years ago after getting the recipe from our pastor’s wife. Sweet potato souffle is synonymous with Mom, and Thanksgiving.

Before I experienced the joy of this souffle, I never touched sweet potatoes. Yams with some marshmallows had no appeal to me as a child. Everything changed after the first delicious bite of these delightful sweet potatoes. This is hands down, the best sweet potato recipe.

Even though this is a classic side dish, it really could be a dessert. The sweet potatoes are light and fluffy from the eggs, with plenty of sweetness from the sugar. Toasted pecans and brown sugar on top make the perfect pairing. Sweet potato souffle is scrumptious and a great addition to any celebration.

Happy Eating!

I will praise God’s name with song and exalt Him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30

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Sweet Potato Souffle

 

Ingredients

3 lbs. sweet potatoes cooked and mashed (3 cups)

½ cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. salt

 

Topping

½ cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup finely chopped pecans

¼ cup butter, softened

 

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°
  2. Pierce each sweet potato several times with a fork and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 50 minutes or until tender.
  3. Reduce the oven to 350° after removing the sweet potatoes. Cool the potatoes slightly then scoop the sweet potatoes out of the skins, and into a large mixing bowl.
  4. While the sweet potatoes are still hot, mash them with a potato masher, or use an electric mixer. Add the butter and mix well with an electric mixer.
  5. Add the eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix well with an electric mixer.
  6. Pour sweet potato mixture into a buttered 2 quart casserole dish.
  7. In a small bowl mix flour, brown sugar, pecans, and butter. Spread the topping evenly across the top of the unbaked sweet potatoes.
  8. Bake for 40 minutes until browned and the filling has firmed up.
  9. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
  10. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

 

Notes 

*The mixture is pretty runny before it’s cooked.

*The souffle is soft and will set up as it cools.

*Canned sweet potatoes work well if you don’t want to cook fresh sweet potatoes.



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For this recipe and more go to Mustard Seed Sentinel, Meghan’s Corner.

https://www.mustardseedsentinel.com/post/meghan-s-corner-sweet-potato-souffle

Food, mustard seed sentinel

Onion Gratin

meghanewhite

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Are you tired of the same old side dishes? Would you like to try something a little different and still very good? Look no further. Onion gratin will add excitement to your tried and true sides. We can all use some variety in our cooking. Variety is the spice of life.

What exactly is gratin? It’s a really fancy sounding French word, au gratin, that means to cook a dish with a topping of buttered bread crumbs and cheese. The gratin is cooked under the broiler to make it crisp and brown. It’s that simple. Most of us are familiar with potatoes au gratin. Onion gratin is a bit of a departure from the traditional potato dish.

Sweet onions and Gruyère cheese are what make it special. This onion gratin recipe has a similar flavor to French onion soup. I love to pair these onions with steak. Onion gratin is paired well with chicken, fish, pork, or even vegetarian dishes. You could easily add this recipe to one of your holiday meals. Try something new with this savory onion accompaniment. 

Happy Eating!

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 

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Onion Gratin 

Ingredients

2 medium sweet onions thinly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil 

3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

3 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese (about ½ cup)

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup croutons 

1 tablespoon chopped parsley 

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°
  2. Lightly coat an 8 x 8 casserole dish, or pie pan, with cooking spray.
  3. In a small bowl whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons worcestershire, and 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
  4. Thinly slice two sweet onions. Place one sliced onion evenly on the bottom of your baking dish.
  5. Drizzle half the olive oil mixture over the first layer.
  6. Place the second sliced onion evenly on top of the first layer.
  7. Drizzle remaining olive oil mixture over everything.
  8. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes.
  9. In a small bowl place the bread crumbs and drizzle 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Add ½ cup Gruyère cheese, ½ teaspoon salt,  ¼ teaspoon pepper, and 1 tablespoon fresh parsley. Toss everything together.
  10. After 25 minutes, take the foil off the casserole dish and sprinkle the crouton and cheese mixture evenly on top. Sprinkle fresh ground pepper over the top and a pinch of salt. Add a little more fresh parsley as well.
  11. Bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes.
  12. Serve warm. Enjoy!

 

Notes

If you can’t find Gruyère cheese, Swiss cheese works well.

Add more cheese if you prefer.

Double the recipe for a larger group.

 

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For this recipe and more go to the link for Mustard Seed Sentinel where you’ll find my monthly column, Meghan’s Corner.

https://www.mustardseedsentinel.com/post/meghan-s-corner-onion-gratin