How To Revitalize Your Potatoes This Thanksgiving

Posted by Audrey on October 30th, 2009 at 02:36pm

Thanksgiving is curious; though it only takes place once a year, it’s still entirely possible to be sick of its cuisine once it rolls around. It seems to us that people vary their recipes less at Thanksgiving than at any other major holiday - every year, it’s turkey-stuffing-mashed potatoes-pumpkin pie. Many families make their own favorite recipes for Christmas and other holidays, so it seems especially strange that there’s so little variety during a holiday largely devoted to cooking.

Here at RecipeLion, we don’t advocate a complete overhaul of the holiday’s culinary traditions; as with all things food-related, we simply want a little change and adventure. With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, we decided to focus our discontent on potatoes in particular. Buttery mashed potatoes are fine, but they’re too often bland. Make sweet potatoes this year instead - they’re healthier and have a more subtle flavor that lends itself to sugar as well as it does to salt. Try this tart, sweet casserole:

Brandied Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 6 medium sized sweet potatoes
• ¹/2 cup brown sugar
• ¹/2 cup water
• 60 g butter
• ¹/4 cup raisins
• ¹/2 cup brandy
  

Instructions:

1. Wash sweet potatoes. Do not peel. Cook in boiling water until barely soft (about 15 minutes).
   
2. Drain, cool and peel. Slice into a greased casserole dish.
   
3. Bring sugar, water, butter, and raisins to the boil. Add brandy and pour over potatoes.
   
4. Bake uncovered in a moderate oven for 30 minutes, basting several times with liquid.

I’ve eat a great variety of potato recipes (a result of my Irish heritage), but it wasn’t until I made the following recipe that I considered the idea of potato biscuits. Now I can’t get enough of them!

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 1 c sifted bread flour
• 3 t baking powder
• ³/4 t salt
• 2 T butter
• 1 c cooked mashed sweet potatoes
• cold milk to make a soft dough (depends on moisture content of potatoes)

Instructions:

1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and sift into mixing bowl.
2. Cut in butter, rubbing it in with tips of fingers. Add sweet potatoes, then 2 to 4 tablespoons of milk. Mix.
3. Knead for 30 seconds on floured board. Pat lightly into a sheet 1/2″ thick, and cut with cutter. Place biscuits on a very lightly oiled baking sheet and bake in a 450 degrees F oven for 12-17 min. Serve hot.

And here’s one everyone will enjoy! Sweet Potato Beignets (deep-fried doughnuts) are an adult taste that kids will love - imagine the flavor of pureed sweet potatoes in a crispy, deep-fried cake:

Sweet Potato Beignets

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¹/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 2 eggs, separated
• ²/3 milk
• ¹/4 cup sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
• Oil, enough to deep fry
• ¹/2 cup powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar
  

Instructions:

1. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Add egg yolks to milk, mix well, add the sweet potatoes and mix well. Beat egg whites. Heat oil until very hot.
2. Drop by spoonful into deep oil. Beignets will float and pop over when done. Remove when light brown. Sprinkle with the powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar, or frost and add nuts.

…Interested in trying more sweet potato dishes? Read Our Top 10 Sweet Potato Recipes

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Tags: baking, dessert recipes, dinner, healthy, In Season, seasonal, vegetables, vegetarian

Under Holiday Feasts+ Tutorials Tags: baking, dessert recipes, dinner, healthy, In Season, seasonal, vegetables, vegetarian