Thanksgiving is a-comin'

Have you written your Thanksgiving menu? I started mine yesterday. It's not that it's that much different from any previous year. We're very traditional when it comes to holiday meals. I like to have it written down, because it makes it easier to make my shopping list. I am gonna go a little crazy this year and make Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole instead of the usual Candied Sweet Potatoes. I'll probably get some protests, but I decided to change that particular item for the reduced calorie and fat count. I have a recipe from Cooking Light magazine that got rave reviews on their website.

The menu is as follows:
Roast Turkey w/Giblet Gravy
Dressing
Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole
Mashed Potatoes
Corn (frozen, from my in-laws garden)
Brussels Sprouts w/pecans
Green Beans
Cranberry-Orange Salad
Whole Cranberry Sauce (Homemade)
Cranberry Jelly (from the can)
Homemade bread (my mother-in-law)
Pecan, Pumpkin and Dutch Apple Pies

Is that carb hell, or what? And, yes, we have to have three kinds of cranberry side dishes. The jelly is for my father-in-law. I have to have the whole sauce which I make with fresh ginger and orange peel. Everyone else likes the cranberry salad.


These are serving dishes that I love to use for the Thanksgiving feast. Some are family treasures, and a couple of them are just because I love them. Starting with the white leaf bowl which I bought myself and going clockwise. The large red and gold bowl was a birthday gift from my best buddy, Cindy. You can heat it in the oven and it makes a great bread bowl and keeps it warm throughout the meal. The round Depression glass covered butter dish is from David's Grandma Hinkle. The oblong green Depression dish is from my mother and the one I put the cranberry salad in. The little green dish I bought because it matches Mom's dish. The gravy boat belonged to Mom. The oval pink dish is also from Grandma Hinkle's collection and holds the cranberry jelly. I always feel close to my family when I use these dishes. This is just a small representation of the ones that I treasure and I hope my children will love them for me when I'm gone.

Here's the recipe for the casserole:

STREUSELED SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

Assemble the potato mixture and sprinkle with the streusel, then freeze the casserole up to 2 weeks ahead of Thanksgiving. Thaw in refrigerator and bake as directed. Or cook just the potatoes a day ahead, mash and refrigerate and proceed with the recipe as directed (starting with the addition of half-and-half) the day you're serving the dish.


Add 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper if you want to add a bit of heat to this sweet dish.

Yield
18 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup)

Ingredients
14 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato (about 5 pounds)
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.

Place potato in a Dutch oven, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 12 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Combine the half-and-half and next 4 ingredients (half-and-half through egg) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add potato to egg mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Spoon potato mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Combine flour and sugar in a food processor; pulse to combine. Add chilled butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in pecans; sprinkle over potato mixture.

Cover and bake at 375° for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 25 minutes or until the topping is browned and the potatoes are thoroughly heated.