Feastin'

Friends, it's been way too long since I've posted anything.  Shame!  So, I figured I should at least put something out there for Turkey Day tomorrow.  If there's anything Southerners know how to do well, it's cooking a mess of delicious food to enjoy with family and friends, in celebration of our country's beloved gluttonous holiday.

I came across a yummy sweet potato recipe recently and made it as a side dish for dinner one night.  I had a bit of leftovers, so decided to use it to make my own on-the-fly version of a sweet potato casserole.  (Back story:  Aubrey's Thanksgiving party at preschool is today, and the parents are bringing dishes to share.  I needed something gluten-free and kid-friendly, and had to whip it up in a pinch because he originally wasn't going to school today since my parents are in town.  But plans changed, and I was super thankful that he could still go and party with his buddies!)  So, I got to cooking at 7 am, but this was pretty easy.

I used my leftover Orange-Glazed Sweet Potatoes (recipe below), layered them with some slices of baked apple (recipe following the first) and topped it all off with a light layer of marshmallows, and baked it up in the oven until everything was gooey and melty.  YUM!  I highly recommend trying out the sweet potatoes, and perhaps you'll  find Thanksgiving inspiration in the casserole.  Gobble gobble!

Orange-Glazed Sweet Potatoes (Southern Living)

Ingredients

• 6 medium sized sweet potatoes
• 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. orange zest
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Peel potatoes, cut into 1 inch thick slices; arrange in a single layer in 2 lightly greased 13x9 inch baking dishes.
2. Stir together brown sugar and next 5 ingredients; pour over potatoes.  Cover with aluminum foil.
3. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until fork-tender.  Uncover and bake 5 more minutes or until glaze becomes syrupy.

If making this casserole, apples can cook at the same time as the potatoes.  Peel and thinly slice 4 gala apples, and place them in a baking dish.  Drop in two pats of butter, a sprinkling of brown sugar and cinnamon, and cook for about 30 minutes, or until tender.  Stir once halfway through.

Once sweet potatoes and apples are cooked, layer the apples over the sweet potatoes and top with marshmallows.  Bake for about 10 minutes, or until melted.