Sweet Potato and Yukon Gold Bake

Looking for a special holiday side? Here’s a festive dish that alternates the flavors and colors of vibrant sweet potatoes with buttery yukon gold potatoes, all sitting on a bed of caramelized onions.

I actually started out to make a gratin, more in the spirit of our gruyere potatoes, perhaps with a breadcrumb topping. But as I experimented with the recipe, the wonderful flavors of the sweet potatoes and potatoes seemed to get lost in the rich toppings.

So the toppings got chucked in favor of a more naked gratin, the un-gratin. The gratin without the gratin part. A rainbow hasselback sweet potato and potato bake.

It’s so pretty! I found a big beautiful purple sweet potato at the market that contrasts beautifully with the garnet yam and yellow yukon golds. Sweet potatoes come in many shades, so pick a variety.

Sweet Potato and Yukon Gold Bake Recipe

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
• Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Look for sweet potatoes that are small in diameter, long, and uniform in shape.

Going vegan? Swap out the butter in step 3 with olive oil.

Ingredients

Caramelized Onions:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups sliced onions (1/8 to 1/4-inch slices)
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Sweet Potatoes and Yukon Golds:

• 2 pounds of sweet potatoes, mixed in color if available, peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch thick rounds
• 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, and sliced into 1/8-inch thick rounds
• 2 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Sprigs of fresh thyme

Method

1 Caramelize the onions: Heat olive oil in a large, thick-bottomed pot on medium heat. Add the sliced onions, toss to coat, lower the heat to medium low and cover. Let cook for 15 to 20 while you are slicing the sweet potatoes and yukon golds, stirring occasionally, until completely softened.

Then increase the heat to medium high and cook uncovered until golden brown. Remove from heat and stir in salt and thyme.

2 Peel and slice all of the sweet potatoes and yukon golds. Try to make them uniform in size.

Place the slices in a bowl of water while you are prepping them to prevent them for discoloring. If using purple sweet potatoes, keep the slices in a different bowl of water (the color bleeds).

Drain the slices, place them in a bowl.

3 Line baking dish with onions, sweet potato and potato slices: Place the caramelized onions in an even layer over the bottom of a 9×12 rectangular or oval casserole dish.

Arrange slices of sweet potatoes and Yukon Gold potatoes in rows on top of the caramelized onions.

Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4 Cover with foil and bake in a 400°F oven for 45 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through.

5 Remove foil, bake uncovered for 15 minutes more, until the edges are crispy and browned.

Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper. Garnish with sprigs of fresh thyme. Serve immediately.

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Mom’s Roast Turkey

When it comes to holiday cooking, my father and I spend weeks deciding who is making the various side dishes. But when it comes to roasting the turkey, there’s no discussion. Of course that task falls to my mother.

Why? True, she has cooked our Thanksgiving turkey for over 50 years, so she knows what she’s doing.

But the real reason is that her roast turkey is always perfectly done, the breast never dried out, but tender and full of flavor.

How does she do it? She cooks the turkey breast-side down. While the turkey roasts, the juices fall down towards the breast, resulting in the most succulent meat. The breast is also more protected from the heat, which helps keep it getting too dried out.

She also uses a meat thermometer to take out any guess work of when the turkey is done.

Breast down roast turkey

My mother cooks the turkey stuffing separately, not in the cavity, which makes it easier to cook the turkey more evenly.

In the years since we first posted this recipe, my mother still cooks her turkeys breast-side down, and they’re still wonderful. When I’m cooking a turkey, if it is small enough, sometimes I’ll flip it over near the end to get the breast side browned, but usually like my mom, I’ll just roast it the whole time breast-down.

Not much has changed with our approach over the years, other than the USDA has finally officially lowered the recommended temperature for cooked poultry (it’s now 165°F), which means we don’t need to cook the turkey as long.

Cooking a turkey is pretty straightforward, but you do need to plan ahead, given that it can take several hours to roast, and needs time (days if you need to defrost) beforehand to lose the chill from the refrigerator.

If you don’t have a meat thermometer, please get one! Using one will make your life a lot easier, otherwise there’s just too much guesswork.

Breast-side up roast turkey, after the turkey has been turned over and broiled a few minutes to brown the breast

Recipe from the recipe archive for Thanksgiving, enjoy!

Mom’s Roast Turkey Recipe

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 4 hours

Handle raw turkey the way you would raw chicken, with care. Use a separate cutting board and utensils to avoid contaminating other foods.

Wash your hands with soap and water after touching raw turkey and before you touch anything else in the kitchen. Wipe down surfaces with dampened paper towels.

Ingredients

• 1 turkey, approx. 15 lbs.*
• Juice of a lemon
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil or melted butter
• 1/2 yellow onion, peeled and quartered
• Tops and bottoms of a bunch of celery
• 1 to 2 carrots
• 1 bunch of parsley
• Several sprigs of fresh rosemary, thyme

* Need help figuring out how big a turkey to get? Butterball has a turkey calculator that helps you figure out just how many pounds you need. In general, plan for:

12-15 lb turkey for 10-12 people
15-18 lb turkey for 14-16 people
18-22 lb turkey for 20-22 people

Method

1 Defrost and De-Chill

If you are starting with a frozen turkey, you will need to allow several days to defrost the turkey. You’ll want to defrost it in the refrigerator so that the turkey stays chilled during this process.

Put the wrapped frozen turkey in a pan to prevent leaks and then place it in the refrigerator. It will take about 5 hours of defrosting time for every pound of turkey. So if you have a 15 pound turkey, it should take about 75 hours, or 3 days, to defrost.

If you need to defrost it more quickly than that, you can place it in a large tub of cold water, and keep changing the water to keep it cold.

Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 2 to 3 hours (depending on the size of the bird) before cooking to allow it to come closer to room temperature. The turkey will cook more quickly and more evenly that way.

 

2 Remove Giblets and Rinse Turkey

When you are ready to cook the turkey, remove it from its package. Usually turkeys come packaged with the neck and giblets (heart, gizzard, liver) in the main cavity or the neck opening (make sure to check both!) Pull them out, they are often wrapped in a small paper package.

If you want, you can chop up the heart and gizzard to make stock for the stuffing or dressing (put the chopped heart and gizzard into a small saucepan, cover with water, add salt, bring to simmer for an hour or so.)

You can either cook the neck alongside the turkey, or use it to make turkey stock. You can also use all of the giblets for making giblet gravy.

Rinse the turkey inside and out with water. If you see stray turkey feathers, pluck them out. Use paper towels to pat the turkey dry.

Many turkeys come with a plastic tie holding the drumsticks together. Check the instructions on the turkey package; it is likely that you will not need to remove the tie unless you are cooking the turkey at a very high temperature.

3 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

 

4 Insert Aromatics and Truss Turkey

Slather the inside of the cavity with a tablespoon or so of lemon juice. Take a couple teaspoons of salt and rub all over the inside of the turkey. (Skip salt if you are using a br
ined turkey.)

Put half an onion cut into wedges, several sprigs of parsley, a couple of carrots, and some celery tops into the main cavity of the turkey. These are aromatics that will flavor the turkey from the inside as it cooks.

Cover the entrance to the main cavity with aluminum foil, or close it with metal skewers or kitchen string (not nylon string!), so that the aromatics don’t fall out while you are roasting the turkey.

By the way, we don’t cook stuffing (or dressing as it is known in many parts of the country) in the turkey anymore. Stuffing the turkey adds to the overall cooking time, and not packing the turkey with stuffing will allow the turkey to cook more evenly. We do make our stuffing with stock made from the turkey giblets so the stuffing has plenty of turkey flavor.

To truss or not to truss? We truss our turkey, though some people choose not too. The point of trussing is to keep the legs and wings close to the body so they don’t spread out while cooking.

To truss, make sure that the turkey’s legs are tied together, held close to the body, and tie a string around the turkey body to hold the wings in close. (Here’s a good video on trussing: how to truss a turkey.)

Put a few sprigs of parsley into the neck opening, cover the opening with the surrounding turkey skin, and close the opening with skewers or string.

 

5 Rub with Olive Oil or Butter, Salt and Pepper

Rub either softened butter or olive oil all over the outside of the turkey. Sprinkle salt generously on all sides of the outside of the turkey (do not add salt if you are using a brined turkey). Sprinkle pepper over the turkey as well.

 

6 Place Turkey Breast Down on Rack

Place the turkey BREAST DOWN on a rack over a sturdy roasting pan big enough to catch all the drippings. How do you know the turkey is breast side down? The wings are up and the legs are down.

This is main difference between how my mother makes her turkey and everyone else. By cooking the turkey breast side down, the juices from the cooking turkey fall into the breast while the turkey cooks, resulting in them most succulent breast imaginable. The thighs are a bit more exposed to the heat in this method as well, which is good since dark meat takes longer to cook than white meat.

If you cook the bird breast down, the turkey skin over the breast will not brown well. If you want browning on the breast, you’ll need to turn the turkey over in the pan and to brown it in the last few minutes of cooking. We rarely bother with turning the turkey over, since we carve up the turkey in the kitchen before bringing it out, and there is plenty of crispy turkey skin on the rest of the turkey.

Note that you can also place the turkey directly on an oven rack with a large roasting pan to catch the drippings on the rack below. That method helps create a convection-like environment, helping the heat circulate more evenly around the turkey.

Add several sprigs of fresh (if possible) thyme and rosemary to the outside of the turkey or tucked under the wings.

 

7 Roast the Turkey

Before you put the turkey in the oven, do a rough calculation of how much overall time it should take to cook the turkey. Usually they say to assume 15 minutes for every pound of meat, but I have found in practice that it’s usually less than that, more like 13-14 minutes per pound.

Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the turkey, if it has been allowed to come to room temperature before cooking, and the shape and particulars of your specific oven. So come up with a rough estimate for the overall cooking time, and then make sure to check how the turkey is doing well before it is supposed to be done!

Put the turkey in the oven at 400°F, uncovered. For the 15 lb turkey, start the cooking at 400°F for the first 20 minutes to brown it. Then reduce the heat to 325°F for the next 2 hours. Then reduce the heat further to 225°F until done, anywhere from a half hour to an hour or more.

If you want the breast to be browned, when the turkey is close to being done, you’ll need to turn the turkey over so that the breast is on top, and put it in a 500°F oven or under the broiler for 4 to 5 minutes, just enough time to brown the breast.

Note that by browning the breast you may end up over-cooking the turkey breast a bit. We usually don’t turn the turkey over. Also, turning it over can be a hot, messy job, so if you do it, take care and use oven mitts or clean kitchen towels.

Start taking temperature readings with a meat thermometer, inserted deep into the thickest part of the turkey breast and thigh, an hour and a half before the turkey should be done. (I recommend a Thermapen instant thermometer or a ChefAlarm remote thermometer.)

You want a resulting temperature of 170°F for the dark meat (thighs and legs) and 165°F for the white meat (breast). The temperature of the bird will continue to rise once you take it out of the oven, so take the turkey out of the oven when the temperature reading for the thigh is 165°F, and for the breast 160°F. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, spear the breast with a knife. The turkey juices should be clear, not pink.

The USDA recently lowered its recommended cooking temperatures for poultry to 165°F. I’ve often found that at that temperature the thigh meat near the bone still isn’t cooked, so I aim for 170°F for the thighs.

 

8 Let Turkey Rest, Then Carve

Once you remove the turkey from the oven, transfer it to a cutting board, tent it with aluminum foil to keep it warm, and let it rest for 15-30 minutes, depending on the size of the turkey. Turn the turkey breast side up to carve it. (See Alton Brown video on how to carve a turkey.)

 

Making Turkey Gravy

Make the gravy while the turkey is resting covered on the carving board. If you have used a thick metal roasting pan, you can often put it directly on the stovetop burner, if not, scrape off the drippings and put them into a skillet. If you are using the roasting pan, use a metal spatula to scrape loose any dripping that might be stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Use a metal spoon to ladle off some of the excess fat from the pan (leave about 4 Tbsp or so of fat and drippings in the pan) and reserve for another use.

In a separate small bowl place a quarter cup of corn starch and just enough water to dissolve the cornstarch and make a thin slurry. Beat the cornstarch and wa
ter with a fork to remove any lumps. Heat the roasting pan or skillet on medium heat on the stovetop.

Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the drippings, stirring constantly. Only use as much of the cornstarch mixture as you need to get the desired gravy thickness you want. As you stir, the gravy will slowly thicken.

Add salt and pepper, ground sage, thyme or other seasonings to taste. (See gravy recipe for more step-by-step instructions.)

Save Bones for Stock

When you are finished with your turkey, save the bones from the carcass to make a delicious turkey soup.

Read More: Mom’s Roast Turkey

How to Freeze Whipped Cream

I know, I know. Who in the world has a problem with leftover whipped cream?

But let’s imagine a hypothetical situation wherein you have misjudged your guests’ enthusiasm for whipped cream-topped pie following a big holiday meal, and now you find yourself faced with a fairly large amount leftover.

Do you throw it away? Do you save it, knowing that it will likely lose its billowy magic over the next few days?

Let me offer a third option: Freeze your leftover whipped cream for later.

Whipped cream freezes – and thaws – surprisingly well. Just drop mounds of it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze overnight. The next day, peel off the frozen whipped cream clouds and transfer them to a freezer bag or container for longer storage.

When a situation arises for a few spoonfuls of whipped cream, just pull out what you need.

In my opinion, the very best use of these frozen whipped cream puffs is to top a hot mug of cocoa or coffee. Not only do they melt slowly into the hot beverage, providing time-release doses of cream, but they take the edge off a steaming hot cup (without cooling it too much!).

You can also use the leftover whipped cream to top a slice of pie or other dessert – yes, this works! Place the frozen whipped cream on top of your dessert, then let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes or so to thaw before serving.

As a dessert topping, the whipped cream holds its shape quite well without becoming grainy or separating, but it does lose some of its perkiness. The frozen edges also have a tendency to crumble as you handle them, as well.

This is perfectly acceptable for a midweek dessert casual family gathering, but less ideal for situations where looks are important, like a dinner party or a special occasion. For those, I’d recommend making a fresh batch of whipped cream.

How to Freeze Whipped Cream

Any whipped cream can be frozen – sweetened or unsweetened, plain or with other ingredients mixed in. Whipped cream that has been stabilized with some cornstarch or cream cheese tends to keep its shape a little better when thawed.

Be sure to transfer the frozen whipped cream to a freezer container within a day or two; it can quickly start to pick up off-flavors in the open air of the freezer.

Ingredients

• Leftover whipped cream

Method

1 Line a baking sheet with parchment (or a Silpat) and spoon the whipped cream on top in small mounds. If you’re feeling fancy, you can pipe the whipped cream in pretty twists using a piping bag. Aim for single-serving portions.

2 Freeze overnight, until the whipped cream is frozen solid.

3 Peel the whipped cream off the parchment and store. Transfer the frozen whipped cream mounds to a freezer bag or other freezer container. Don’t worry if the edges crumble a little as you handle the mounds; this is normal. The whipped cream is best used within a month, but will keep for up to three months. (You may notice that it picks up off-flavors from the freezer over time.)

4 To use the whipped cream: The frozen whipped cream can be placed directly on top of hot cocoa or coffee and served. You can also place the mounds on top of a dessert: place on top of the dessert and allow to thaw at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serve.

Read More: How to Freeze Whipped Cream

Golden Cheddar Cheese Crisps

These lacy little crisps are just what you need for an easy and stress-free holiday party.

Serve them as an appetizer with a glass of wine or at the table alongside a bowl of soup. Or just snack on them all by themselves.

Be warned, however: It’s impossible to eat just one.

These cheese crisps couldn’t be easier to make. Just grate some cheese, add a little flour and spice, and stir in a spoonful of crunchy seeds.

You can drop them on a baking sheet with a tablespoon, but a 2-inch round cookie cutter helps keep the unwieldy little shreds of cheese from scattering. Use the cutter like a mold and drop spoonfuls inside.

Don’t forget to line the pans with parchment, or you’ll never get the crisps off the baking sheet in one piece. Also be sure to leave a little space between each crisp. When the cheese melts in the oven, the mounds spread and flatten on the pan.

Out of the oven, they will crisp as they cool on the pan. You’ll be able to lift and peel them easily off the parchment.

I like to add a hefty pinch of spicy cayenne to these, but use your own discretion. You can vary the type of seed you use, too. I often just grab what I have in the cupboard.

Golden Cheddar Cheese Crisps Recipe

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 10 minutes
• Yield: About 2 dozen crisps

If you’d like, you can substitute another semi-hard cheese for the cheddar, like Swiss or Gruyere.

The crisps are best the day they are made. If they’ve gone a little soft, just pop them back in the oven for a few minutes to warm them up before serving. They will re-crisp as they cool.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces sharp cheddar (about 2 cups grated)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon black sesame, poppy, coriander, or cumin seed

Method

1 Heat the oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using the large holes of a grater, grate the cheese.

2 Make the crisp mix: In a bowl, combine the flour, paprika, baking powder, and cayenne. Add the butter, and mix with a fork or your fingers until blended in. Stir in the seeds. Add the grated cheese and toss with your hands to combine.

3 Form and bake the crisps: Mound tablespoon-size portions of the cheese mixture on the baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Flatten them slightly with the back of the spoon.

It’s not absolutely necessary, but you can also use a 2-inch round cookie cutter as a mold to keep the cheese tidy if you like. Place the cutter on the baking sheet and drop a spoonful of cheese mix into it. Lift the cutter, level the cheese, and repeat until you have made all the crisps.

4 Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, or until golden. Let the crisps cool completely on the baking sheets. Lift the edge of the parchment to lift the crisps off the baking sheet, then peel them off. Store in an airtight container.

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Cranberry Sauce

Do you like cranberry sauce? My father can’t get enough of it during the holiday season. He’ll even stock up on fresh cranberries when they become available in late October, and freeze them to eat all year long.

I think he looks forward to Thanksgiving just because he knows he can have as much cranberry sauce as he wants with his slices of turkey, and plenty leftover for turkey sandwiches.

When he finally runs out of frozen cranberries sometime in May, he’ll start buying the cans. He’ll hide the cans in a remote corner of the pantry and eat up the canned cranberries all by himself. Yes, he’s a little obsessed.

For me it’s been an acquired taste. As a kid I just couldn’t understand why something so beautifully garnet colored didn’t taste like berry pie filling!

Cranberries are tart, very tart, and need sugar to balance their tartness. But even with the sugar, the tartness comes through. As an adult, I have come to love cranberry sauce in all forms, including a cranberry relish that you don’t even have to cook.

Cranberries are absolutely perfect with turkey. Sort of like lemons and chicken. Something about the flavors, they’re just made for each other. Which is why the sauce is so good to spread over turkey in your leftover turkey sandwiches.

The following is a simple and easy recipe for cranberry sauce, one that you can easily dress up with extras. If you have a favorite way of making yours, please let us know about it in the comments!

From the recipe archive for Thanksgiving!

Cranberry Sauce Recipe

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 15 minutes
• Yield: Cranberry sauce base makes 2 1/4 cups.

The recipe calls for a cup of water. You can easily substitute that with 1/2 cup of orange juice 1/2 cup of water if you want to increase the orange note in the sauce (cranberries and oranges play well together!)

You can also reduce the sugar if you want. Start out with half as much and add more if you think it needs it.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (200 g) sugar
• 1 cup (250 mL) water
• 4 cups (1 12-oz package) fresh or frozen cranberries
• Optional Pecans, orange zest, raisins, currants, blueberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice.

Method

1 Rinse cranberries: Place the cranberries in a colander and rinse them. Pick out and discard any damaged or bruised cranberries.

2 Boil water with sugar: Put the water and sugar in a medium saucepan on high heat and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar.

3 Add cranberries, cook until they burst: Add the cranberries to the pot and return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the cranberries have burst.

4 Stir in mix-ins if using: Once the cranberries have burst you can leave the cranberry sauce as is, or dress it up with other ingredients. We like to mix in a half a cup of chopped pecans with a few strips of orange zest.

Some people like adding raisins or currants, or even blueberries for added sweetness. You can also add holiday spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice. If adding spices, start with a pinch of each and add more to your taste.

5 Let cool: Remove the pot from heat. Let cool completely at room temperature, then transfer to a bowl to chill in the refrigerator. Note that the cranberry sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.

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Baked Teriyaki Pork Chops

To shake up our dinner rotation, I have been trying to find new pork recipes that our family loves. This recipe is super simple and was a winner with my entire family!

If you are feeling super domestic, you could definitely make your own teriyaki sauce and it would work just fine for this recipe. However, I usually just buy this sauce and it’s my favorite. It makes a great marinade (you can easily grill these pork chops also!).

Serves: 1 pork chops

Baked Teriyaki Pork Chops

5 minPrep Time

35 minCook Time

40 minTotal Time

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Recipe

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Ingredients

• 6 boneless, skinless pork chops (about 3/4″ thick)
• 6 pineapple slices
• 3/4 cup teriyaki sauce, plus extra for drizzle
• 2 green onions, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Place pork chops in a resealable gallon-sized bag. Pour teriyaki sauce on top of pork chops and let marinate in fridge for at least 2 hours.
2. Spray a 9×13″ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Remove pork chops from fridge and place in prepared dish, pouring teriyaki sauce on top of chops. Place a pineapple slice on top of each pork chop.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and cook pork chops uncovered for 35 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.
4. Remove chops from oven and top with chopped green onions.

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Chocolate Pecan Tart

Add chocolate to a classic pecan pie and the familiar, gooey filling we all love changes dramatically.

Think of this new dessert as a cross between a dense, nutty brownie and soft chocolate fudge. It’s a chocolate tart worthy of any gathering or celebration.

Because the mixture is so dense and rich, I like to make it into a tart instead of a deep-dish pie. The ratio of chocolate-pecan filling to buttery crust is just perfect.

The best chocolate, of course, makes the best chocolate desserts. The tart needs only 3 ounces, so splurging on the good stuff isn’t too cost prohibitive. Look for good-quality bittersweet chocolate bars with 60% to 70% cocoa.

I like to use a little corn syrup in this recipe to help give the chocolate filling a perfectly smooth texture. When shopping, look for regular corn syrup that does not contain high-fructose corn syrup (which is a different product); this will be stated on the ingredients list.

To guarantee a bottom crust that’s flaky, bake it “blind,” without the filling, before baking it again with the chocolate mixture. I also like to toast the pecans to intensity their flavor before mixing them into the chocolate filling.

Neither of these steps adds much time, but they will give you professional results.

In the oven, you’ll see the filling puff up as it bakes, but don’t be alarmed. It will settle as it cools.

Sprinkle the edges with powdered sugar before serving, cut into slender wedges, and be prepared to fall hard for your new dessert.

Chocolate Pecan Tart Recipe

• Prep time: 1 hour
• Cook time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings

You can use any all-butter pie crust for this recipe, but I recommend Elise’s Perfect Pie Crust.

Ingredients

• 1 prepared pastry crust (1/2 recipe of Perfect Pie Crust)
• 2 cups (8 ounces) pecans
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted or unsalted butter (whichever you have handy), cut up into pieces
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate (60 to 70%), chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar, for sprinkling

Special equipment:

• 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom
• Ceramic pie weights or dried beans, for blind baking the crust
• Wide metal spatulas (handy for transferring the tart to the serving plate)

Method

1 Roll out the pastry: Set the oven to 375F. On a lightly floured counter, roll the pastry dough to a 12-inch round, giving it a quarter-turn after every few rolls so it does not stick to the counter.

Lift the pastry onto the rolling pin and ease it into the tart pan. With floured fingertips, press the pastry into the corners and up the sides of the pan. With scissors or kitchen shears, trim the top edge of the pastry so it comes about 1/2-inch above the pan. Tuck the top 1/2-inch of the pastry onto itself to make a hem and crimp.

2 Chill the pastry crust: Set the tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes or refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until firm and cold (but not frozen).

3 Blind bake the crust: Prick the chilled dough all over. Lay a piece of foil over the tart, shiny side down, and press it into the edges of the pan. Fill the foil with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the pastry for 15 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. Carefully lift out the foil and pie weights or beans. Continue baking the pastry for 5 minutes more, or until the surface starts to look baked.

4 Set the tart crust aside to cool. Leave the oven on.

5 Toast the nuts: Spread the nuts in a baking dish or on a baking sheet. Toast them in the oven, stirring several times, for 8 minutes or until they are aromatic. Leave the oven on.

6 Begin making the filling: In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat just until it coats the bottom of the pan. Do not let the butter brown. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and combines with the butter in a smooth mixture. Add the chocolate and cook, stirring, until it melts. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool to lukewarm.

7 Finish the filling: Stir the eggs into the lukewarm chocolate mixture one by one, followed by the corn syrup and vanilla.

8 Assemble the tart: Leave the tart on the baking sheet used in the chilling step. Spread the toasted pecans an even layer in the bottom of the tart shell. Pour the chocolate filling over top and spread to the edges of the crust.

9 Bake the tart: Bake for 25 minutes, or until the filling is set in the middle and puffs slightly, and the pastry is browned at the edges. If the pastry seems like it’s becoming too brown, cover the edges loosely with foil. Set on a rack to cool.

10 Unmold the tart and serve: Set the cooled tart o
n a bowl so the outer ring falls off. Carefully use 2 wide metal spatulas to lift the tart from the bottom of the pan and transfer to a large platter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into slices.

If serving the next day, cover the tart loosely with foil and refrigerate. Let it come to room temperature before serving.

Read More: Chocolate Pecan Tart

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate-Balsamic Glaze

I started eating Brussels sprouts as a kid when my preschool served them boiled for lunch. You’d think that serving unseasoned, boiled Brussels sprouts would be the worst way to expose a child to the vegetable but, surprisingly, I was undeterred.

Brussels sprouts are still one of my favorite fall vegetables, though these days I prefer them roasted instead of boiled.

Here I’ve paired roasted Brussels sprouts with a sweet and tangy pomegranate-balsamic glaze. This makes a great side dish for Thanksgiving or any fall meal.

Don’t be intimidated by making the glaze. You just combine pomegranate juice and balsamic vinegar and let it simmer until it reduces to a thick, syrupy glaze.

You’ll only need a few tablespoons of the pomegranate-balsamic glaze for this recipe. The leftover will keep refrigerated for up to a month and you can use it for glazing other vegetable dishes, to spoon over roasted meats, or even mixed into a cocktail.

I recommend tossing the sprouts with the glaze after the Brussels sprouts are fully cooked because. The sprouts look better that way, and you can really taste the flavor of the glaze.

Sprinkle some fresh pomegranate arils over the finished Brussels sprouts and you have a beautiful side dish for your holiday table!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate-Balsamic Glaze Recipe

• Prep time: 30 minutes
• Cook time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings

The pomegranate-balsamic glaze can be made ahead and will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Ingredients

For the glaze:

• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

For the Brussels sprouts:

• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup pomegranate arils

Method

1 Make the glaze: Combine the pomegranate juice, balsamic vinegar, and brown sugar in a saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the liquid simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until reduced to a syrupy glaze that coats the spoon. Stir occasionally. You should have about 2/3 cup of pomegranate balsamic glaze when done. (Once cool, store the glaze in the refrigerator for up to a month.)

2 Preheat oven to 375F. Move the oven racks to the upper third and lower third positions. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

3 Roast the Brussels sprouts: Trim the ends of the Brussels sprouts and slice them in half. Chop very large sprouts into quarters. Toss with the olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Divide the sprouts between 2 baking sheets and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through.

4 Toss the sprouts with the glaze: Let the Brussels sprouts cool for a few minutes before tossing them with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the pomegranate balsamic reduction and the pomegranate arils. Taste and add more glaze if you like. Serve immediately.

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Ham and Cheese Pasta Bake

What happens when pasta meets up with a Mozzarella and Parmesan-loaded white sauce tossed with chopped ham and herbs? Magic! Belly warming, rich, cheesy magic.

There are times when all we need is a big bowl of comfort. That is exactly what we’re making here with this ham and cheese pasta bake.

I made a batch the other day and sent it home with my parents. They came back the next day to insist that I put the recipe on the site, they liked it that much.

Along with a creamy cheesy sauce we have tossed in some Italian seasoning, parsley, green onions and a bunch of chopped ham. Perfect!

This is sort of a jazzed up mac-n-cheese, but for this pasta bake we’re using fusilli pasta instead of elbow macaroni. The twisted fusilli pasta is bite-sized, and all those curves make the pasta the perfect vehicle for capturing and holding the thick and creamy white sauce.

This Ham and Cheese Pasta Bake reheats beautifully, and lasts at least 5 days (covered) in the fridge. When reheating a large batch on the stovetop you may need to add some more milk or water to it to loosen up the sauce.

Ham and Cheese Pasta Bake Recipe

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 35 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Nutmeg is an essential spice for the white sauce. That said, it is easy to overdo it. Start with a small amount, ¼ teaspoon, and add more if needed.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces fusilli pasta
• Salt for pasta water
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced,
• 4 Tbsp flour
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (more to taste)
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper (more to taste)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or a mix of dried oregano, thyme, and basil)
• 3/4 teaspoons salt (more to taste)
• 3 ounces (about 1 cup, packed) shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 ounces (about 1 cup, packed) shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 10 ounces diced ham (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh green onion greens or chives

Method

1 Make pasta: Put a big pot of salted water onto boil on high heat for the pasta (4 quarts, 2 Tbsp salt). While the pasta water is heating, prep the other ingredients.

Once the water has reached a rolling boil, add the pasta and stir so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Let the water return to a rolling boil and cook, uncovered, for 9 to 10 minutes, until the pasta is “al dente”, cooked through but still slightly firm to the bite.

2 Make roux: Melt the butter in a large (3 to 4 quart), thick-bottomed pot on medium heat. Add the minced garlic. Let the garlic sizzle for a few seconds. Add the flour and whisk so that any lumps are dissolved. Let the roux (flour and butter) bubble and cook for a minute or two.

3 Make the sauce: Slowly add the milk and cream, a quarter cup at a time, whisking until incorporated after each addition. Increase the heat to medium high. Add ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper. (You may want to increase these later to taste.) Add ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning.

Add half of the shredded Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, whisking until melted and incorporated into the sauce.

Add 3/4 teaspoon of salt (again, you may want to increase this to taste).

Stir in 1 cup of water (can use pasta cooking water if you want).

4 Preheat oven to 400°F.

5 Combine pasta with sauce, ham, parsley, onion greens: Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the sauce. Add the ham. Add the chopped parsley and onion greens or chives. Gently stir to combine. Taste, and add more nutmeg, salt, pepper, or Italian seasoning to taste.

6 Bake: Transfer the pasta mixture to an oven-proof casserole dish (if you are using a Dutch oven to make the sauce, there is no need to transfer to another dish). Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese. Bake in the oven at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned on top.

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Perfect Mashed Potatoes

Everybody seems to have their favorite way of making mashed potatoes. Some cook them with the peel on, some without. Some add a little of the cooking water to the mashed potatoes for extra starch.

I have found that the single thing that makes the biggest difference for making perfect creamy, heavenly potatoes is the type of potatoes you use.

Most people use starchy Russets for mashed potatoes. With their high starch and low water content, they’re good for baking, for making French fries, and for mashing. Here’s my secret though—even better than Russets for mashing are Yukon Golds.

They’re a little more expensive than Russets, but worth it. They’re naturally creamy when mashed, never mealy, and have a slightly buttery flavor all on their own. Yukon golds make the most perfectly creamy, buttery mashed potatoes.

From the recipe archive, first posted 2005.

Perfect Mashed Potatoes Recipe

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 25 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4

Always put potatoes in cold water to start, then bring to a boil. That way the potatoes cook more evenly.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs (680 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into quarters
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 Tbsp (60 ml) heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp (30 g) butter
• 1 Tbsp milk (or more)
• Salt and Pepper

Recommended equipment—a potato masher

Method

1 Cover peeled, cut potatoes with cold, salted water, simmer until tender: Place the peeled and cut potatoes into a medium saucepan. Add cold water to the pan until the potatoes are covered by at least an inch. Add a half teaspoon of salt to the water.

Turn the heat on to high, and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer, and cover. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until you can easily poke through them with a fork.

2 Melt butter, warm cream: While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter and warm the cream. You can heat them together in a pan on the stove or in the microwave.

3 Drain cooked potatoes, mash with butter, cream, milk: When the potatoes are done, drain the water and place the steaming hot potatoes into a large bowl. Pour the heated cream and melted butter over the potatoes.

Mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Then use a strong wooden spoon (a metal spoon might bend) to beat further.

Add milk and beat until the mashed potatoes are smooth. Don’t over-beat the potatoes or the mashed potatoes will end up gluey.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

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