(upbeat music)
- Hey munchies!
Thanksgiving is next week here in the U.S.
and it's holiday season all around
so we've got appetizer and/or side dishes
coming your way today and they all use
potatoes or sweet potatoes.
I know some people prefer to just go all out
and not worry about healthy over the holidays,
and that is totally allowed but I know
some people also like to have healthier
or later options available for themselves
or for loved ones who might be trying
to not stray too far over the holidays.
So these recipes are for you.
I love potatoes in any form and if you do too,
then you're gonna love these.
First, we've got these beautiful potato stackers.
(light music)
I use a mandoline to cut russet potatoes
and sweet potatoes super thin.
Feel free to leave the skin on.
I like to dry the russet potatoes between paper towels
to help soak up some of the moisture
so they crisp up more in the oven.
In a bowl, I combine coconut oil,
fresh thyme or sage, and salt and pep.
Toss the potato slices to coat evenly.
Layer the potatoes into a muffin tin,
alternating potato types here and there
and stack until they reach just about the top of the tin.
I also soak some wooden skewers or toothpicks
to add and hold the stackers together.
Soaking keeps them from burning in the oven.
Bake until golden and crispy.
Cool for a few minutes and then use a spatula
or butter knife to remove.
I like to sprinkle with a little Parmesan before serving.
These are so tasty, the texture of the thinly sliced
potatoes is delicious because they crisp up
on the edges but stay soft in the center.
They're gorgeous as is or cut down the middle.
A beautiful, delicious beginning
or addition to your holiday meal.
Next up, sweet potato, bacon hush puppies.
And these babies are baked, not fried.
I combine corn meal, oat flour,
baking powder, salt and pepper,
and optional cayenne for dry ingredients.
Separately, I mix finely diced onion,
almond milk, beaten eggs, sweet potato puree,
and melted coconut oil or butter.
Add the dry into the wet and stir to integrate.
And then mix in some crumbled cooked bacon.
Spoon some of the batter into mini muffin tins,
about one tablespoon of mixture worked perfectly.
Bake until firm to the touch and lightly golden.
(upbeat music)
And I always need a little sprinkle
of powdered sugar on my hush puppies.
These have a bit of natural sweetness
from the sweet potato in them
but they're really savory overall.
So that bit of powdered sugar completes the dish for me.
A fluffy, salty, sweet bite
that also happens to be gluten free.
These will help prep me for all
of the holiday deliciousness still to come.
For more holiday recipes, subscribe and hit the bell
so you can be notified of new videos.
Here's a twist on a classic.
Sweet potato banana casserole.
(upbeat retro music)
I poked my sweet potatoes with a fork
and roast for about 30 to 40 minutes.
Then I add bananas to the pan and roast for a bit longer
until the potatoes are done and bananas begin to turn black.
Roasting the potatoes helps caramelize them,
making them even sweeter and more flavorful than boil it.
When cool enough to handle, carefully remove the potato
from the skin and peel the bananas.
Add both to a bowl along with almond milk,
eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
Use a hand mixer to whip 'em up on up.
I love how fluffy the hand mixer
makes this when integrating but you can go ahead
and use a spoon or whisk and some muscle
if you don't have a hand mixer.
For the topping, I combine rolled oats,
chopped pecans, chopped dates,
oat flour, cinnamon, salt, and coconut oil.
I add the potato/banana mash to a casserole dish
and then sprinkle on the topping.
Add the entire dish to the oven and cook until golden.
You can totally skip the marshmallow
since there's plenty of natural sweetness in this
with the sweet potatoes and bananas in the base
and the chopped dates in the topping.
Wow, this takes sweet potato casserole to a new level.
The caramelized roast sweet potatoes
with the ripe bananas make this dish
a sweet compliment to the rest of your savory meal.
And that crunchy topping is a nice textural element
to contrast the sweet and fluffy potato filling.
Next, we're kicking mashed potatoes up a notch
with this root veggie marble mash.
Peel all root vegetables and cut
into one inch cubes or pieces.
Add the potatoes, parsnips, rootabegas, and turnips
to one pot and the sweet potatoes and carrots to another.
We're going for both a white color and an orange color.
Fill both pots with water and add a bit of salt.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium
and cook until fork tender.
Drain the veggies and then return them to their pots.
Add butter and milk to each separately
and mash and mix to combine.
I love butter in my mashed potatoes
but if you aren't a fan, you can skip it.
You don't need much to add a lot of flavor though.
Then I can take the two different colored mashes
and marble them together in a serving dish.
It's beautiful!
The different root vegetables provide more flavor
and these almost taste like fancier mashed potatoes
which is fun for a holiday experience.
Plus, we get the sweet and savory varieties served together.
Last, I've got a cold dish for you.
A roasted sweet potato noodle salad.
First, I peel and spiralize sweet potatoes.
I add those noodles in reasonable lengths
to a baking sheet with parchment paper
and drizzle with oil, a sprinkle of salt and toss to coat.
Roast briefly.
They're small pieces so they don't need much time
and then cool.
Once cool, whisk together pomegranate juice,
lime zest and juice, maple syrup,
olive oil, and salt as your dressing.
Add the cooled roasted sweet potato noodles
along with pomegranate arils, pumpkin seeds,
feta cheese, chopped dates, and fresh parsley.
So fresh, colorful and fun with texture and flavor.
This is honestly my favorite dish of the day.
Not only because it's so beautiful
but the taste is just phenomenal.
Roasting the noodles makes them sweeter
and more robust along with some great toppings,
it's light and flavorful overall
but it still feels special for the holidays.
I hope you enjoyed these potato side dishes and appetizers,
they're perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas,
or any holiday party where you'd like
to include a lighter option.
And potatoes are always a hit, I know these dishes are.
Thanks so much for being here,
let me know what other kinds of holiday recipes
you'd like to see in the comments.
I will see you next week with a brand new episode.
We're posting Friday after Thanksgiving
instead of Thursday since most people are busy with family
so stay tuned for that and remember,
especially when it comes to holiday meals,
it's all a matter of mind over munch.