Sometimes life is just against you

This weekend I'd planned to do two things: volunteer for three days at the Arts for All Book Fair and attend Abby and Adam's Alternate Thanksgiving Party (where everyone brings a dish that their family wouldn't eat). Unfortunately, a nasty stomach virus wiped out all my plans entirely. Fail.

Sadly for me (but happily for Zack), I'd already made the dish I'd planned to bring to the party. He wasn't going to be able to attend because of work, so the silver lining of all this is that he got to eat the food I made. He seemed happy about that part at least (but sadder about me moaning in pain/falling asleep for 45 minute bouts all day).

Sweet Potato Sourdough Stuffing

4-5 pounds of sweet potatoes (I still have like 10 pounds left. My CSA went sweet potato crazy)
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
half a bunch of sage
half a pound of bacon
olive oil
salt
pepper
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk or cream
2 cups chicken stock (or more if you want your stuffing super moist)

Peel and cube the sweet potatoes. Put on a baking sheet (covered with foil to make the clean up easier), cover with olive oil, and sprinkle on some salt and pepper to taste. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until tender (my oven is all wonky, so monitor these closely - my times may not be right).


Fry up some bacon. If you like it crispy, make it crispy. If you like it less crispy, that's up to you. Drain it on some paper towels until you're ready for it.


Add some olive oil to the bacon drippings in the pan. Mmmm, bacon fat. Chop the onion, garlic and sage to the pan and saute until soft (about 5 minutes). Add a pinch of salt and pepper if you feel so inclined.


Tear up a loaf of sourdough bread. I love the tangy contrast that the sourdough gives to the sweet potatoes. You could take the crust off if you want, but I like it.


Combine everything in a baking dish. Beat the eggs and milk in a separate bowl and pour over the stuffing. Pour the chicken broth over as well. Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees or until the top is crispy but the middle is still kind of gooey. You don't want your stuffing to dry out.


I love any savory sweet potato dish. I often find sweet potatoes too sugary, but the onion and bacon really bring out some darker notes that are awesome. This is a great nontraditional stuffing (or dressing, if you want to get technical about it) that would be welcome on my Thanksgiving table anytime (but not my parents. They're anti-bacon).

Possibly the last Thanksgiving recipe...

Unless someone has a specific request, this may be my last Thanksgiving recipe. The holiday has been over for a while now and there are only so many holiday dishes one can take. However, I really liked this recipe (and so did my dad), so I figured I'd add it to the list. This may be the best vegetarian stuffing I've made yet.

Chestnut, Leek and Apple Stuffing
6 cups bread cubes (I used ciabatta....yum)
3 large leeks, white and pale green parts, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 tsp thyme
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 chopped flat leaf parsley
14-16 oz bottled, peeled chestnuts, halved (my mom totally didn't believe these existed. But they do! Here's my sister, modeling along side them. She's helpful that way.


Thanks, Alli!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake bread cubes for 15 minutes to dry them out.

2. Increase oven temp to 450 degrees. Hey, don't forget to wash your leeks and apples. Otherwise, you might eat dirt. Ick!

3. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat.


I'm clogging everyone's arteries with this dish...but it only happens once a year.

4. Cook the leeks and the celery until soft, about ten minutes.


5. Add thyme, apples, and some salt and pepper. Saute for another 5 minutes.


6. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the bread, parsley, more salt and pepper and the cream (yeah, this recipe has butter and cream. Sue me. I didn't make it up). Put the mixture in a shallow baking dish.


7. Bake until heated through and the top is golden brown (about 30 minutes).


It was very good. What's not to like? Bread, cream, butter, apples...... I wasn't a huge fan of the bottled chestnuts, truth be told, but I wasn't about to roast, shell and halve three cups worth, so what can you do? Gourmet said it was okay.