Below are a couple of tasty treats from the holidays that I simply had to share.
Sweet Potato Pie
Yiels a 10 inch pie (or an 8/9 inch deep dish)
3 medium sweet potatoes
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
2 eggs
1/2 stick (4 T.) butter
2 T coconut flour (or equal amount cornstarch)
1-10 inch pie shell
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425. Wrap potatoes individually in foil. Place in oven and roast until cooked through. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, put the pie shell in the oven and bake until golden.
2. Peel the potatoes (you can use a knife, but it is easier just to pull the skins off with your hands). Add the potatoes to a mixing bowl and whip either by hand or with the whisk attachment of a mixer. Stop periodically to rinse the fibrous strings off the beaters. Cut up butter and add in small chunks to the potatoes.
3. Add the milk to the potatoe mixture and mix well. Add the eggs one at a time, whipping well between each addition. Next add the sugar and spices, mixing well. Lastly, add the thickening agent (either the starch or the coconut flour). Whip for 2 minutes.
4. Pour the filling into the pie shell and spread evenly. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until middle is mostly set. You may have to use foil shields to protect the crust from becoming overly brown.
Special Notes: How you serve the pie is all personal preference. Some people enjoy a warm sweet potato pie. I find it incredibly awkward. I go for either room temp or slighly chilled. If you must serve it with whipped cream, please use the real stuff flavored with a bit of cinnamon and vanilla.
Breakfast Casserole
Perfect for feeding the masses! (10-12 people)
1 1/2 cups cooked breakfast sausage, crumbled
2 cups frozen hashbrowns, thawed
1 1/2 cups cooked bacon, chopped
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese
12-14 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Grease a large (a size up from the standard 13x9) baking dish. I use the grease from the cooked sausage and bacon.
1. Sprinkle the bottom of the greased dish with the sausage crumbles. Layer the hashbrowns on top of the sausage. Next, add the cheese, then the bacon.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together until frothy.
3. Slowly pour the eggs over the layers in the baking dish, making sure to evenly distribute them.
4. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes to an hour, until the middle is firmly set. You have the option of removing the foil in the last 10-15 minutes of cooking to brown the top. This will enhance the flavor.
5. Allow the casserole to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Special Notes: If you would like a healthier option, you can add a layer of well dried spinach and sauteed mushrooms. Bell peppers are also a welcome addition. If your family does not eat pork, you can of course substitute turkey bacon and sausage. Double to 24 eggs whites, if you are not using the yolks.
If you have other fun, holiday foods you'd like to share, please feel free to do so in the comments section. I have several, but of course, my poor fingers can only take so much clickety-clacking on the laptop! And to all, a good night (or morning...whenever you're reading this)!
