Holiday Side Dishes

This article appears in the Make It From Scratch Carnival at The Daily Dish. If you tend to participate in a lot of personal finance carnivals, the Make It From Scratch Carnival is a nice change!

I'm going to follow the crowd with my Sunday recipe series and publish some dishes for you to use for the holidays. I'm not a strict traditionalist so perhaps these will inspire you to make some changes to your holiday tables this year.

How about spicing up those sweet potatoes? Chipotle chilies are actually smoked jalapenos in a delicious adobo sauce. They are more earthy than hot and add a delicious deep flavor layer to the dishes in which they are used.

Try this easy Bobby Flay Smoked Chile Scalloped Sweet Potato recipe to give a twist to a traditional favorite. Not too diet friendly, but it's the holidays!

This recipe will yield 4 to 6 servings.

2 cups heavy cream
1 heaping tablespoon chipotle pepper puree
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 1/8-inch thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Whisk together cream and chipotle puree until smooth.

In a 9 by 9-inch casserole dish, arrange the potatoes in even layers. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the cream mixture and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining potatoes, cream, and salt and pepper to form 10 layers.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes, remove cover and continue baking for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the cream has been absorbed, the potatoes are cooked through and the top is browned.

Italian families know there is room for a pasta dish on every table! This one makes good use of Brussels sprouts. If you have a traumatic childhood memory of Brussels sprouts, give them another try. Prepared properly, they are delicious!

Orecchiette with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

Serves 6

1/2 cup hazelnuts (2 ounces)
2 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
Salt
1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved or quartered if large
3/4 pound orecchiette pasta
3 slices of thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (3 ounces)
Freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°. Spread the hazelnuts in a pie plate and toast for 8 minutes, or until fragrant. Let the nuts cool, then coarsely chop them.

In a small saucepan, boil the chicken stock until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 15 minutes; keep warm.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the Brussels sprouts, cover and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the Brussels sprouts and pat them dry. Return the water to a boil. Add the orecchiette and cook until al dente, 12 to 15 minutes; drain.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat until crisp, about 6 minutes. Drain the bacon on paper towels. Add the butter to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat until browned and nutty, about 3 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts and hazelnuts and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add the orecchiette along with the reduced chicken stock and simmer, stirring, until the sauce is slightly absorbed, about 2 minutes.

Stir in 1/2 cup of the Parmigiano cheese, season with salt and pepper and transfer to a large serving bowl. Garnish with the bacon and the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and serve.