Sides for Holiday Meals

SCALLOPED POTATOES

Prep Time:5 min

Cook Time:55 min

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

Serves:6 servings

Ingredients

4 large baking potatoes 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons flour 1 cup milk Pinch salt and pepper 1 cup half Swiss and half cheddar cheese, grated

A couple of drops of hot sauce (optional)

Cooked bacon crumbled

Directions

• Boil the potatoes until tender
• Cool and slice thinly. 
• Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk flour into melted butter and cook over medium heat until it thickens. Whisk in the milk and stir until the mixture thickens.
• Layer the 3 components ending with the grated cheese in a buttered 9 by 9 inch oven proof dish, Top with crumbled bacon

Bake for approximately 40 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly.


Peas, with Pearl Onions and Mushrooms 

Ingredients

1 pkg frozen peas 1/2 bag of pearl onions 4 or 5 button mushrooms sliced and sauted Cook peas and onions together. Top with a nob of butter and mushrooms, stir to mix and serve. 4 to 6 servings


Not Your Grandmother's Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• I large can sweet potatoes
• 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• dash of nutmeg (optional)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Whip  the sweet potatoes with the brown sugar, butter and heavy cream. Mash the chipotle chiles into a paste, and add to sweet potatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and nutmeg. Put in oven proof casserole and bake until heated through, 30 minutes approximately.

Glazed Carrots

Ingredients

• 3 cups mini carrots, (1 pound)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tablespoon honey
• nob of butter
• dash of nutmeg (optional but really brings out the flavor of the carrots)
• salt and oepper to taste
  
  Combine carrots, water, butter and salt in a 2 qt. pan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover add honey and nutmeg and cook, stirring often, until the liquid is a syrupy glaze.