Southern Sweet Potato Casserole 

Sweet Potato Casserole Ingredients:

4 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups cornflakes cereal, crushed
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Sweet Potato Casserole Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Bake sweet potatoes at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Let stand until cool to touch (about 20 minutes); peel and mash sweet potatoes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
2. Beat mashed sweet potatoes, granulated sugar, and next 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Spoon potato mixture into a greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish.
3. Combine cornflakes cereal and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle over casserole in diagonal rows 2 inches apart.
4. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle marshmallows in alternate rows between the cornflake mixture; bake 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

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Want to try another side dish with Sweet Potatoes?

We think you’ll love this Butter Pecan Sweet Potato recipe. Perfect for your holiday meal.

The whole ingredients make around 6 – 8 servings of Southern Sweet Potato Casserole. It will take you approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes to complete this side dish. Feel free to adjust the sweetness and the crunchiness of this recipe by making some modifications with the sugar and cereal. But take the recipe as it is so you can taste the real sweetness of this deli.

For more Thanksgiving recipes on Stagetecture, click here.

Thanksgiving Side: Sweet Potato & Onion Pasta Shells

Image via: Top Inspired

Total time: Preparation 40 minutes + Baking 10 minutes

Yields: 7 servings

Ingredients

2 large chopped onions

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Pinch of salt

21 uncooked pasta shells

¼ cup reduced sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon apple cider

1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon pepper

1 and half cups mashed sweet potatoes

1 and half cups crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 cup turkey gravy, warmed

Procedure

1. In a large skillet, sauté onions in butter until softened. Add salt and garlic powder. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally for 25-30 minutes or until deep golden brown.
2. Meanwhile, according to package directions, cook pasta shells. Drain pasta, set aside.
3. Stir the broth, thyme, sherry, and pepper into onions. Bring to boil. Cook until liquid is almost evaporated. Remove from the heat. Stir in sweet potatoes and Gorgonzola cheese.
4. Spoon into shells and place in a greased 11*7 inch baking dish.
5. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with gravy.

Your holiday dinner will be a hit with this Thanksgiving side dish recipe. If you feel its too dry for you, top it up with leftover gravy before serving. So, which other sides are you preparing for your Thanksgiving meal this season?

For more Thanksgiving side recipes on Stagetecture, click here.

Holiday Spinach and Gruyère Gratin Recipe

Image via: The Food Network

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Total time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil and little extra for baking dish

6 shallots, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon salt

1/4 black pepper

1 cup dry wine

6 large eggs

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

4 10-ounce packages frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed to remove excess moisture)

8 ounces grated Gruyere

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Procedure

Image via: The Foodie Physician

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a shallow 2 1/2to 3-quart baking dish with olive oil and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium to high heat. Add the shallots, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until soft, say about 6 to 8 minutes. Add wine and let it simmer until evaporated for approximately, 4 to 6 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together cream, eggs, milk, nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt, Gruyere and Parmesan cheese. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
4. Bake until the spinach mixture is bubbling and the top is golden brown in color (approximately 45 to 55 minutes).

This Spinach and Gruyere Gratin recipe is a simple and rich side that can be prepared a day ahead. Leftovers are awesome too, just in case if you have any. So, which other make-ahead Thanksgiving recipes are you trying this season?

For more Thanksgiving recipe sides on Stagetecture, click here.

Holiday Side: Green Beans Casserole Recipe

Image via: Pop Sugar

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Total time: Preparation 20 minutes + Baking 50 minutes

Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients:

8 ounces sliced water chestnuts, drained

1 chopped small onion

4 and half ounces sliced mushrooms, drained

6 tablespoons butter, divided

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

½ cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon reduced sodium soy sauce

1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Pinch of salt

16 ounces frozen green beans, thawed

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup crushed fried onions

Directions:

Image via: Fresh and Natural Foods

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small skillet, sauté water chestnuts, mushrooms, and onion in 2 tablespoons butter for 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp tender. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, melt remaining butter, stir in all-purpose flour until smooth. Stir in milk, soy sauce, broth, pepper sauce, and salt. Bring to boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in cheese and green beans.
3. Spoon half of the bean mixture into greased 1 and half qt baking dish. Layer with chestnut mixture and remaining bean mixture.
4. Bake, uncovered for 45 minutes. Top with fried onions. Bake for 5 minutes or until heated through.

Rich, buttery, and comforting, this green beans casserole is certainly not something that we eat all the time, which makes it all the more special during the holidays. While making it from scratch may sound a little overwhelming, trust us, you will be very happy with results. So, which other holiday sides are you trying this season?

Healthy Side: Summer Squash with Turmeric Butter

Image via: Flickr

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Ingredients

4 servings

Yellow summer squash (1 pound; sliced into 1-inch thick pieces)

Buckwheat (or any other brand) honey (1 teaspoon)

Turmeric (1/2 teaspoon)

Butter (2 tablespoons)

Skinless hazelnuts (1/4 cup; toasted and roughly chopped)

Fresh cilantro (1 tablespoon; finely chopped)

Kosher salt

Olive oil for drizzling

Image via: Thrive Market

Preparation

• Take a medium frying pan, preferably made of cast iron, and place it over medium-high heat.
• Put the squash slices on the frying pan and char them a bit while tossing frequently. Drizzle in a small amount of olive oil over the squash slices just for coating. Sauté until the slices become almost crisp but tender. Now, season with kosher salt.
• Before going to the next step, transfer the squash slices to a large bowl if you are using a frying pan made of cast-iron.
• Take a small frying pan and place it over medium heat. Melt the butter and add the ½-teaspoon turmeric to it. Stir until the butter is completely melted and the turmeric is evenly mixed with the melted butter. Cook for one more minute.
• Stir in chopped hazelnuts, buckwheat honey, and chopped cilantro and keep cooking until combined. Transfer the squash into this frying pan and toss to combine with other ingredients.
• Serve immediately!

Tips

• You can use walnuts, macadamias, or toasted slivered almonds instead of hazelnuts and the dish will be equally delicious.
• If honey is too sweet for your taste, substitute it with agave syrup. The syrup is less sweet than honey is.

Image via: Cascadian Kitchen

This healthy side will definitely change your impression about squash dishes. You do not have to have a tame squash dish again in your life! If you like your dish a bit cheesy, serve the item over Basmati rice and with some crumbled feta cheese on top. A perfect healthy meal for your family!

Have you liked this version of summer squash dish? For more side dishes on Stagetecture, click here.

Hearty Spring Dinner: Vegetable Lasagne

Image via: Half Baked Harvest

Total Time: 20 minutes preparation + 55 minutes cooking

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

30g butter

¼ cup flour

1 and half cups milk

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and sliced

2 zucchini cut into ribbons

2 green onions trimmed and cut

1 bunch spinach, trimmed

10 instant lasagna sheets, dried

1 cup frozen peas

250g ricotta, fresh

2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

2/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1 cup pizza cheese, grated

Some extra basil leaves to serve

Procedure

Image via: Gojee

1. Pre heat oven to 200-180 degrees Celsius (fan forced)
2. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour. Cook for 1 minute or until bubbling, keep stirring. Remove from the heat. Slowly pour in milk and stir until combined. Put back to heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until sauce boils and thickens. Make sure to stir constantly. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring salted water to boil. Add zucchini, asparagus, and onions. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Add spinach to pan and cook for 1 minute or until wilted. Again remove using a slotted spoon. Let it cool then squeeze out excess moisture. Roughly chop.
4. Cover the base of 8 cup capacity ovenproof dish with 2/3 cup of white sauce. Layer it with ¼ lasagna sheets trimmed to fit followed by asparagus mixture, 1/3 ricotta, and peas. Top it up with 1/3 of remaining lasagna sheets, ½ remaining ricotta, and ½ bunch spinach. Repeat the process. Now top it up with the remaining lasagna sheets and white sauce. Arrange basil leaves and tomato on the top. Sprinkle with cheese.
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden and tender. Serve with extra basil leaves.

Celebrate the fresh flavors of the season with this healthy spring dinner recipe. The best part is it won’t weigh you down, yet is wonderfully satisfying.

Your home has the ability to be at its greatest when it performs well, can keep your family safe, and protect the environment. Today, I thought I would show you 3 of the 25 of This Old Houses’ – ’25 Healthy Home Products.’  Check out their full list, I like the 3 below, and would love to put them in my house today!

Solis Faucet

We know hands-free faucets save water. But this one saves energy, too. Optima’s sleek Solis faucet operates on solar power—either sunlight or artificial light—using an infrared sensor and microprocessor to control flow automatically. An integrated control lever adjusts water temperature. About $645; Sloan Valve

Fragrant Floor Mat

A quick fix of aromatherapy for every day, this 24-by-36-inch woven bath mat combines cotton and vetiver root, a perennial grass native to India used in some of the world’s top perfumes. Heat and moisture release the scent. Approximately $21; Zen Zen

Green Planet Paints

With nontoxic soy resin as a base, mineral pigments as colorants, and few synthetic additives, Green Planet Paints’ zero-VOC matte interior clay paints translate a green sensibility into 43 rich, vibrant colors that can be sprayed, rolled, or brushed on. Approximately $45.50 per gallon; Green Planet Paints

For more green living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.