Delicious Thanksgiving Side

APPLE, SWEET POTATO AND CRANBERRY CASSEROLE

This is a favorite of mine to make and serve over the holidays.This is the time for sweet potatoes, cranberries and apples to shine. They will be the the stars on your holiday menu. It compliments your turkey, ham or pork entree beautifully. For your vegan guests, it is the perfect dish and they love love it. For those with a gluten free diet, substitute flour with almond flour. 

It is a dish everyone can enjoy. 

This sweet potato, apple and cranberry side dish for Thanksgiving is so easy and delicious!  The step that requires the most time will be the peeling. Once all of your ingredients are ready to go, everything goes into a casserole and baked for an hour.  

*This dish can be baked the day before to save time.  Cover and refrigerate when finished baking and reheat the next day at 300 degrees until warm. This dish makes your home smell amazing!

All you need is the following:

2 -3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks

2 large Granny Smith Apples, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup)

1 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 

(Recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350. Slice and peel sweet potatoes and apples.  Place in a 7 x 11 inch baking dish lightly sprayed with cooking spray.  Place apples on top, then cranberries.  Mix flour, salt, sugar and nutmeg in a bowl and sprinkle mixture on top. Dot with butter.  

Bake for 50-60 minutes. 

 Of course this recipe can be doubled to be baked in a 13 x 9 baking dish.  

May you have a Blessed Thanksgiving holiday🧡

Easy Fall Sidedish

My husband and I spent a wonderful autumn weekend in New Buffalo, Michigan recently and came home with farmers market goodies.  Honey crisp apples are my favorite and in high season. We bought these delicious fall gems and brought them home to enjoy.  While preparing my pork chops for dinner one night, I decided to slice several apples, peel and chop sweet potatoes, place in a baking dish topped with a little butter, sprinkled with cinnamon  (The Spice House is my personal choice) and 1/4 cup water and bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.  It made this easy great tasting side dish that accompanied my pork dish beautifully.

I drizzled maple syrup on top when done baking and put back in the oven for 5 minutes before serving.  Smells great while baking too.  

Photo Lakehouselyn

Photo Lakehouselyn

Photo Lakehouselyn

Retro Baked Apples

 Apples are ripe and the season is here for apple picking.  If you came home with a bushel of apples, try this easy dessert.   Bake in the oven to fully enjoy the benefits of the aroma of this delicious dish. My spices of choice are from TheSpiceHouse.  If you haven't visited one of their locations or ordered their spices online, you don't know what you're missing.  Each time I receive my order and open the box, the scents of only the freshest spices are revealed to everyone in the room.  

Granny Smith apples taste great in this recipe but I use Honeycrisp (my Fall absolute favorite).  Granny Smith will provide you with not as sweet a taste, allowing the sugars in the dish to bring out the sweetness.  Wash and core your apples.  Fill the inside with a 1/4 tsp. of brown sugar, sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg and raisins (optional), and top with a pat of butter.  Place in a baking dish with a 1/2 cup of water and bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until tender.  Allow to cool for a few minutes and top it with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

All photos by Lakehouselyn

Harvest Slow Cooker Pork Roast

photo by Kraft


Apples and cranberries are still on stage front and center but not for much longer.    So grab your slow cooker and prepare this easy roast that any family member will enjoy.  This recipe looks and tastes delicious when having guests for dinner too.

For 8 servings you need:  2 lb. pork tenderloin, fat trimmed, 2 tablespoons canola oil, 3 cups apple juice, 3-4 Granny Smith Apples, 1 cup fresh  cranberries, 3/4 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Brown the pork roast on all sides in a skillet in canola oil.  This will seal in the juices of the roast while in the slow cooker.
Next, add the remaining ingredients.
Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until the pork is tender.  

Baked sweet potatoes and green beans are perfect sides to finish this dish beautifully.

Thanks for stopping by.

Scrumptious Baked Cinnamon Apple French Toast

                                                        
                                    BAKED CINNAMON APPLE FRENCH TOAST 


Weekends here and here's an easy recipe you can stick in the oven and enjoy with your guests.  No fuss and so delicious! Sit back and wait for the ooooohhhs and ahhhhhhhs!!

Prep time is 15 minutes
Baking time is 70 - 75 minutes

Ingredients are:
Large loaf french bread sliced thick (you need 17-18 slices)
6 eggs beaten with 1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 teaspoons cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 Granny or McIntosh apples apples OR pears sliced thin
1/2 cup raisins (omit if not a raisin lover)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter

Directions:

Add vanilla, cinnamon, salt and sugar in bowl and beat well with whisk.

In a 13 x 9 pan you have sprayed with cooking spray, layer brown sugar, raisins, sliced apples or pears and butter.

Dip each piece of bread in egg mixture making sure all the bread is covered and place bread on top of fruit until all bread is used.

Pour remaining egg mixture on top of bread and add 1 thin piece of butter on top of each piece of bread. Sprinkling pecans on top before baking adds great flavor if you wish.

Bake in 350 degree oven for approximately 70-75 minutes or until top of bread is slightly golden. (I suggest putting the pan on a foil lined cookie sheet before baking in case of french toast bubbling over)

Serve with maple syrup and powdered sugar.  ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!