Thyme-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

by Kathyrn Matthews from Epicurious.com

If you know me, you know that I love sweet potatoes. So, when Ben and I decided to make a two-person Thanksgiving feast in 2008, I knew that I had to find the perfect sweet potato recipe. After much searching through cookbooks and online, I came across the recipe below. I haven't altered it because it's great the way it is. Although it was our sweet potato masterpiece for Thanksgiving, when I made it at home for my family, we used it as a form of sweet potato fries. So clearly, it can go either way. Just make sure not to overcook this recipe. The picture above is from the first time that I made this recipe. They are slightly overdone, but delish!

Ingredients:
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch-thick rounds
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup fresh thyme leaves, plus 6 thyme sprigs for garnish (I have used dried as a substitute)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 450°F. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and toss. Arrange potato slices in single layer on heavyweight rimmed baking sheet or in 13x9-inch baking dish. Place on top rack of oven and roast until tender and slightly browned, about 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with thyme sprigs.

Caramel Corn

by Aunt Marge

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. white syrup
2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. vinegar
Nuts (optional, and can be whatever kind you choose)
Popped corn

Stir butter, white syrup, and brown sugar and let this come to a soft boil. Add baking soda and vinegar and stir. Add nuts. Stir. Pour over popped corn and bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Unhealthy, Delicious Potatoes

Ingredients:
4-6 medium to large potatoes
Milk
1/4 c. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
8 oz. sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese
2-3 Tbsp. chopped onion
2 tsp. parsley

Dice potatoes into cubes so that they will boil quickly and boil until tender. Drain potatoes, add milk until at desired texture, and beat. Add butter, salt, garlic salt, sour cream, cream cheese, chopped onion, and parsley. Mix well and place in glass casserole dish. Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

These may be about the worst potatoes in the world for you, health-wise; they are also the most delicious.

Mom's Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Casserole

by Beth E. McDermott Harrington

Ingredients:

(Casserole Body):

3 c. cooked mashed sweet potatoes (approximately 5 potatoes)

1 c. sugar

1/4 c. softened butter

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. evaporated milk

(Casserole Topping):

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. flour

1/4 c. butter (melted)

1 cup pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the mashed sweet potatoes, sugar, softened butter, salt and evaporated milk. Mix until creamy. Spread into a buttered casserole dish. In a separate bowl, mix the brown sugar, flour, melted butter, and pecan halves. Crumble this mixture on top of the casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.