Over the weekend, some friends and I hosted a Friendsgiving at my house. It’s a winning Thanksgiving strategy: instead of the immense pressure on the host to prepare so many dishes, people bring their favorite sides and desserts, the host takes care of the bird, and everybody is happy. It was a tremendous success; every plate was cleaned and the turkey was devoured! (No turkey and cranberry sandwiches for us!)
One of my favorite dishes that evening was a simple twice-baked sweet potato. It starts as an update on the classic potato version. The sweetness of the tuber is tempered by sharp Parmesan, and in my efforts it gets a little tricked out with finely chopped thyme and kale. I ditched sour cream in favor of creamy Greek yogurt. Total win. This could easily be a light main course on a dreary winter night, too. Thanks for the inspiration, Britt!
Last week on Etsy I wrote about a lovely, simple way to use your holiday leftovers: in Turkey, Apple and Cheddar Handpies. You’ll also find a list of some of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes.
As for the bird, I used Martha Stewart’s brine followed by Gourmet’s high heat roasting method (nixing the salt as it was already brined) for a second year with great results.
And let’s end this debate, once and for all: there are no yams in North America. They are all sweet potatoes. I trust Wikipedia on this one.
TWICE BAKED SWEET POTATOES
Serves 12 as a Thanksgiving or party side; 4-6 as a substantial dinner side
3 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 small yellow onion, diced
1 cup minced kale
1/4 cup strained Greek yogurt
2/3 cup shredded Parmesan, divided
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
salt + pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Rinse sweet potatoes and prick the surface with a fork.
Roast in oven until soft, just about an hour. Remove from heat and allow to cool enough to handle.
In a medium skillet over a medium low flame, saute the onions in a little oil until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add the minced kale and saute until the kale is soft, 2-3 minutes more.
Slice sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, carefully remove most of the sweet potato, being mindful to not tear the delicate skin.
Combine the sweet potatoes with the yogurt, onions, kale, thyme and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
Spoon the filling back into the sweet potato skins. Top with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
Bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
by Kimberley
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