It's not Thanksgiving without a sweet potato side. Of course you want to focus on the big ticket items of turkey and pie, so the easier the side dish recipe, the better.
I just got a look at the new Cooking With Trader Joe's Cookbook: Dinner's Done!, and in addition to a load of very easy recipes designed to make your life easier, there are some perfect holiday dishes as well.
This recipe for sweet potatoes with balsamic maple glaze being a prime example. So ditch the marshmallow fluff and make this adult version in a little over half an hour. Even if you're not near a Trader Joe's (which is so sad!), you can follow this recipe without using the pre-cut 'taters.
What You'll Need:
1 (16 oz) bag cut sweet potatoes (or peel and cut your own 3/4-inch cubes, about 3 cups worth)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
3 tablespoons maple syrup, divided
5 tablespoons peeled and minced shallots (about 3 shallots)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. In a medium bowl, toss sweet potatoes with 2 Tbsp oil and 2 Tbsp maple syrup until coated. Transfer sweet potatoes onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Spread them out so that they roast evenly.
3. Roast sweet potatoes in oven for 20-25 minutes, or until fork-tender, tossing halfway through.
4. While sweet potatoes are roasting, saute shallots in a small saucepan with 1 Tbsp oil until shallots are soft. Add balsamic vinegar and remaining 1 Tbsp maple syrup. Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes until sauce is slightly reduced and thickened. Remove from heat.
5. Remove sweet potatoes from oven and transfer to medium serving bowl. Drizzle with sauce and toss to coat.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Hands-off cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
Wouldn't it be great if every Thanksgiving dish you made was this easy?
Image via Cooking With Trader Joe's
