A New Spin On An Old Classic

November 11, 2008

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I Love this picture of Sarah....it doesn't really have anything to do with the post, but this dress reminds me of Thanksgiving, so I thought I would include it!

For as long as I can rememeber, our Thanksgiving day feast consisted of the same thing each year, a turkey with all the typical sides and pumpkin pie for dessert.

Now, as much as I love many of those dishes, I was in the mood to change things up a little bit. Our family, for the most part, is pretty adventurous when it comes to food, so I knew that no one would mind if I tried to put a new spin on some of the old classics.

Did I ever mention that if you were to walk into our home and a TV is on, it would be tuned into the F@OD NETW@RK? Well, I am addicted and have now converted Nick...he would rather watch cooking than cartoons...I love it!!

So that being said, Last year I watched all of the celebrity chefs show off their turkey day favorites and I decided to throw caution to the wind and ditch my standard repertoire of dishes for some of these new recipes.

I know what you are thinking.....aren't you a little scared to cook "New" recipes that are not tried and true for 20 people coming to your home for thanksgiving??? I have to admit, for a brief moment the unforgetable turkey scene from N@tional L@mpoons Christm@s V@cation went running through my head.....but I quickly snapped out of it....after all, I know my way around the kitchen....how hard could it be to follow the recipes of some celebrity chefs?

Everything went off without a hitch! The TURKEY was very moist and had great flavor and all the sides were really good. Even my first attempt at homemade PUMPKIN pies(crust and all)was a success. My Mom contributed by bringing a classic that we must have at every Thanksgiving....my Nana's potato filling....the recipe has been in the family for years and no holiday would be complete without a helping or two!!

So now to get to the point(sorry, long winded today) Out of everything new, there was clear a winner on the table.....

Whipped Sweet Potatoes and Bananas with Honey

5 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed
4 bananas, unpeeled
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup honey
Kosher salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped




Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, put them in a roasting pan and roast an hour to an hour and a half(until fork tender). Toss the bananas into the pan and continue roasting for 10 to 15 minutes, until both the bananas and potatoes are very soft. Remove the pan from the oven but don't turn the oven off.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a large mixing bowl. Peel the bananas and add them to the bowl along with 1 stick of the butter, and the honey. Season with salt and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until everything's well combined and the mixture is fluffy. Spoon into an oven-proof serving bowl and smooth the top.

In a separate mixing bowl, use your fingers to rub together the remaining stick of butter, the brown sugar, flour, and pecans until the mixture is the consistency of coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the sweet potatoes and return to the oven. Cook for about 20 minutes, until the crumbs are golden. Serve hot

Recipe Courtesy of
Tyler Florence

***If you have anyone coming to dinner with the peanut allergy or you dislike Pecans, simply remove them from the recipe.

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Here is a "hot out of the oven" picture of the casserole and below is a serving for one.

Taking pictures of food is much different than taking pictures of people.....not sure if any of you have tried, but it is really difficult to make the food look good on a plate....I guess it is an art....one that I must work on!
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I cannot tell you how many people I have given this recipe to and each one has come back with rave reviews. I actually shared this recipe with two other Moms standing on the soccer field prior to making it last year and they both said that it was the hit of their Thanksgiving meals.

In my opinion, this knocks the socks off the tradtional candied yams or the sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top! It was a nice little change to an old classic.

So along with Nana's potato filling, this is now a must have in our house.

What are the dishes that you must have on your holiday table?

50 comments:

Amy said...

Yum! That looks really delish!
The one dish that we have every year is broccoli, rice and cheese casserole. It is very easy and basic, but it is a definite family favorite. It is also "kid friendly." When we take the dish to potlucks, all the kids gobble it up. Of course, not my kids, but other people's kids love it.;)

If you don't mind, save me a plate of your Thanksgiving leftovers, Mmmkay?;)

God Bless,
Amy:)

Heather said...

Well, I know what I'll be taking to my mom's for turkey day:)

Thanks so much Lisa!

Boy, girl you have it all going on! You are so talented!

When do you leave on business? Hoping you have a quick and safe trip (hope this makes sense, Hannah is literally perched on my lap, hovering over the laptop and giving me her finest doctor's exam:)

Hugs,
Heather

Kate said...

Oh fun!!! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday...and I am hosting my own (small) feast for the first time this year! I am not a sweet potato fan...but Jim is and maybe I will try this recipe!!!

My dad was on the Food network last year on their Thanksgiving shows...I don't even remember the cook...but it was one where someone wrote in and asked how to feed a crowd with her small ktchen. The chef come to my parents small town and cooked dinner for the Volunteer Firemen...my dad had a line and all...and he LOVED the food!!! Okay...my comment got a little long winded....but thanks for the great post!!!

Kate

Kim said...

LOVE the picture..
Dress is BEAUTIFUL..
We always have to have my famous pumpkin roll.. Hugs girly.
Have a Safe trip..

Anonymous said...

Hmm, I may try that recipe. Upon reading it, I don't think it looks like it would be good, but your reviews are compelling! I am not a good judge of recipes at all. I always look for recommendations.

If I make it, I wouldn't tell anyone awhat it was. I would just say it's a new sweet potato dish. We make a sweet potato souffle normally. That is one of my favorite dishes. And my MIL introduced me to squash casserole and, oh, my goodness, do I love that!! Mmmm! LOVE squash casserole.

I will you that I HATE green bean casserole. I make a green bean dish that is fresh green beans, scallions and shiitake mushrooms. Love it!

I've been meaning to ask, how is the potty training going?

Sherri said...

Change is good...we try different casseroles/sides as well. I printed your recipe off and will try it. Our Thanksgiving has passed so I may have to save it for Christmas!

We like the green bean casserole, but only with Campbell's mushroom soup. My MIL put in a no name soup once and it was disgusting!

Have a good trip!

Jodee said...

I will definitely pass this along to Chef Daddy. He loves to try new recipes! We also love the Food Network Channel at our house.

You are never going to believe this -- but I don't like any traditional Thanksgiving food. I don't even like pumpkin pie! What is wrong with me? It's ham and potatoes for me and apple pie for dessert!

Unknown said...

Oh, thank you for sharing! I need to take a dish like this to Thanksgiving! Hope you are having a wonderful week filled with blessings!

Buzzings of a Queen Bee! said...

Wow, I am going to have to remember this one Lisa! It looks fantastic! For me, the dish I can't live without is my great-grandmother's stuffing. She has been gone a long time but we have to have it on the table! No one who has married into the family likes it, but those of us who grew up with it are addicted! Not sure if that's a good or bad thing...
Carrie

Candy said...

I'm definitely going to have to add this to my Thanksgiving dinner. My favorite this time of year is Apple Pomegranate Crisp. I've made it 4 times in 10 days!

Bridget said...

I love the food network as well! I have made that same turkey and it is sooo good! He also does another version of it with bacon and maple syrup - yum! Thanks for sharing your recipes - I am going to shake it up a bit this year as well! Hope you are having a great week!

Monogramchick said...

Dear me! I am going to have to try this recipe...but I don't think I can wait until Thanksgiving, it will have to make an appearance on my table in the next week--two of my favorite things: bananas and sweet potatoes.

Sweet potatoe casserole is a staple on our Thanksgiving table (not the kind with marshmallows, but rather the yummy nutty, sugary topping) as well as sour cream biscuits and broccoli & onion casserole--yummy!

Thanks for sharing this recipe, I am going to add it to my recipe box!

Monogramchick said...

I'm not Dan Quayle, I can spell POTATO :)

Lisa said...

Yummy!! I'm going to my brother and sister-in-laws for Thanksgiving this year. I'm hoping she'll let me bring something and I'm going to volunteer for the sweet potato's--your recipe~thanks for sharing!!! You are so talented! You should have your own show on the cooking channel!

Gail said...

Going to be trying that recipe, we are traveling to my parents this year for Thanksgiving and I love to try something new. Sounds wonderful and my stomach growled loudly reading the recipe. :)

Love the pic of your beautiful girl in her pretty dress. Grace has one very similar.

Shell in your Pocket said...

Wow..that looks yummy! We always have this cauliflower and bacon layered salad!

We also have kielbasa...butterscotch pie! Don't you love Thanksgiving? I love the sounds, smells and just everything...one of my favorite times!
-sandy toes

Chasing Dreams Photography said...

Mnnnnn yum!!!! I will have to try this. I love new recipes too but I have 4 boys that would die if I changed anything. Why are they so anal?
Love Sarah's dress...I love Matilda Jane. The girls have several of her knot jumper's...that Sarah is a cutie!!! I love the food network. My son Chris watches the food network too. He loves Emeril LOL I am going to be posting a taco soup later this week...

Jenni said...

Hi there!
I have seen your comments on Our Family, and thought I'd say hello! Your recipe looks/sounds absolutely delicious! Our must-have food is a little like this one of yours. It is called sweet potato casserole, although I renamed it sweet potato pie, and it is so good. It really is a lot like a dessert (really sweet), but can you really have too many desserts? Nah...

I totally agree about taking pics of food! It IS a lot more difficult! I think your pictures of the food look wonderful though! :) Have a great night!

Kayce said...

OHHH yum! That recipe looks sooooo good! I love to do different things at Thanksgiving and I'm going to try this one this year. Thanks Lisa!

ZONE F DG TEAM said...

That definitely is a spin on different. I would NEVER of thought to put those ingredients together, but if it worksWHY NOT?!?

I'll have to give it a whirl.

Shelly and Family said...

You have to mix it up every now and than with a classic lol (OK...some classic should not be messed with but TGD...that one is perfectly fine). I am starting this year...changing things up too...with making & adding my Roasted Tomatoes to the list of foods and making an Ice- Cream pie (because it is the girls' favorite) instead of a Pumpkin (I am making some pumkin muffins instead). We love them so and it is a family favorite (and with the tomatoes I get to add a little bit of the Italian to an American meal).
Anyway, the recipe looks great and you have now made me hungry...

Jboo said...

Love the photo of sweet Sarah!! Your food sounds and looks yummy!! I like watching Giada and Top Chef. One thing I always bring at Thanksgiving is Fudge!! And I have a great recipe for a Vanilla/Chocolate (flourless) cake -- like a cheesecake -- but not so gooey! Now, I'm hungry -- off to find some chocolate! Have a good Wednesday!
Janet

Pixel Fairy Princess said...

Have I ever told you how absolutely classy I think you are :D
That was such a simple post - but said so much! I know I don't comment often enough - but thank you for being so open and sharing - I really enjoyed read this today!
Ladybug hugs,
;D

Lucy said...

Oh my! That looks fabulous, I'm definately making that one!!!
We too love the Food Network, some may say I'm a little obsessed with food, recipes, cooking, & eating but it does make life wonderful doesn't it? No definate favs in our house, I like to change it up year after year if I get to do the cooking. I have a pumpkin pecan pie recipe from William Son. that I love though.
Thanks for sharing! I love reading your blog, you always have such great posts. Your house looks beautiful by the way!
Lucy
P.S. Thanks for your sweet congrats on our blog.

Michelle R Photography said...

Mmmmmmm... That sounds yummy!! We host Thanksgiving at our house -about 25 people. I cook the turkey and ham and a few appetizers and everyone has to bring a side dish or dessert. It's four days after I get back from vacation, so I'm glad I don't have to do much more than that this year. I couldn't handle it if I had to make everything. Thanks for sharing your family favorite!

3 Peanuts said...

Oh that looks so delicious! I have done the exact same thing before (changed it all up with FN celerity ideas!). So fun!


Kim

Ivy Shaffer said...

Yummy, thanks for the recipe! Can your daughter get any cuter? Simply beautiful photography.

Hugs,

Ivy

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Lisa,

I believe that I will be adding this recipe to our Thanksgiving dinner! Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to try it out. If you don't mind me asking, what is Nana's potato filling? Sounds scrumptious, I just love anything with potatoes (except the calories, of course!)

Have a great day!

Dawn
ps. That was me that deleted the above comment. I had spelled potato wrong and didn't realize it until after I posted it! :)

M,R,J1,J2 said...

I have to ask Richard to make the "Whipped Sweet Potatoes and Bananas with Honey"-he's the cook (I only eat and drink). It sounds yummy!
We have a small (and stone age old)receipe book, more like a booklet really, with pie receipes and each year we make a different one. I use the term "we" loosely :-)So far, my favorite's are the "Black Bottom Pie" and "The Kentucky Bourbon Pie".
We cook the traditional Thanksgiving meal (here I go again with the "we"-LOL), but our Thanksgiving tradition is having dinner at "The Brown Derby" at WDW.
When we get home at night we eat Turkey sandwiches and desert while watching the infamous N@tional L@mpoons Christm@s V@cation (gotta love cousin Eddy!).
Hugs,
Michaela

Polar Bear said...

At first glance I thought banana in sweet potato - hmmmm... don't think so. BUT!
After reading the full recipe I am going to give this a try. Thanks!

To me it is Thanksgiving when my makes the dressing. She tried for years and years to perfect my grandma's recipe (her mother-in-law) and now she has it. Every Thanksgiving my dad would give a comment about how it was this or it was that, but not quite like "Mom's". I think it is more the tradition than the actual dish. :) That's why I LOVE this time of year.

Laura said...

YUMMY!! do you have three extra seats???

Kam said...

That looks divine! Yummy! Will have to try it this year! How fun...a new Thanksgiving recipe!! Thanks so much for sharing and I second your comment...my daughter LOVES that channel as well and is constantly coming up with new dishes. One of which we are making tonight that has become a family favorite!
Have a great week!

Our Complete Family said...

Oh yummo! I am so making this this year. I was just thinking of things that are different and wanted to bust out of my shell this year, too! A standard in our house has to be from good old southern mac-n-cheese and mashed potatoes with all the yummy sour cream and cream cheese in them! Bryce would be so mad if we left those out! Thanks for sharing Lisa! The photos are great, too!
Happy 1/2 way through the week day to you hun~ Les

OHmommy said...

Where did you get that dress? It is the sweetest thing ever Lisa.

BTW, your house looks so great in the previous post. Nice taste!

Briana's Mom said...

First, your house looks GORGEOUS!!!

The recipe sounds so yummy. Hmmm, puts my green bean casserole to shame. ;)

Belinda said...

Lisa,
that sounds yummy! Sarah looks beautiful in that picture. Hope you are having a great week.. are you in TN?
Belinda

Robin said...

That looks so yummy!! Since we are having Thanksgiving at our house this year I just might try that!!!


Blessings,
Robin

CC said...

Lovely picture!

I make a "sweet potato souffle" that seems similar. I love it.

BTW, we have nothing going on for Thanksgiving. Can I come over? ;)

Sandra Evertson said...

Looks yummy! Thank you!
Sandra Evertson

Jo said...

Lisa,
I just read your comment on my blog, thanks for stopping by. I lost my mother to ovarian cancer 14years ago. It's a daily reminder to keep by health in check. We'll have to chat some time. My email is posted on my blog if you're interested.

Enjoy your evening,
Jo

Deb said...

What did you say your address was?
LOL!


Sweet Potatoes and bananas.....hummmpf...worth a try. Why not!

One thing I like to make during the holidays is bacon wrapped red/green cherries and pinapple, they are REALLY good. I wrap em, put a tooth pick threw em and put them on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 45 min. They go pretty quick! We called them Chinapples last year when a friend went to say are you bringing cherry/pinapple wraps but had a slip of the toung ;O) and called the Chinapples!

Denise C said...

OH yummo!!! I am booking my flight right now...and I'll be sitting at YOUR table for Thanksgiving!!! hee-hee!

Ashley Winters said...

Yum, I agree with the other posters. That recipe looks heavenly, and your home is so beautifully decorated.

Anonymous said...

This looks and sounds SO AMAZING!!!!!! You have inspired me to think outside the box this holiday season and come up with a new special dish or two.

Thanks for being my mentor!!! I will be sure to let you know what i come up with~

Aleta said...

Oh yum - what a delightful dish. I like the idea of changing things up from the tradition. The only traditional things I can think of are the Sweet Potato Crunch and the Green Bean Casserole - both of which are my Mom's recipes that I must make for every Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.

Aspiemom said...

That picture of your daughter is just beautiful! It looks like it should be in a magazine. Love the dress, too.

As for your food pictures, I think you do a great job with them. Now, my food pics are like a preschoolers drawing!

Jennifer said...

Sounds great and looks delicious!!! I am going to try that recipe!

Jen

Sharon said...

Love the Matilda Jane and the recipe sounds awesome. I can't wait to try it. I love making sweet potatoes and make them year round!

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