Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

Sweet potatoes, celery, and onions are roasted and tossed with grapes, carrots, and pecans to create a delicious autumn or winter side dish.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

There’s been a shakeup at our Thanksgiving tables this year. According to the good folks at Campbell’s, sweet potatoes been nudged off the top-three-favorite side dishes list. Displaced by mac and cheese, sweet potatoes, at No. 4, remain a staple at many holiday buffets.

In its State of the Sides report, Campbell’s reported that 67 percent of Americans prefer side dishes over main courses. More than half of us would be happy with just a plate filled with Thanksgiving sides. That’s a lot of casseroles.

Does anyone else struggle to keep side dishes warm prior to serving? Figuring out the oven space is as difficult as a Kansas City Chief’s play on the field. Well, I have a recipe for you that features one of our favorites—sweet potatoes—but it’s served at room temperature. Roasted Sweet Potato Salad that includes roasted celery and onions can be baked early in the morning or the night before. Shredded carrots, sweet red grapes, crunch pecans and tangy goat cheese round out this dish. Garnish with celery leaves and drizzle with a balanced maple and balsamic vinaigrette. So good! Let’s get cooking.

To make my Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette, which yields 6 servings, you’ll need these ingredients:

• 3 large sweet potatoes

• 1 white onion

• 4 stalks celery

• ¼ cup pecan halves

• 3 ounces goat cheese

• 12 red seedless grapes

• ½ cup shredded carrot

• 1 teaspoon garam masala

• 1 teaspoons salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the dressing:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

• ½ teaspoon maple syrup

• Salt and pepper to taste

Alright, at first glance, these ingredients may seem weird. “Are you roasting celery?” might be on your lips now. And why garam masala; what even is garam masala? Let’s unpack this for a minute.

Regarding the celery, we’re trading texture for taste. While raw celery has a powerful crunch, it’s void of flavor. Roasting the celery brings flavor to this vegetable and balances the onion. And about the garam masala; this spice blend that’s used in certain Indian cuisine literally translates to “warming spices.” But if you don’t have it in your pantry, you can mix cinnamon, coriander, cumin, and pepper (equal pinches to create 1 teaspoon).

Directions to make Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Preheat oven to 410 degrees F. Peel and cut potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Peel and chop onion about the same size as potatoes. Wash and cut celery into 1- to 1½-inch pieces.

Place vegetables on a sheet pan lined with parchment and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with garam masala, salt, and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes. Allow to cool.

While vegetables are in the oven, wash grapes and slice in half vertically. Crumble the goat cheese.

To make the dressing, whisk ingredients together until emulsified.

To assemble the salad, place roasted vegetables in a large bowl and add grapes, pecans, and carrots. Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle cheese over mixture and drizzle dressing. Garnish with celery leaves.

Sweet potato or yam?

We may hear the names mixed interchangeably but these are separate vegetables. According to food writer Margaret Eby, yams are starchy and have a brown exterior. Sweet potatoes are a “new world” vegetable and have a darker interior with reddish skin. Check here to read Eby's story about the history of yams versus sweet potatoes.

About the blog

Three Women in the Kitchen is an award-winning food blog offering today’s home cooks comforting, hearty recipes with a personal touch. The website also pays tribute to Deborah’s mother, Katie Reinhardt, and paternal grandmother, Dorothy Reinhardt (the “three women” in the kitchen). Whether you’re an experienced or a novice cook, you’ll find inspiration here to feed your families and warm your heart. Subscribe today so you won’t miss a single delicious detail.

Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

A familiar side dish of spuds gets a spicy kick from prepared horseradish and sour cream.

Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

Forget politics. The American people have spoken on a topic of much greater: Thanksgiving side dishes. According to the good folks at Campbell’s, mashed potatoes have toppled stuffing/dressing as the No. 1 holiday side dish.

In its State of the Sides report, Campbell’s breaks down our preferences by state. Missouri, for example, is solidly macaroni and cheese for the best side dish, but our next-door neighbors in Illinois are a cross between mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. What’s your favorite Thanksgiving side dish? Leave a comment below.

Your favorite may soon be these Horseradish Mashed Potatoes, a recipe courtesy of Family Features. I’ve stirred sour cream into mashed taters but never thought of adding prepared horseradish. What a brilliant way to wake up a—dare I say old—holiday staple. These spicy spuds would work well alongside almost any main dish, including my Best Bottom Round Roast. Let’s get cooking.

To make Horseradish Mashed Potatoes, which yields 4 to 6 servings, you’ll need these ingredients:

• 2 quarts water

• 1¼ teaspoons salt, divided

• 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and halved

• 1 stick of unsalted butter, cut into 8 slices, divided

• 16 ounces sour cream

• ¼ cup prepared horseradish, squeezed of moisture

• ½ teaspoon pepper

• ¼ cup chopped chives, plus additional for topping

Directions to make Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

In a 4-quart pot, bring water and 1 teaspoon salt to boil. Add potatoes and boil 15 to 20 minutes (until fork-tender). Reserve ½ cup liquid.

Drain potatoes and place in bowl. Add six slices of butter and mash potatoes to a chunky consistency.

In medium bowl, whisk together sour cream, horseradish, remaining salt, pepper, and chives. Add mixture to mashed potatoes. Add reserved water. Mash to combine.

Transfer to serving bowl and top with remaining butter pieces and additional chives.

Tips for perfect mashed potatoes

The key is to start with a starchy potato, such as Yukon Gold or russet. Avoid red-skinned potatoes as those are too waxy to mash.

Potatoes need salt at each stage. First, salt the water in which they will boil. Taste after initial mash and salt. I will taste the final product and add salt if necessary.

Don’t cut the potatoes too small prior to boiling as they will absorb too much water while cooking which changes the dish’s texture.

Mashed versus whipped is a common question. Mashed potatoes are chunkier, more rustic, when finished. Often made using a hand masher, you also can quickly mix mashed potatoes with a hand-mixer until they start to get smooth. Be careful not to overwork the potatoes’ starch; this causes a gummy texture.

Whipped potatoes are velvety smooth. This is achieved by running the cooked potatoes through a ricer to create fluffy potatoes and adding warm milk and room-temperature butter to the mixture before whipping with a hand mixer.

How to freeze leftover mashed potatoes

Be sure potatoes have cooled before adding to a freezer-safe container with an air-tight lid. They will stay in the freezer up to two months.

About the blog

Three Women in the Kitchen is an award-winning food blog offering today’s home cooks comforting, hearty recipes with a personal touch. The website also pays tribute to Deborah’s mother, Katie Reinhardt, and paternal grandmother, Dorothy Reinhardt (the “three women” in the kitchen). Whether you’re an experienced or a novice cook, you’ll find inspiration here to feed your families and warm your heart. Subscribe today so you won’t miss a single delicious detail.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Sweet autumn squash is the star to this creamy, dairy-free recipe.

Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

My Toast to Roasts closes out with an easy, inexpensive, and budget-friendly recipe. Roasted Butternut Squash Soup is everything you could want in a comforting bowl. It also would make a wonderful first course for your Thanksgiving feast.

I grew up with vegetables on my dinner plate. Mom and Grandma, who believed in the three square meals per day mantra, made certain dinner had a protein, starch, vegetable or a salad. However, the vegetables often were steamed, canned, or lost in a creamy casserole.

In addition to carrots, vegetables to roast include Brussel sprouts, beets, tomatoes (it makes the best pasta sauce), broccoli, cauliflower—well, you get the idea. And winter squash—although technically a fruit—was made for the oven; roasted butternut squash is divine. The squash’s sugars caramelize while roasting, which intensifies the flavor. Another plus to this recipe is there’s no need to break down the raw squash, which can be a real challenge if you’ve never done that.

The natural starches in butternut squash will create a beautiful, creamy consistency when blended right before serving. You’d swear there was milk or cream in this recipe, but there isn’t. It’s also a perfect vegan dish because the veggies simmer in vegetable broth. If you’re not vegan, you could use butter instead of olive oil when softening the soup’s mirepoix. Let’s get cooking!

To make my Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, which yields 8 servings, you’ll need these ingredients:

• 1 medium butternut squash

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• ½ cup yellow onion, diced

• ¼ cup celery, diced

• ¼ cup carrots, diced

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon yellow curry powder

• 1 teaspoon brown sugar

• 3 cups vegetable stock

• ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes

Before placing the squash into your oven, make several small slits all around to help it cook evenly.

Directions for making Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the whole, raw squash on a foil-lined baking sheet. Carefully prick squash several times all around with tip of sharp knife. This helps the squash to cook more evenly. Roast at least 45 minutes up to one hour (depending on size of squash). You’ll want a knife to easily slide into the squash when it’s finished.

When the squash is done, allow it to cool about 15 minutes so you can easily handle it. Cut the squash in half lengthwise down the middle. You’ll see the seeds and membranes need to be removed, which you can easily do with a spoon. Some folks like to wash, dry, and toast the seeds.

Then, using the same spoon, scoop the baked squash off the vegetable’s outer skin and put into a bowl. Set aside.

Bring a Dutch oven up to medium-high heat on our stovetop. Add olive oil, onion, celery, and carrots. Sprinkle with salt. Cook until onions are translucent; you’re now browning these vegetables, just softening them.

Turn heat to medium and stir in the curry powder and brown sugar until mixture is completely coated. Add vegetable stock. Stir to combine.

Add cooked squash and red chili flakes. Simmer 20 minutes and remove from heat to cool.

Using an immersion tool or a standing blender, puree the soup until creamy. Serve while warm.

Tips to safely blend hot liquid

When using a blender to puree soup, remember hot liquid will expand quickly, potentially spewing hot soup all over your kitchen! The trick is to only fill the blender no more than half full. Make sure the lid is securely on. Some folks like to take the insert of the rubber top out and put a thick towel over the lid.

Start on low and before turning up to pureeing speed. Transfer the blended soup to a clean bowl for serving. Repeat this process until all the soup has been beautifully blended into creamy, delicious bowls of love.

Make it pretty

Here are a few garnishing ideas for my Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

• Lightly toast pepitas in a skillet over low heat. Sprinkle with salt. Add a pinch of pepitas to the soup right before serving.

• A light swirl of tangy plain yogurt or sour cream would balance the soup’s richness.

• A simple sprig of fresh herbs (parsley, tarragon, thyme) is beautiful.

• Squash and apples are best friends. A thin slice of your favorite apple would present well as a garnish.

About the blog

Three Women in the Kitchen is an award-winning food blog offering today’s home cooks comforting, hearty recipes with a personal touch. The website also pays tribute to Deborah’s mother, Katie Reinhardt, and paternal grandmother, Dorothy Reinhardt (the “three women” in the kitchen). Whether you’re an experienced or a novice cook, you’ll find inspiration here to feed your families and warm your heart. Subscribe today so you won’t miss a single delicious detail.