A carrot casserole recipe has been requested by a reader. I’ve never had carrot casserole, but it sounded intriguing. I researched several recipe options and settled on two. The first is made with apples, carrots and a brown sugar-crumble topping.

Apple Carrot Casserole
from TLC Cooking
6 carrots sliced
4 apples peeled cored and sliced
1⁄4 cup flour
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1⁄2 tsp. nutmeg
1 Tbsp. butter
1⁄2 cup orange juice
1⁄2 tsp. salt

I didn’t have orange juice, but I found a very small bag of frozen peaches – about a third of a cup. I heated them with 1⁄2 cup wine in a small sauce pan. I added a pinch each of dried tarragon leaves, ground turmeric, cayenne pepper and salt. I let this simmer and reduce down until the liquid cooked off.

Then I prepared the carrots and brought them to a boil with just enough water to cover. Once fork-tender, I removed from heat. Layer half the sliced apples on the bottom of a baking dish. Using a slotted spoon, layer half the carrots. Finish by layering the remaining apples and carrots. I reserved about 8 apple slices and arranged them in a spiral pattern on the top.
I added the leftover cooking water from the carrots to the peach mixture and pureed it. Then pour over the carrots and apples – again this was substituted for the orange juice.

Make a crumble by combining the flour, brown sugar, nutmeg, and butter – I also added a quarter cup of bread crumbs. Sprinkle it on top and add salt lightly. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 40 minutes.

I served it piping hot from the oven. The crumble was light and buttery, and there was a hint of sweetness from the natural sugars in the apples and carrots. Actually, this is not a dessert. However served with a scoop of ice cream, it is heavenly.

The other carrot casserole is creamy and cheesy. The ingredients are listed below. As usual ,since I consider all recipes to be guidelines, I’ve documented my alterations.

Creamy Cheesy Carrot Casserole
from Taste of Home
3 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
1⁄4 cup butter
1⁄4 cup flour
2 cups Half & Half
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. onion powder
1-1/4 tsp. dried mustard
1⁄4 tsp. pepper
1⁄4 tsp. celery salt
6-7 slices bread
8 oz. sharp cheddar
3 tbsp. butter

Start by peeling and slicing the carrots. I decided to also julienne one onion and mince 2 garlic cloves. Sauté the onions in butter. When nicely browned, add the garlic and flour. Stir until incorporated. Then add Half & Half, salt, onion powder, dry mustard, pepper and celery salt. I certainly didn’t measure the dry ingredients – I added what I liked, but that’s up to you. Continue to stir until the consistency is that of gravy. You have just made a béchamel sauce. (You don’t need canned creamed soup!)

Toast 6-7 slices of bread and cut into cubes. Sauté in butter until golden brown. Place sliced carrots in a 9×13″ baking dish. Cover with béchamel sauce, cheddar cheese and toasted bread crumbs.

Bake covered in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes and uncovered for 15 more minutes. Yum!

The weekend after Thanksgiving Day, we continued feasting with more family in Arlington. Since I wasn’t hosting, I brought two side dishes to go with the traditional turkey dinner. I made scalloped red and sweet potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts.

For the scalloped potatoes, begin by cleaning about 3 lbs. of red potatoes. Leaving the skin on, cut them into 1⁄4-inch slices. Peel about 3 lbs. of sweet potatoes and cut them into 1⁄4-inch slices. Bring 6 cups of whole milk, 2 cups of Half&Half, 3 minced garlic cloves, a dash of nutmeg and pepper, 1 tsp. each of dried thyme and salt to a simmer in a large shallow pan.

When the milk is almost boiling, layer in potato slices until just covered by the liquid. Gently simmer the potatoes for 8 minutes. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon to cool slightly. I cooked three batches and added more milk as necessary. While the potatoes were cooking, I shredded a lb. of Swiss cheese.

Prepare a 9×13″ baking dish with cooking spray and spoon a quarter of the pan liquid into the dish. Then partially overlapping, cover the bottom of the dish with 1/3 of the potatoes using a mix of sweet and red. Scatter 1/3 of the Swiss cheese over the top. Make two more layers. I sprinkled Parmesan cheese and dried parsley on top of the final layer.

With the dish on a cookie sheet – to catch any spills –place in a 375-degree oven. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes. The top should be golden brown and the sides bubbly. Let sit at least 5 minutes before serving.

I love Brussels sprouts and find that if roasted with bacon and garlic, just about everyone else does too. Begin by browning bacon pieces in an iron skillet. Chop and add a large onion to the skillet. Add 2 lbs. cleaned and trimmed Brussels sprouts. Add 2 Tbsp. olive oil, salt, pepper and the juice of 1⁄2 lemon. Stir all to coat then pour onto a sheet pan and place on the top rack of a 350-degree oven. Cook for about 20 minutes. Stir the sprouts and cook for 10 more minutes.

Meanwhile, lightly toast 1⁄2 cup pine nuts in a skillet. Watch closely or they’ll burn. I also wash about a dozen button mushroom. Yes, I wash mushrooms quickly in cold water and set them stem side down to dry so water doesn’t collect in the caps.

Then quarter and brown the mushrooms in the skillet. Avoid the urge to stir them. After a couple of minutes, gently turn to cook each side. Stirring mushrooms makes them sweat and turn an unappetizing grey.

When the sprouts are done, scoop them into a serving dish and toss with the mushrooms, 1⁄2 cup Parmesan cheese and the toasted pine nuts.

While not exactly quick and simple, I can guarantee sides like these will compliment a main dish and enhance a special dinner.

Traveling and attending events during the holidays can make it hard to sit down to a normal family meal. Not only that, but when visiting and having meals with extended family, it’s easy to eat too much rich wonderful food. Often when I know we’ll be having a big dinner, we eat a late breakfast/early lunch – brunch. Last Saturday I made potato pancakes with sausage, gravy and kale Caesar salad for brunch.

If you search for kale on the Internet, you’ll find it provides numerous health benefits. I like the taste and that it holds up well when cooked, but most importantly it grows in my garden year round. I gathered, cleaned and chopped the kale into bite-sized pieces. I made a Caesar-type dressing with ½ cup olive oil, 1 smashed clove garlic, 2 anchovy fillets, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Using my immersion blender in a cup, I puréed the ingredients to make a smooth dressing.

Drizzle half the dressing over cubed crusty bread and bake in a 450-degree oven for a couple of minutes until browned. Toss the rest of the dressing with the kale and spread it over another baking sheet. Bake the kale for 6-8 minutes stirring occasionally. Don’t let it burn. Combine the kale and croutons in a bowl and sprinkle with grated parmesan and lemon juice. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the meal.

I seared the un-cooked sausage links on all sides and then turned the heat down and added a cup of chicken stock. Put a lid on the skillet and let the sausages cook through – depending on the size, about 20 minutes.

The potato pancakes were quick and easy. I grated 6 small red potatoes (skins on) with a box grater and dried them on paper towels. Then combine with 1 egg, ½ of a finely chopped onion, about 1 tablespoon each of flour and bread crumbs, and season with parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. By now the sausage should be done, so remove it from the skillet and reserve any liquid.

Heat a small amount of oil in the skillet and then drop 3-4 balls of the potato mixture in the skillet – be careful not to crowd. I ended up cooking three batches. Use a spatula to flatten the potato balls forming a pancake. Cook on each side for 5 minutes or until crispy and nicely browned.

For simple gravy in the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter and stir in 2 tablespoons of flour. Cook the flour until it turns a light brown and then add the reserved sausage liquid while stirring. Continue to stir and add milk or half-and-half. When a gravy forms, add salt and pepper to taste. Or for a lighter option, serve applesauce instead of gravy.