JENNIFER ALEXANDER RUPLE

Every family has favorite Thanksgiving side dishes. Oftentimes they’re handed down from generations past and leaving them off the menu is just non-negotiable. Then there are those new dishes that sneak into your holiday and push their way to the buffet. Some of those dishes make it back the next year and others, never thought of again. Pecan Crunch Baked Sweet Potatoes and Cornbread Chorizo Dressing are two of dishes that survived and made it to the “most requested” list. Both recipes can be made ahead and deserve a comeback in my column this week. Happy Thanksgiving from my kitchen to yours.

Pecan Crunch Baked Sweet Potatoes
This festive side dish is comprised of a smooth and creamy sweet potato layer and finished with a buttery-nutty topping. People have commented that it could double as a dessert. It’s a tried and true favorite and always a winning addition to the buffet.

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
¾ cup sugar
½ cup milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup flour
½ cup milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350 F.

Cut sweet potatoes into large chunks. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully add sweet potato pieces. Cook until soft, about 20- 25 minutes. Drain and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Remove skins from cooked sweet potatoes. Place potatoes in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until potatoes begin to break down. Add sugar, milk, butter, eggs and vanilla and mix until thoroughly until smooth.

Pour mixture into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine topping ingredients. Pour evenly over casserole.

Bake for 30 – 40 minutes.

Cornbread Chorizo Dressing
The delicious combination of sweet cornbread, spicy chorizo sausage and herbs makes this stuffing disappear quickly. Created by four-time James Beard winning author, Cheryl Alters Jamison, the recipe appeared in New Mexico Magazine in 2013.

¾ pound French bread, torn in bite-size pieces
8 ounces bulk chorizo sausage
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 heaping cups chopped onions or leeks
2 heaping cups celery, thinly sliced
1 – 1½ tablespoons crumbled dried sage
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8-inch-square pan of cornbread (made from a 15-ounce package of cornbread mix, if you wish), crumbled coarsely
3 – 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
4 large eggs
 ½ teaspoon baking powder

Heat oven to 375° F. Place French bread pieces on baking sheet and toast in oven about 10 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Set aside to cool, then dump into large bowl.

Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish several inches deep.

Over medium heat, sauté chorizo in large skillet, breaking it into small bits with spatula as you cook, until well browned. Drain off and discard excess fat. Add butter to chorizo in same skillet and melt over medium heat. Stir in onions and celery and sauté until very soft, about 7 minutes. Add sage, thyme, salt, and pepper, and scrape into bowl of toasted bread pieces. Add cornbread crumbles. Pour in stock a cup at a time and mix until bread is very moist but not soupy. You will probably use 2 to 3 cups of stock.

Cover and refrigerate dressing until you are ready to proceed with it. (Up to this point, dressing can be made a day ahead.)

Taste and adjust seasoning if you wish, or add a bit more stock if mixture seems dry. Whisk eggs and baking powder together and mix into dressing.

Spoon dressing into baking dish, leaving it somewhat uneven on top, so that it will get extra crunchy in some spots.

Cover and bake 25 minutes. Uncover and continue baking about 20 additional minutes, until lightly browned and crusty on top.