Team Biaggi's Favorite Holiday Recipes

SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE  

Serves 8-10 

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled, and cut into cubes 
• 2 large eggs 
• ¾ cup finely packed brown sugar - divided 
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melter - divided
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• ½ cup orange juice 
• 1 cup pecan halves 
• Mini marshmallows 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375°
• In a large saucepan over high heat, bring the potatoes, and enough water to cover, to boil. When boiling, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes. 
• Drain 
• In a large bowl, beat the potatoes with an electric mixer until they are smooth.
• Beat in the eggs, ¼ cup of brown sugar, ¼ cup of the butter, salt, and cinnamon. 
• Beginning with ¼ cup orange juice, add to make the mixture moist and fluffy.
• Put mixture into a 2-3 quart baking dish. Make sure the top layer is smooth. 
• Arrange the pecan halves over the top. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of brown sugar over the pecans, and remaining ¼ cup of melted butter. 
• Bake 25-30 minutes or until top is bubbly. Add marshmallows at the end and bake until brown.

OPEN FACE APPLE PIE

Ingredients:

• pie crust ingredients (ingredients and recipe found here)
• 2 lbs of apples
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbs unsalted butter
• 3 tbs apricot or quince preserves

Directions:

• Follow these directions for a flakey pie crust. Roll out the dough to fit a 9″ or 10″ pie pan. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 425°.
• Peel the apples. Cut them in half and use a melon baller to scoop out the cores.
• With the cut side down, cut the apples into 1/8″ slices and place them in a large bowl.
• Add sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and lemon juice and use your hands to gently toss and coat the apples.
• Allow the apples to macerate for 30-40 minutes.
• Drain the apples through a sieve, reserving the liquid.
• Simmer the liquid with the 2 tbs of butter until it’s reduced to at least half to thicker consistency.
• Meanwhile, overlap the slices in the pie shell, starting from the outside edge and spiraling towards the center.
• Once you’re done, insert apple slices into any gaps with the tip of a knife. The slices should be packed rather tightly in the pie shell.
• Pour half of the reduced liquid over the apples. Dissolve the preserves to the remaining liquid and keep warm.
• Cover the pie with foil and steam vents and bake for 30-40 minutes until the apples are tender.
• Remove the foil and brush the top of the pie for the preserve mixture. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the pie is bubbling.
• Allow to cool and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

WILD RICE & MUSHROOM STUFFING (VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE)

Ingrediants:

• 1 cup brown & wild rice blend
• 2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion , chopped
• 3 celery stalks , chopped
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 8 ounces mushrooms , sliced
• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped sage
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 apple , cored and diced (optional)
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries (optional)
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

• Combine the rice and vegetable broth in a large saucepan, bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cover for 35-40 minutes, cooking until the broth is completely absorbed. (Alternatively, you can use half the broth and cook the rice blend in the Instant Pot at high pressure for 25 minutes, with a 10 minute natural release.)
• While the rice is cooking, melt the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat and saute the onion and celery until tender, about 8 minutes. Add in the garlic, mushrooms, sage, thyme, and salt, and saute another 8 to 10 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender.
• Combine the cooked rice and mushroom mixture, and stir in the apple, cranberries, and pecans, if using. Adjust any seasoning to taste, and serve warm.
• Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

WHOLE ROASTED CALIFLOWER

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp tahini, see notes
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 large head of cauliflower 

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF or 180ºC.
• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl (except the cauliflower) until well combined.
• Trim the base of the cauliflower to remove any green leaves and the woody stem.
• Rub the marinade all over the cauliflower, then place onto a lined baking sheet and bake for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown. I don’t like my cauliflower super soft, just al dente, so feel free to bake it longer if you want.
• Remove from the oven and allow to slightly cool before serving. I added some chopped cauliflower on top, but it’s totally optional.
• Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.

VEGAN SHEPARD'S PIE

Ingredients:

FILLING

• 1 medium onion (diced)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown or green lentils (rinsed and drained)
• 4 cups vegetable stock (DIY or store-bought)
• 2 tsp fresh thyme (or sub 1 tsp dried thyme per 2 tsp fresh)
• 1 10-ounce bag frozen mixed veggies: peas, carrots, green beans, and corn

MASHED POTATOES

• 3 pounds yukon gold potatoes, partially peeled (thoroughly washed)
• 3-4 Tbsp vegan butter
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:

• Slice any large potatoes in half, place in a large pot and fill with water until they’re just covered. Bring to a low boil on medium high heat, then generously salt, cover and cook for 20-30 minutes or until they slide off a knife very easily.
• Once cooked, drain, add back to the pot to evaporate any remaining water, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Use a masher, pastry cutter or large fork to mash until smooth. Add desired amount of vegan butter (3-4 Tbsp as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size), and season with salt and pepper to taste. Loosely cover and set aside.
• While potatoes are cooking, preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 C) and lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish (or comparable sized dish, such as 9×13 pan. An 8×8 won’t fit it all but close! // as original recipe is written // adjust number or size of dish if altering batch size).
• In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté onions and garlic in 1 Tbsp olive oil (amounts as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) until lightly browned and caramelized – about 5 minutes.
• Add a pinch each salt and pepper. Then add lentils, stock, and thyme and stir. Bring to a low boil. Then reduce heat to simmer. Continue cooking until lentils are tender (35-40 minutes).
• In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the frozen veggies, stir, and cover to meld the flavors together.
• OPTIONAL: To thicken the mixture, add 2-3 Tbsp (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) mashed potatoes and stir. Alternatively, scoop out 1/2 of the mixture and whisk in 2 Tbsp (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) cornstarch or arrowroot powder and whisk. Return to the pan and whisk to thicken.
• Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Then transfer to your prepared oven-safe baking dish and carefully top with mashed potatoes. Smooth down with a spoon or fork and season with another crack of pepper and a little sea salt.
• Place on a baking sheet to catch overflow and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the mashers are lightly browned on top.
• Let cool briefly before serving. The longer it sits, the more it will thicken. Let cool completely before covering, and then store in the fridge for up to a few days. Reheats well in the microwave.