A #yycMNSC Thanksgiving & Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Maple Spiced Pecans

Holiday Monday = No kickboxing class = #yycMNSC Thanksgiving Potluck!

  
I had read many of the delicious goings-on on Dan's blog of previous Monday Night Supper Clubs, and was looking forward to my second #yycMNSC (and my first-ever Monday Night Supper Club potluck!)

Of course, the spread did not disappoint - Dan made the centrepiece, a turducken that Co-Op gave him for his birthday (cooked in a slow cooker as per Julie!), as well as an acorn squash salad with a matching squash-based salad dressing. There were green beans (but no Brussels sprouts - boo!), a cheesy and gooey onion casserole, a rich pumpkin risotto and some *killer* stuffing courtesy of Sarah.

Chelsea brought tofurkey! It was surprisingly delicious.


While my two previous Thanksgiving dinners that weekend (yes, I had three Thanksgiving dinners!) only had one dessert each (though B.'s cousin's fiancé's decadent Oreo Cheesecake is probably worth 5 million), I satisfied my sweet tooth with THREE pies at Dan's. Ksenia brought a delightfully messy bumbleberry pie, while Jacinthe made the other two pies. One was a pumpkin pie made entirely from scratch (including steaming the pumpkins) while the other was a sweet-tart pear cranberry pie. She also brought some of her pickles she had canned earlier this year for the cheese plate - they were good, and this is coming from a non-pickle person!

  
Please excuse the POS cellphone pics
For my contribution, there were GIANT (literally 2 lb each) sweet potatoes on sale at Superstore, so I bought a few for my Thanksgiving dinner (there is still a big bowl of leftover mashed sweet potatoes in the fridge because I forgot Mama T doesn't like cinnamon! Worst daughter ever), for B.'s family's Thanksgiving dinner (which were ultimately unused because we were told not to bring anything - I felt so guilty! But there ended up being way too much food anyway) and for the potluck. I thought mashed sweet potatoes would be too run-of-the-mill, and as I tried to dream up a dish, I thought of the nuts that I sometimes sprinkle on top of my mashed sweet potatoes...

The result: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Maple Spiced Pecans.


I stole the recipe for the pecans from Julie (of course). I would recommend making extra because I couldn't stop picking at them! If B.'s mom didn't make her own spiced candied pecans during the holidays, this would've been what everyone would be getting from me this Christmas.




Then I just roasted the sweet potatoes by themselves and mixed everything together. It was a hit, if I do say so myself.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Maple Spiced Pecans
Partially adapted from Dinner with Julie
Makes 16+ servings (I would assume this recipe scales down easily, especially with normal-sized sweet potatoes)

• 1 lb (454 g) pecan halves, about 4 cups
• ½ cup (125 mL) maple syrup
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) sugar
• 1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon
• ½ tsp (2 mL) ginger
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) cloves
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) nutmeg
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) allspice
• 4 lb (1.8 kg) sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F (175˚C). If you have a Silpat, this would be a good time to use it.
2. Spread pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet (or two if needed). Toast in the oven for 7-8 minutes, until fragrant. Drizzle with maple syrup and toss to coat; continue baking for another 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the nuts absorb most (but not all) of the syrup.
3. While the pecans are baking, in a small bowl, stir together sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. When the nuts are ready, sprinkle your spice mixture over them and toss to coat. Don't worry if not all of it sticks to the nuts (it will stick to the sweet potatoes later). Move your baking sheet to a cool place (i.e. not on top of your stove) to allow the pecans to cool a little bit.
4. Crank your oven up to 400˚F (205˚C). On another large baking sheet (or two if needed), spread sweet potatoes in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Roast for about 30 minutes, until the largest chunks are pierced easily with a fork, stirring occasionally to ensure that the sweet potato is evenly browned.
5. Toss together roasted sweet potatoes and pecans along with any leftover spice mix in a large baking dish or serving bowl. Serve warm.

Nutrition Info (per serving): 337 calories, 21 g fat (2 g saturated, 0 g trans), 0 mg cholesterol, 34 g carbohydrate (6 g fibre, 13 g sugar), 4 g protein, 63 mg sodium. An excellent source of vitamin A, potassium, copper and manganese. A good source of thiamine (vitamin B₁), pantothenic acid (vitamin B₅), vitamin B₆ and zinc.