Oh Thanksgiving – that holiday when food bloggers start posting recipes a month in advance and share their favorites tips and tricks so their readers can spend time with their family but at the same time cook a delicious meal for 15. Ideal huh? Realistic, not so much. That’s why Virtual Potluck has partnered up with OXO to bring you a few side dishes, desserts, and even a spatchcocked turkey – great recipes that won’t have you sweating in the kitchen if you use the right tools!
When planning your meal and if you’re going to be the ONLY one cooking, give yourself a break! Sure, you can go all out and throw a 1960’s style Thanksgiving like Food Hunter’s Guide did or you can start small and make these sweet potato casseroles like I did. The great thing about these is you can make them in individual ramekins the day ahead and bake them off right before serving.
Now let’s talk about the OXO tools I used. The fun part of this is that you get to win a few of these as well! In no particular order, here goes:
- 8″ Professional Chef Knife: Now, at $12.99 you might think this knife won’t cut air, but you’d be surprised. I typically shop for knives at specialty stores and they go from $80 bucks and more, so when I started using this OXO knife, I was sweetly surprised. Sharp as any other knife, with a comfortable handle.
- Swivel Peeler: I’ve used many peelers in my life and this one is one of my favorites. Quick to do the job and light enough that if I have to peel 100 potatoes, I won’t lose my wrist in the process.
- Chef’s Mandoline Slicer: This is the same mandoline we use at work, so that just says how big of a work horse it is. Simple enough to setup, but sharp enough to get the work done. You can slice from 1/8″ thick to even make waffle fries!
- 3-in-1 Adjustable Potato Ricer: Which, of course, you can use for everything from potatoes to cranberry sauce like Miss in the Kitchen did! I was afraid that sweet potatoes would be stringy but the minimum setting on the ricer, the sweet potatoes were very smooth! Another thing I liked was the coarse setting, which would be great for smashed potatoes with the skin on!
- Egg Beaters: These bad boys I use all the time when making whipped cream, like I did in this White Christmas Hot Chocolate, but for this recipe, it was easy to whisk an egg quickly!
- Silicone Basting Brush: Used as a brush for glazing, this worked well and picked up the jam pieces for my glaze!
- Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set: Why do I love these? Because I don’t need an extra pair of hands when whisking! They’ve got rubber grips on the bottom, which keeps the bowls secure on the counter top.
Sweet Potato & Parsnip Casserole
Parsnips and sweet potatoes balance each other perfectly in this casserole!
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes peeled and diced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons Sriracha
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 egg whisked
- 1 parsnip peeled
- 4 tablespoons spicy jam like this Jalapeno Apricot Jam
Instructions
- Place sweet potatoes in salted boiling water and cook until tender.
- Using the OXO Ricer, pass sweet potatoes until smooth. Add butter while potatoes are hot.
- Season with salt, pepper and Sriracha. Reserve.
- While sweet potato mixture cools, using the OXO Mandoline, slice parsnips into 1/8". Place in cool water while forming casserole.
- Fold in whisked egg in sweet potatoes and scoop half into four buttered individual ramekins. Layer parsnip slices and top with more sweet potatoes. Finish with a layer of parsnip slices.
- With the OXO Silicone Brush, glaze with spicy jam (watered down) and bake at 400F for 20 minutes.
One lucky reader will win a complete
OXO Thanksgiving Prize Pack!
This prize pack will get you ready for the Thanksgiving and December holidays, and you’ll be set to cook like a professional in your home kitchen! See details below.
I am thankful for my family, friends, and pets.