Chef notes
Short on cooking space for the holiday? Making Thanksgiving sides for an intimate feast is much easier when you do the prep ahead of time and then bake everything all on one sheet pan. In this recipe, roasted carrots divide your savory apps and they'll all be ready at the same time.
Technique tips: All of the sides will cook better and more evenly if they're assembled on the tray cooled.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 6 to 7 medium carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise
- Kosher salt
- 6 to 7 large sweet potatoes
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons Blackstrap molasses
- 1/2 cup whole milk, heated
- The zest and juice from 1 medium orange
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 yellow onions, finely diced
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 pounds (about 24 to 30 mushrooms) white mushrooms, stems removed and finely chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated finely
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 pound (about 6 to 7) bacon strips, stacked and cut into very thin strips
- 1½ pounds Brussels sprouts (about 30 pieces) halved
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
Preparation
Grease the bottom and sides of a baking sheet with melted butter. Toss halved carrots with melted butter. Season with salt.
Prepare the sweet potatoes:
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Place the sweet potatoes in a single layer on two baking sheets. Put the trays in the center of the oven and bake until completely yielding when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
While potatoes bake, in a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, cinnamon and cloves. Add the butter to the bowl and break it up with your fingers, integrating the flour with the butter until it forms crumbs, like small peas. Place the bowl of topping in the freezer to make it super cold.
In a medium saucepan, melt and simmer the butter until it turns golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the molasses. Set aside.
When the potatoes are fully cooked, peel and discard the skins and mash the potato flesh in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in the milk, brown butter mix, salt and the zest and juice from the orange. Taste for seasoning. Refrigerate.
When you're ready to bake with the other sides, spoon the chilled puree on one-quarter of the baking sheet. Surround the puree with some of the carrot halves (two layers is best) like a fence to keep it from running into the other parts of the tray.
Prepare the stuffed mushrooms:
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter, onions, garlic, chopped mushroom stems and mushrooms with a pinch salt and pepper. Add the wine and cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and Parmesan cheese, then let cool.
Remove the mushrooms from the cooked mix. Stir the mozzarella into the cooled onion mix. Taste for seasoning. Take a spoonful of the stuffing and top each mushroom bottom with it. The stuffing should be firmly packed in the mushroom bottom and come out slightly from the top.
Arrange the mushrooms on one-quarter of the baking sheet and surround with a few carrots to keep the stuffed mushrooms in their area.
Prepare the Brussels sprouts:
Arrange the Brussels sprout halves in a single layer on the remaining half of the baking sheet (you do not want them piled on top of each as they will not cook evenly). Sprinkle the bacon strips, olive oil and a pinch salt in an even layer over the sprouts.
Cook the sides:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Sprinkle the brown sugar topping in an even layer on top of the sweet potato puree.
Place the sheet in the center of the oven and bake until the Brussels sprouts and carrots are tender, the sweet potato puree topping is browned and the mushrooms are hot, about 30 to 35 minutes.
Transfer to serving platters and enjoy!
