Side Dishes:

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Serves 8

  • 1 pound Yukon Gold or White Rose potatoes
  • 2 heads of garlic
  • 1 pint half and half
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
Heat oven to 365°. Cut bottom of garlic off and place in a garlic roaster or a small pan lined with tinfoil. Pour olive oil over the garlic, coat completely. Place in over and roast for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and let cool. Once cool using a fork pull cloves from the head and reserve till later.

Peel and cut potatoes in half. Place potatoes in a large stock pot and cover with water. Bring potatoes to a boil and then cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook potatoes till you can pierce with a knife about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.

Place butter in a large bowl. With a spoon, transfer potatoes to an old fashioned potato ricer and mash. When done mashing potatoes place garlic cloves in ricer and mash. Add salt, pepper and half and half then mix till blended.

*Note - You can change up the recipe by adding goat cheese - one 8oz. package. I like to put two finely cut up green onions in for a change of pace. You could also turn this into a southwest style dish by pureeing a half of a can 7oz. of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and adding it to the mashed potatoes.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Serves 10

  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 package cranberry
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Rinse berries, set aside. Bring juice and sugar to a boil. Add berries, bring to boil and keep at a medium boil for 10 minutes. Berries should start popping and be more smooth by the end of 10 minutes. Turn off heat and add cinnamon. Let cool at room temperature before putting into fridge.

Note - Any juice could be used. We've tried different ones but like orange the best. Also, I don't like the consistency of brown sugar for this recipe. It ends up gritty for some reason, so I use just plain granulated now.