Try alternative side dishes at Thanksgiving

CEDAR RAPIDS - When Toni Hauer's children were little, they refused to eat candied sweet potatoes.

“Thanksgiving just isn't Thanksgiving without sweet potatoes,” Hauer says.

So, she came up with an alternative: carrots and apples.

Sweet potatoes and carrots aren't really similar, except for their orange color, Hauer says.

“These aren't mushy like sweet potatoes,” she says.

When she did make candied sweet potatoes, she baked them in their skin for about 20 minutes to soften them and then cut into chunks. She mixed them with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and pineapple juice and baked in the oven at 350 degrees for about an hour.

Hauer, who has been “cooking forever,” started a catering and event services business, Julia n' Le Chef, with her husband, Tom Hauer, in Cedar Rapids six years ago. The Hauers also run Gatherings, a restaurant on the first level of the BottleWorks Condominium Lofts, 905 Third St. SE.

When she was growing up in Philadelphia, Hauer's family started the turkey on Thanksgiving Eve so the smell of turkey would fill the house Thanksgiving morning.

Although the turkey is traditional, she likes to add a little flair to her side dishes.

She doesn't bake mashed potatoes - too bland. She uses several different kinds of potatoes, including Yukon gold, red and russet, and makes flan with Gruyere cheese and cream.

“If you're going to indulge over the holidays, indulge,” she says.

Although her husband doesn't usually like Brussels sprouts, she made them for Thanksgiving last year. She made a coating of sugar and cider vinegar in bacon grease and added the bacon crumbles to the dish. Her husband was pleasantly surprised with the different take on the vegetable.

“Just about everything tastes better with bacon and Brussels sprouts are no exception,” she says.

Forget the cream of mushroom soup and French fried onions - Hauer likes her green beans plain and simple.

“I don't want them to outshine everything else,” she says.

She steams them with herbs - usually rosemary, tarragon and mint.

“We tend to cook things to death,” she says. “These don't just lay there; they pop.”

When it comes to the stuffing, it depends on what kind of mood she is in Thanksgiving morning. Last year she “put everything under the sun in it” - oysters, sausage, cornbread.

To make stuffing, day-old bread is a must, she says. She crumbles it up with already-baked cornbread, adds salt and pepper, and then “the fun begins.”

It has to be wet enough before it bakes in the oven. This is accomplished with chicken stock or her favorite, cream.

“If you're going to splurge on something, make sure it's something with a lot of calories,” she says.

There is no wrong way of cooking.

“You absolutely have to go for it,” she says. “If it sounds like it will taste good, then it will.”

But meals don't have to be complicated or time-consuming.

Her advice: Remember Thanksgiving is about being thankful and enjoying your family, not stressing out all day in the kitchen.

“Turn on the football game, listen to everybody talk and laugh,” she says.

CARROTS AND APPLES

4 large carrots sliced on the diagonal2 large apples peeled and sliced1/2 cup brown sugar1/2 teaspoon cinnamon1/4 teaspoon mace1/4 teaspoon allspice, mace or pumpkin pie spice1/4 pound butterSet oven temperature to 350 degrees. Mix carrots and apples in a lightly greased casserole dish. Stir in brown sugar (start with 1/2 cup and add more as you like), cinnamon, mace, pumpkin pie spice or allspice. Dot the top with pats of butter. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 55 to 65 minutes or until the carrots are tender when you stick them with a fork.From Toni Hauer

POTATO FLAN

1 1/2 pound medium russet potatoes, peeled and sliced1 pound medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced1 pound medium red potatoes, peeled and sliced1 cup sour cream1 1/2 cup cream or half-and-halfA pinch of savory2 1/2 teaspoons salt1/2 teaspoon pepper1/4 teaspoon cayenne1 1/2 tablespoons flour1/4 teaspoon nutmeg1/2 stick unsalted butter sliced thin or chunked1/4 cup grated white Cheddar cheese3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheesePreheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13-by-9 inch pan with cooking spray and set aside. After peeling and slicing potatoes, put them in a bowl of water to keep them from discoloring.Add sour cream, half-and-half or cream, savory, salt, pepper, cayenne, flour and nutmeg to blender which holds at least 32 ounces. Blend on “liquefy” until you see bubbles. Set aside.Layer half of assorted potatoes in the pan; add some thin sliced butter and sprinkle with half the Cheddar followed by half the Gruyere. Pour about 1/3 of the cream mixture over the potatoes. Repeat the layering of the potatoes, cheese and butter. Pour remaining cream over the potatoes.Cover with parchment followed by aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn oven temperature up to 400 degrees. Remove foil and parchment and bake uncovered for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and potatoes are tender when poked.From Toni Hauer

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts (look for nice, firm ones)2 or 3 slices hickory smoked bacon1 tablespoon cider vinegar1 tablespoon sugarTrim and wash Brussels sprouts. Cook bacon in a large, heavy skillet; crumble bacon and set aside. Add sugar and cider vinegar to bacon grease and simmer over low heat until sugar has melted. Add Brussels sprouts, stirring coat well. Cover and cook for approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to serving bowl. Toss crumbled bacon into dish before serving.From Toni Hauer

CRANBERRY RELISH

12-ounce bag fresh cranberries1 orange, peeled and cut into quarters1 cup sugar1/4 teaspoon lemon zest1/2 cup waterPut cranberries, orange, sugar and water in a heavy, medium-sized sauce pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until cranberries begin to pop, orange softens and sauce thickens. Remove from heat and cool. Stir in lemon zest just before serving.

CARROTS AND APPLES

4 large carrots sliced on the diagonal

2 large apples peeled and sliced

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon mace

1/4 teaspoon allspice, mace or pumpkin pie spice

1/4 pound butter

Set oven temperature to 350 degrees. Mix carrots and apples in a lightly greased casserole dish. Stir in brown sugar (start with 1/2 cup and add more as you like), cinnamon, mace, pumpkin pie spice or allspice. Dot the top with pats of butter. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 55 to 65 minutes or until the carrots are tender when you stick them with a fork.

From Toni Hauer

POTATO FLAN

1 1/2 pound medium russet potatoes, peeled and sliced

1 pound medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced

1 pound medium red potatoes, peeled and sliced

1 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cup cream or half-and-half

A pinch of savory

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 stick unsalted butter sliced thin or chunked

1/4 cup grated white Cheddar cheese

3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13-by-9 inch pan with cooking spray and set aside. After peeling and slicing potatoes, put them in a bowl of water to keep them from discoloring.

Add sour cream, half-and-half or cream, savory, salt, pepper, cayenne, flour and nutmeg to blender which holds at least 32 ounces. Blend on “liquefy” until you see bubbles. Set aside.

Layer half of assorted potatoes in the pan; add some thin sliced butter and sprinkle with half the Cheddar followed by half the Gruyere. Pour about 1/3 of the cream mixture over the potatoes. Repeat the layering of the potatoes, cheese and butter. Pour remaining cream over the potatoes.

Cover with parchment followed by aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn oven temperature up to 400 degrees. Remove foil and parchment and bake uncovered for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and potatoes are tender when poked.

From Toni Hauer

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts (look for nice, firm ones)

2 or 3 slices hickory smoked bacon

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

Trim and wash Brussels sprouts. Cook bacon in a large, heavy skillet; crumble bacon and set aside. Add sugar and cider vinegar to bacon grease and simmer over low heat until sugar has melted. Add Brussels sprouts, stirring coat well. Cover and cook for approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to serving bowl. Toss crumbled bacon into dish before serving.

From Toni Hauer

CRANBERRY RELISH

12-ounce bag fresh cranberries

1 orange, peeled and cut into quarters

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 cup water

Put cranberries, orange, sugar and water in a heavy, medium-sized sauce pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until cranberries begin to pop, orange softens and sauce thickens. Remove from heat and cool. Stir in lemon zest just before serving.

From Toni Hauer