For many, the highlight of a holiday meal isn’t the main course — it’s the side dishes. Side dishes stand out because they allow creativity and flavor to shine through. “You eat with your eyes first — the color and presentation trigger the memory. Then, of course, it has to be delicious,” shared Chef Brandi Smith. Nostalgia also plays a role, like her Mommaw’s cornbread-and-biscuit dressing. Chef Brandi Smith shares recipes for Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes, Bacon Balsamic Brussels Sprouts, Maple Bacon-Wrapped Carrots, and a Fall Fruit Salad.
Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes
This baked sweet potato is loaded with bacon, marshmallows, and a streusel topping — the perfect balance of savory and sweet.
8 Servings
Ingredients
- 10 sweet potatoes (medium-sized)
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp pumpkin spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled)
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
Oat Crumb Topping
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup oats
- ¼ cup crushed pecans
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 4 tbsp butter, cold and cut into small pieces
Instructions
Oat Crumb Topping
1. In a small bowl, use a fork or pastry blender to cut the butter into the sugar, flour, oats, and cinnamon until small pea-shaped crumbs form. Set aside.
Sweet Potatoes
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Prick each sweet potato a few times with a fork and place on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until tender.
2. When cool enough to handle, slice lengthwise and carefully scoop out the tender potato, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick border. Discard 2 of the skins and keep the remaining eight empty skins on the baking sheet.
3. Mix the sweet potatoes, butter, brown sugar, pumpkin spice, and salt by hand or with a mixer. Taste and season again to adjust with salt if needed.
4. Add half of the bacon, half of the Oat Crumbs Topping, and all the marshmallows, stirring to combine. Carefully scoop the filling back into 8 of the 10 skins. Top with the remaining Oat Crumbs Topping and bacon, distributing evenly. (See Note 1).
5. Place the sweet potatoes in a 400°F oven and bake for 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
Bacon Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
8 Servings
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ lbs fresh Brussels sprouts, washed, trimmed, & halved
- 8 pcs thick-cut bacon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 ½ tsp seasoned salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Balsamic glaze
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a sheet tray with parchment. Lay bacon slices flat, avoiding overlap.
- Cook 20 minutes or until crisp. Remove, chop into chunks, and set aside. Leave bacon fat on the tray.
- While bacon cooks, wash Brussels sprouts, trim ends, halve lengthwise. Toss in olive oil and seasonings. Spread on tray, stir into bacon fat, roast 40 minutes or until tender and golden.
- Remove, top with bacon. Drizzle generously with balsamic glaze and serve.
Maple Bacon-Wrapped Carrots
4 servings
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. carrots
- 12 slices thin - cut bacon
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp bourbon whiskey (optional)
- Parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix maple syrup, onion powder, garlic salt, and bourbon (if using) in a small bowl; set aside.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet or casserole dish with parchment or a silicone mat.
- Peel and trim carrots, leaving 1- inch stems. Wrap each with a bacon slice, place on sheet, sprinkle with pepper, and roast.
- After 25 minutes, turn with tongs, baste with sauce, and roast 20 – 25 minutes more, until bacon is crispy. Remove, baste with remaining sauce, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
Fall Fruit Salad
This fall fruit salad contains fresh apples, blackberries, grapes, and pecans. It is drizzled with a homemade cinnamon orange dressing with tons of fall flavor!
8 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 orange, zested & juiced
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 16 ounces red seedless grapes
- 12 ounces blackberries
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 3-4 sweet apples, cored and medium diced
Instructions
1. Add the zest and juice of one orange to a large bowl. Add maple syrup and cinnamon, whisking to combine.
2. Add grapes, blackberries, and pecans. Cube apples into bite-sized pieces and add them to the bowl. Immediately toss the fruit to coat.
3. Serve immediately or store covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
- Salad can be prepared up to one day ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Toss the salad just before serving to incorporate any dressing that may have settled in the bottom of the bowl.
- While any apple can be used in this recipe, sweet apples like Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Gala are recommended.
- Keep stored in a refrigerator in a sealed container.
- Substituting with prepared orange juice: Juice of one orange = about ¼ cup.