How Sweet It Is Casserole (Sweet Potato Casserole)

After strongly disliking sweet potatoes for years, I have finally come around and realized that it wasn't the sweet potatoes that I didn't like--I simply didn't like the way they were cooked. Now that I am wiser, I can't get enough. This is one of my recent favorites (goes great as a side dish to Awesome Slow Cooker Chicken).

Adapted from Cooking Light

Potatoes:

• 2 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup fat-free half-and-half
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• Cooking spray

Topping:

• 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 375°.Place potatoes in a pot of water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until very tender. Drain; cool slightly.

2. Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add half-and-half, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add eggs; beat well (mixture will be thin). Scrape mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3. To prepare topping, sprinkle miniature marshmallows over top of casserole. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in pecans and sprinkle over potato mixture and marshmallows. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 8 servings

Linguine with Butternut Squash, Gorgonzola and Shrimp

Valentine's Day dinner for my boys. Absolultey awesome. The Child ate the noodles and the squash, but disagreed with the shrimp. I did not use parsley or walnuts for his serving since I knew he would not like it. This dish would be very good without shrimp, too.

Adapted from Cooking Light

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup vertically sliced onion
• 2 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (I got mine already pre-cut at the supermarket)
• a dash of salt
• a dash of freshly ground black pepper1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (or other blue cheese), divided
• 4 cups hot cooked linguine (about 1/2 pound uncooked pasta)
• 1 lb cooked shrimp (I used frozen, tail-on shrimp, defrosted)
• a couple tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted (I put them in the toaster oven and pushed "dark toast" button)
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, squash, a dash of teaspoon salt and pepper; sauté 10-12 minutes or until the squash is almost tender. Add minced garlic; sauté 1 minute. Cover and set aside.

2. Bring 1 cup of milk to a boil in a saucepan. Combine the remaining 1/2 cup milk and flour, stirring well with a whisk; gradually add to boiling milk, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add most of the cheese and stir until smooth.

3. Combine squash mixture, pasta, shrimp and cheese mixture in a pan; toss well to combine. Cover and place over low heat for a minute or two to let the shrimp warm up.

4. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with parsley, chopped walnuts, lemon rind and the remaining cup cheese. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings