A Week of Holiday Recipe Greetings from Bigelow Tea: Holiday Menu Day Four: Fantastic Side Dishes!

What makes the perfect accompaniment to a mouthwatering roasted turkey? There are so many delicious side dishes to choose from!  Bigelow Tea is delighted to help you pare down the choices, so let’s keep it simple:  potatoes and beans. Our Ginger Sweet Potato Casserole, made more scrumptious by using Bigelow® Ginger Snappish or Constant Comment® tea, is a great side dish, and oh so easy to make.

And if you crave for your green veggies, try our French-style Green Beans with Pomegranate Balsamic Glaze.  Yes, we do love our glaze…green beans never had it so good!

Ginger Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

• 6 medium sweet potatoes
• 4 Bigelow® Ginger Snappish or Bigelow® Constant Comment tea bags
• ½ cup (125mL) whipping cream or half & half
• ½ teaspoon (2.5mL) salt
• 2 tablespoons (30mL) unsalted butter
• 1 egg beaten
• *Optional – 1 cup (250mL) miniature marshmallows

Yield: Serves 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Instructions:

• Boil sweet potatoes with skins on until tender, 15-18 minutes. Peel and mash.
• While potatoes are cooking, heat cream, add tea bags and remove from heat. Let steep for 5 minutes.To the mashed potatoes, add salt, butter, egg, tea-infused cream.Beat until smooth.
• Place in 2 quart buttered baking dish, (sprinkle with marshmallows if desired) and bake in oven at 375º for 15-20 minutes or until heated through (and marshmallows are browned*).
• Serve hot.

* If made ahead, bring to room temperature, heat for 25 minutes, top with marshmallows, if desired, and bake another 10 minutes or until marshmallows are browned.

French-style Green Beans and Carrots with Pomegranate Balsamic Glaze

Ingredients:

• 1 cup hot water
• 4 Bigelow® Green Tea with Pomegranate tea bags
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon corn starch
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound fresh French-style green beans
• ½ pound carrots cut into 1 inch matchsticks
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Yield:  Serves 6

Instructions:

• Combine hot water and 4 Bigelow® Green Tea with Pomegranate tea bags and allow to steep for 5-7 minutes.
• Place tea in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook until liquid is reduced by half (about ten minutes).
• Add balsamic vinegar and sugar. Stir to combine.
• Add cornstarch and whisk vigorously, until glaze is thickened and smooth. Set aside. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, combine butter and olive oil.
• Heat until butter is melted, but not smoking, and then add carrots and green beans.Sauté vegetables until just tender, approximately 5 minutes (allow a few extra minutes of extra cooking time if using traditional green beans). Add pomegranate-balsamic glaze, and toss to combine.
• Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Serve immediately.

Note: Glaze may be prepared up to 2 days in advance.  Store in an airtight container in refrigerator