1/2 cup wild rice, cooked
2 1/2 cups white rice, cooked
2 Tbsp. butter
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 onion, coarsely chopped
8 oz chicken broth
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add celery and onion; saute until tender. Add shredded carrot, chicken broth, cranberries and seasonings. Simmer gently until cranberries are plump, about 10 minutes. Stir in cooked white rice and wild rice. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until thoroughly heated. Taste; adjust seasonings if needed.

Place all ingredients in large saucepan. Bring to boil; lower heat to simmer and cover. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until apples are soft enough to mash. Taste to check for sweetness/tartness and add sugar if desired. Cook until sugar is dissolved if you added more.
Remove from heat and mash with potato masher. Serve hot to accompany poultry or pork. Store in fridge for a week or two if it lasts that long, or freeze up to a year.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 1/4 c. butter and pour into 9×12-inch baking dish. Add 5 cups has browns (no need to thaw). In separate bowl, mix soup, sour cream, milk and green onions. Pour 1/2 of mixture over potatoes in dish. Salt and pepper to taste; sprinkle with 1 cup grated cheese. Add remaining hash browns; top with soup mixture, salt, pepper and shredded cheese. Bake for 55 minutes.

Cook onion and garlic in butter in 3 qt. saucepan until onion is tender. Stir in remaining ingredients, except parsley. Heat to boiling, stirring once or twice; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 14 minutes. Do not lift cover or stir while simmering. Remove from heat; stir in parsley with a fork and let steam for 5-10 minutes. Great with chicken or turkey!

Bring broth, tomatoes, salt, red pepper, basil, and oregano to a boil in a large saucepan. Remove from heat; stir in couscous. Let stand 10 minutes. Fluff with fork, and stir in remaining ingredients. Serve warm or slightly chilled.

2 lbs. (3 medium) sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch of pepper

Combine sweet potatoes, butter, cream, sugar, salt and pepper in large saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes fall apart when poked with a fork, about 40 minutes. (At high altitude, I had to add a bit more cream.) Remove pan from heat and mash with potato masher until smooth.

The potatoes I used weren’t very sweet, so I tweaked this recipe a bit and added a bit of sweetness with a teaspoon or two of maple syrup. They were creamy and delicious. I served them as a side dish to pan grilled pork chops with glazed onions and apple slices. Mmmm.

Place cooked potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Mash with potato masher until almost smooth. In separate bowl, mix milk, cream cheese, sour cream, parsley and garlic with electric mixer until smooth. Pour mixture over potatoes and mix until blended and as smooth as desired. Taste; add salt and pepper as needed.

Spoon mixture into a lightly greased casserole dish. Cover and bake at 325° for 30-40 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.