Spicy Scalloped Yams

 

Thanksgiving has really been the time where I put together all of my favorite recipes of the season that I’ve collected over the years. I’ve been hosting my own Thanksgiving/Friendsgiving since I was 13 and absolutely love preparing a big meal for people to enjoy. A word on Friendsgivings–I love them. I think everyone should have/go to one at least once in their life. It doesn’t have to be on Thanksgiving day, do whatever day works best for you. Usually I’ll host one outside of the family’s Thanksgiving so I’ll have two meals to plan or go to.

Let’s talk about the meal itself…

I’m a huge fan of side dishes and really find them more enjoyable than the turkey. I believe in having lots of them and making sure they’ll filled with flavor. Some are familiar sides that deviate from tradition (okay most of them) because I like things to be a little bit different. It also benefits anyone who has to go to multiple dinners as it’s never fun having the same dishes at each house.

So I have a few recipes to share for your own meal if you so chose. First one: Spicy Scalloped Yams.

For anyone who is not a fan of candied yams (myself included), this spicy, creamy, and smokey flavored dish will rock your world. With only three ingredients, this dish is simple as well as packed with flavor.

I also want to point something important out…

You can alter the spicy flavor by how much adobo you put into the mix.  Just because you ended up using the entire can once because it wasn’t super spicy doesn’t mean that all the cans are that way even if it’s the same brand. A couple years ago, I used the San Marcos brand and continued to add more and more adobo after testing the spicy level until the entire can was used. It was perfect with the whole can. I bought the same brand for another Thanksgiving and used the entire can again, thinking it would be the same. Yeah. It wasn’t. It was so hot I couldn’t eat it. Chris enjoyed it because he’s the lover of spicy 10 at Indian and Thai restaurants, but no one else could. So don’t make that mistake.

Let’s get to the recipe!

I don’t know why I didn’t take any pictures of the prep, I could have sworn I did! Basically, you preheat your over to 375 and scallop your yams, by hand or with a food processor. They should be about 1/8th an inch thick.

Chop up your chili/adobo sauce and add it into a blender with your heavy cream. Blend together (don’t blend too much or you’ll have whip cream!) and then test for taste. If you want it spicier, add more chili and adobo sauce.

Once you’re happy, pour some of the sauce into the bottom of your backing dish.

Layer your yams overlapping one another. Add a bit of salt and pepper, then add more of the sauce over those. You’re going to repeat until you have a few layers of yams and all the sauce has been used. It is ideal for the sauce to cover all the yams.

Bake for about an hour and serve hot!

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