Repost: Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

Editor's Note: This is a repost from 2008. Still good!

You know how at most family gatherings, the sweet potatoes end up covered in marshmallows and brown sugar? Well even though sweet potatoes are sweet, they also work equally well in spicy dishes. Here is a recipe I adapted from Good Eats on the Food Network.

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes.
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika.
  
• 1-2 canned chipotle chillies, chopped (there are generally several whole chilies in one can).
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from the canned chilies). This stuff is very spicy, so use less (or leave it out) if you like your food mild.
  
• 2 tablespoons butter.
• 2 tablespoons sour cream.

Instructions
Put the sweet potatoes in a steamer. If you do not have an electric steamer, you can use a metal colander set inside a large pot with a couple of cups of gently boiling water in the bottom (do not let the water come up through the bottom of the colander). Cover and steam for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft (but not mushy). Drain off water and put potatoes back in the pot (or a large mixing bowl if you used an electric steamer). Add remaining ingredients and mash together with a hand masher. Using an electric mixer is not recommended, as sweet potatoes will turn pasty/gluey if over-beaten. Serve with minced chives or green onions (or even onion rings!).

Reposts: Chili

In honor of our annual church chili cookoff (congrats Rob!), here are the links to my personal chili recipes on this blog:

• Pleasant Springs Chili (this blog's recipe #1)
• 5-Alarm Chili (I made this last night at the cookoff)

Enjoy!

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

from Pioneer Woman

I love cinnamon rolls! My favorite was from Great Harvest, until they started skimping on the cream cheese frosting. I never make them since most of the recipes call for either milk and butter in the dough, so only half the family can eat them. The other day, after adding too much oil to my bread dough, I realized I had the solution. The extra oil made the bread too soft and fluffy for sandwiches, but was perfect for dinner rolls or even. . .  cinnamon rolls.

"Dinner Roll" Dough (Bread Machine)
3/4 c. warm water (100-110 degrees)
2 tsp. white sugar
2 1/2 tsp. yeast
1/2 c. oil
2 medium eggs, beaten
1 tsp. salt
1 pound  flour (I use a scale, I think it's about 3 cups)

Add ingredients into bread pan in order listed above. Set machine to dough cycle.

Cinnamon Rolls
1 batch of "dinner roll" dough or your preferred dinner roll dough
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbs. Cinnamon
3 Tbs. oil

Grease a cake pan or two pie pans OR line the bottom with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a large rectangle, then brush with oil.

• for medium size rolls roll out to about 20" x 10", less than 1/2" thick - 12 rolls, 6 per pan
• for small rolls roll out to 1/4" thick - 16 rolls, 8 per pan

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the dough to the edges.

Roll the dough from the long end. Slice into 1 1/2 to 2 inch rolls and arrange in cake or pie pans.


Cover with plastic wrap and store over night in the fridge.

• This gives the rolls an opportunity to bench proof or rise before baking
• Freeze the second pie pan for breakfast another day. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls for 25-35 minutes.

I took a roll out for each of the Allergics, then proceeded to the next step.

Cream Cheese Topping
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
2-3 c. powdered sugar

Cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Add sugar slowly, mix until smooth. Top cinnamon rolls.

• This is enough topping for both pie pans of rolls. 
• Fill sandwich bag with remaining topping. Flatten, place in quart bag then freeze. 

Next time, I will not use light cream cheese. (It's what we had in the fridge) The topping was sugary, covering the great tang of cream cheese. Even without the topping, the 3 Allergics loved the rolls.