By Judy buchenot For Sun-Times Media
Joyce Saxon gets ready to scoop out the insides of baked sweet potatoes to make her Sweet Potato Casserole, a great make-ahead dish for holiday entertaining. | Judy Buchenot~For Sun-Times Media
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Joyce Saxon, of Bristol, loves trying out new recipes on her adventuresome grandchildren, but when it comes to feeding a crowd, she sticks with what she knows best.
When there are special guests, Saxon, 65, says she only uses recipes that she has successfully made before.
"When guests are coming, it is not the time to try new things," she cautions.
For many years, she would serve dinner to her two adult children and their families on Monday evenings. The families appreciated having the home-cooked meals after busy weekends.
These meals were often "guinea pig night when I tried out new recipes for everyone to try," she says.
She was pleased that her grandchildren were willing to try new things and have found favorite dishes they might not have tried otherwise.
"My granddaughter just loves pesto lasagna," she says as an example of the grandchildren's adventurous appetites.
But not everyone is ready to try new tastes, so big gatherings require recipes she's tested time and time again.
She always plans out her meal in advance and figures out a way to get everything done.
"Having enough oven space can be an issue," she notes. "If there is a turkey or large roast in the oven, you have to have a way to cook everything else."
One method she has found useful is to bake some dishes the day before so they only need to be reheated for a short time before serving.
For example, one of her favorite dinner side dishes is roasted vegetables. The day before her dinner party, she cuts up cauliflower, onions, zucchini and Brussels sprouts and tosses them in olive oil. She seasons them and spreads them on a baking sheet to be roasted at 350 degrees. Once the vegetables are tender and lightly browned, she removes them from the oven and allows them to cool. She refrigerates them overnight and quickly reheats them at serving time.
"They don't have to be real hot," she says. "I think most vegetables still taste good at room temperature."
When turkey is on the menu, Saxon says she has learned that baking two smaller turkeys is easier than wrestling a huge 20-plus pound bird out of the oven.
"And remember to let the turkey or roast sit before carving it," she cautions. "This makes it moister and also gives you time to reheat things in the oven."
Saxon believes in making lists and checking them at serving time.
"I have left a salad in the refrigerator too many times," she says. "Lists can keep that from happening."
Saxon prefers buffet-style serving for large groups because large platters of hot food are hard to pass around the table.
Saxon has found that her Sweet Potato Casserole is a crowd pleaser. The casserole can be assembled a day ahead and is an interesting break from white potatoes. If making it a day ahead, be sure to allow time for the casserole to come to room temperature again before baking it. She shares the recipe for it here.
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