Monday Menu ~ It Is Monday, Isn't It??

Monday?  I don't know.  In many ways it feels like a Monday.  So let's pretend for the next few minutes that it is Monday and I am back on track doing a Monday Menu!  Thanks for playing along.

This is a staple for our Thanksgiving table.  And I don't know why only Thanksgiving.  I love it enough to put it in a regular rotation, and I'm going to try to remember that soon. 

It's a great way to prepare sweet potatoes.  Scalloped Sweet Potatoes.  Mmm-hmm.  That's right.  And these bring a savory twist to a normally sticky sweet turkey accompaniment.  I just can't handle those marshmallow drenched mashed sweet potatoes anymore.  Sorry, these have ruined me forever.  I may have a picture of these somewhere, but you know Mondays really fry my brain, and Survivor is on in a little bit and I really don't want to expend the energy to find the picture.  But you need to imagine YUM and OOOOH and I MUST MAKE THAT and you have a perfect picture!


Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

2 pounds sweet potatoes (I actually used yams, worked great)
6 strips bacon (get the good thick stuff from the meat counter, not that paper thin mass packaged nonsense)
1 onion, chopped (use a sweet yellow onion please)
2 1/2 TBSP flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups milk (2% worked great, but it's a holiday so feel free to use whole. Calories/fat/cholesterol do not count on holidays)
1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese (grate your own block, it's much fluffier and nicer that the packaged pre-grated stuff)

Peel potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices. Place potatoes in large pot of boiling water, cook for 5-10 minutes or until *just* tender. Drain well and set aside.

Fry bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on a paper towel, crumble and set aside.

Add chopped onion to bacon drippings and cook until tender.  Stir in flour over low heat and cook to a paste, whisking with a wire whisk to keep it from lumping. Add salt and pepper.  Slowly pour in the milk and cook, stirring with whisk, until mixture thickens slightly.

Arrange 1/2 the potatoes on the bottom of an 11x7 baking dish.  Sprinkle with half the bacon.  Pour on half of the milk mixture.  Top with remaining potatoes, then remaining bacon, then remaining milk mixture.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 325 for 20 - 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.  You can now turn on your broiler and brown the cheese for 1-2 minutes.  (I highly recommend this step.)

**I increased everything and made this in a 9x13 pan, and had stuff really crammed in there.***

And, by way of a favor to you, let me remind you that Thursday through Sunday, Starbucks is having a "Buy One Get One Free" special on their holiday drinks from 2-5 pm.  You must enjoy a Caramel Brulee latte.  And be sweet and ask for extra sprinkles.  Because the sprinkles???  Amen and Hallelujah.  Or maybe the Peppermint Mocha?  I do prefer mine with half the peppermint.  I'd give that one an Amen.  The Brulee?  Amen AND Hallelujah.

Happy Monday, Wednesday, or whatever.  Be kind to someone today.