holiday skills 201: 3 make-ahead recipes for holiday hosting

Hosting dinner for the holidays? Between the planning and the prep, it can get stressful. We know. So we teamed up with All-Clad and Chef & Founder, Sarah Ashley Schiear, of Salt House, to help make the season’s entertaining just a bit easier. Enter three mouthwatering classics (that you can make ahead!), featuring the season’s freshest ingredients and most loved flavors. See for yourself!

produced by  ANNA KOCHARIAN
styling by   ELAINA SULLIVAN
video and photography by   MICHAEL WILTBANK

Sarah on her favorite holiday traditions…

WHAT ARE YOUR GO-TO SUGGESTIONS FOR GUESTS WHO WANT TO BRING SOMETHING TO A HOLIDAY MEAL? Dessert is always a great option. You can send them to your favorite bake shop to pick up freshly-made pies. I also love asking people to bring fresh bread. It’s something best picked up day-of, so this way you don’t have to make an extra trip to the bakery.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY OF HOLIDAY HOSTING? Last year, we hosted a cookie decorating party in the city. We got tons of sprinkles, dried flowers, edible glitters, and set them out over tables with icing and coloring. We baked sugar cookies in advance and everyone got to decorate their own box of cookies (over lots of wine, of course!). It was the perfect way to get in the holiday spirit.

WHAT IS ONE NEW TRADITION READERS SHOULD TRY THIS YEAR? Host a Friendsgiving! Since we usually spend Thanksgiving with family and often out of town, it’s so nice to have a chance to celebrate and give thanks for our friends.

SEE ALL-CLAD’S COMPLETE D5 BRUSHED COLLECTION HERE!

sweet potato souffle

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (4-6 depending on size)
• Salt
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ teaspoons coarse sea salt
• 1 cup mix of coarsely chopped roasted, pecans and cashews
• 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes

INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter an 8-inch baking dish.

1. Bring the sweet potatoes to a boil in a large pot of cold, salted water. Reduce the heat to a simmer until the potatoes are soft to the touch, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain.
2. Mash the potatoes in a large bowl and add the heavy cream, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and beaten eggs. Salt to taste. Mix the ingredients together until smooth, and pour into the baking dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
3. Toss the pecans, cashews, and coconut together, and spread evenly across the top of the dish, once it’s out of the oven. Sprinkle the top with brown sugar and salt, and place in the oven for 5 more minutes.

orange, ginger, cranberry sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 2 (12 oz.) packages of cranberries
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• ½ cup waterzest of one clementine, plus more for garnish
• 2 tablespoons of ginger liqueur
• 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook on medium-high for about 15-20, stirring occasionally. Once most of the liquid has reduced and the cranberries have popped, remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool for 20 minutes.
2. Garnish with the extra citrus zest and serve

sausage and ciabatta stuffing

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ lbs sausage (6 pieces)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 large loaf of ciabatta, cubed
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons sage, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons rosemary, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Heat a 10-inch skillet and coat with a tablespoon of butter.
3. Saute the sausage for 8-10 minutes, and pour over the bowl of the cubed ciabatta bread and set aside.
4. Melt the remaining butter in the skillet and add the celery, onion, and carrots. Sprinkle with a dash of salt. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened. Add in the garlic and stir.
5. Pour the vegetable mixture over the bowl of sausage and add the chicken stock. Sprinkle in the sage, rosemary, and parsley and mix until combined.
6. Transfer the mixture into the roasting pan and bake for 30 minutes.