Sweet N Sassy Eats logo

Veggies

Christmas Salad

KALE, CRANBERRY & GRANOLA SALAD

I don’t know about you, but a holiday dinner is never complete without a very special salad.  It needs to be lite due to all the other rich entrees and sides, but still more special than your typical daily salad. So I came up with salad to help pack in nutrition and add interest and beauty to your menu!

The show stopper of this salad is definitely the homemade granola! It is the perfect mix of salty and sweet plus it give s great crunch to the salad. The recipe does leave you with some extra granola to enjoy with yogurt, or more salads later, so you’re welcome! You can make this granola ahead of time so that on the day of you are just tossing everything together.

Sweet N Sassy Eats - Christmas Salad - dressing
The beginnings of the perfect salad dressing …

This is one of my go-to dressing, it’s simple and fast! I add different herbs and seasonings to complement the ingredients in the rest of the salads or in the meal it accompanies. In this salad though, I leave it pretty basic. You can whip this up ahead of time too!

Throw together all your ingredients and toss with the dressing, right before service.  Everyone loves this salad, the delicious sweet & savory granola with the creamy goat cheese and bursts of sweet & tart cranberries is the perfect combination to pair with the tender baby kale. 

Sweet N Sassy Eats - Christmas Salad - the perfect addition to any meal
Sweet N Sassy Eats - Christmas Salad - featured photo

Christmas Salad – Kale, Cranberry & Granola Salad

A holiday dinner is never complete without a very special salad, this one will be the perfect complement to any festive meal. With a delicious sweet & savory granola with the creamy goat cheese and bursts of sweet & tart cranberries is the perfect combination to pair with the tender baby kale.
Print Pin Rate
Course: holiday recipes, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Author: sweetnsassyeats

Ingredients

Granola

  • 1 cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes the big flakes
  • 1 cup Oats
  • 1/2 cup Pistachios
  • 1/2 cup Pumpkin Seeds
  • 1/4 cup Coconut Oils melted
  • 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
  • 2 tsp soy sauce

Dressing

  • 2 tbsp Avocado Oil
  • 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
  • 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
  • salt & pepper to taste

Salad

  • 5 oz Baby Kale
  • 1 cup Dried Cranberries
  • 6 oz Goat Cheese

Instructions

  • For the granola, heat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, coconut flakes, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, coconut oil, maple syrup, and soy sauce. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then toss and bake again for another 10-15 minutes or until the oats are crisply toasted and fragrant. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
  • For the dressing, whisk together the avocado oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and dijon mustard. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
  • To assemble the salad, toss the kale, cranberries, goat cheese & granola together in a large bowl. Add dressing to taste. 
Sweet N Sassy Eats - Christmas Salad - the perfect addition to any meal

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

 

 

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes – garlic mashed potatoes w/ sweet & red potatoes

 

Instant Pot Mashed PotatoesMashed potatoes are probably the epitome of comfort food! For me, I LOVE the creaminess that the red potatoes bring to the party. My other favorite addition is a little bit of sweet potato to the mix. It adds another level of flavor and packs in some awesome nutrients but keeps the mash still tasting savory and not like mashed sweet potatoes. 

 

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Cooking mashed potatoes in your Instant Pot makes your life easier because once you’ve chopped your potatoes you set the pot to cook and you don’t have to worry about draining the water or the water boiling over. Also, it frees up space on your stove for other items to cook, or it doesn’t heat up your house!

 

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

TIPS

  • When chopping your potatoes, try to make them all similar in size
  • If you like a “chunkier” mashed potato, then leave your potato cuts larger
  • If you like a “creamier & smooth” mashed potato, cut your potatoes smaller
  • I have Half & Half in my video recipe, but I actually didn’t end up needing it because of the consistency I was looking for.  Cooking in the instant pot keeps everything moister, so if you like a thicker, chunkier mash then you probably won’t need the cream
  • The seasonings used are really ALL TO TASTE.  Feel free to adjust to your liking, or try adding some parmesan cheese if you want a cheesy flavor! Use your creativity to get the flavor profile you enjoy!

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Creamy and flavorful mashed potatoes quickly prepared in your instant pot!
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Instant Pot, Potatoes, Thanksgiving
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Author: Kristi Shields

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs Red Potatoes
  • .5 lb Sweet Potatoes
  • 1.5 Cups Chicken Stock (or vegetable broth)
  • 4 Tbsp Butter salted
  • 1 Cup Sour Cream
  • 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder more or less to taste
  • 2 Tbsp Chives chopped
  • Half & Half or Heavy Cream (if needed)
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Peel Sweet Potatoes and chop into 1in cubes. Chop Red potatoes into 1 inch cubes (i do not peel my red potatoes, we enjoy the skin, but you can peel these if you’d like)
  • Add to your Instant Pot, pour in chicken broth and seal instant pot. Set to High Pressure and set the timer for 6 min.
  • When the Instant Pot is complete, safely quick release the pressure and remove the lid.  
  • Add butter & mash slightly. Mix in ½ the garlic powder and all the sour cream.
  • Stir and mash to your desired consistency. If it is too thick, add cream.
  • Add ½ the chives and salt & pepper to taste. Add more garlic if you desire.
  • Serve and garnish with remaining chives. 

Video

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Brussel Sprout Salad

Brussel Sprout & Bacon Salad!

I am always on the lookout for a delicious and healthy salad to compliment my holiday meals.  I want it to be healthy but not filled with a ton of ingredients, just simple, healthy and tasty. And this recipe hits the nail on the head perfectly!

I love shaved brussel sprout for these types of salads because they pack such a high nutritional punch because they are high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Here are some quick facts about some of the awesome benefits of Brussel Sprouts

Brussel Sprout & Bacon Salad! The perfect healthy holiday salad!

  • Brussels sprouts are especially rich in vitamin K, which is necessary for blood clotting and bone health.
  • They’re also high in vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps promote iron absorption and is involved in tissue repair and immune function
  • They are high in fiber which helps support regularity and gut health
  • Brussels sprouts contain small amounts of vitamin B6, potassium, iron, thiamine, magnesium and phosphorus
  • Brussels sprouts contain kaempferol, an antioxidant that may reduce cancer growth, decrease inflammation and promote heart health.

This salad (besides being super healthy for you) is also very versatile, you can remove or add ingredients to your liking, so be creative! It also is super easy to throw together and because the Brussel sprouts are so hardy, you can even assemble this salad ahead of time (like 24 hrs before serving) and even pour the dressing on and the salad stays fresh and crispy! So this makes your holiday cooking prep even easier!

I think Brussel Sprout have gotten a bad wrap in their past, but they have easily become one of my favorite vegetables cooked or raw! I hope, even if you are a Brussel Sprout hater, that you will try my many Brussel Sprout recipes and give these nutritional powerhouses a chance!

 

Brussel Sprout Salad

This light salad is a nutritious and light side dish perfect for any meal but especially for a holiday dinner side dish.  
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: brussel sprouts, healthy greens, salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Author: Kristi Shields

Ingredients

  • 4 dzn Brussel Sprouts
  • 1 whole Pomegranate seeded
  • 6 slices Bacon cooked & crumbled
  • 1 cup Parmesan Cheese shaved
  • 1/2 cup Olive Oil extra virgin
  • 1 whole Lemon juiced
  • 1 whole Orange juiced
  • 1/2 cup Honey
  • salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Thinly slice the Brussel sprouts, or use a mandoline to thinly slice.  You want a thin slaw-like texture; place in a bowl.
  • Add Parmesan Cheese, crumbled bacon & pomegranate seeds to bowl.
  • In separate bowl mix lemon juice, orange juice, olive oil, honey; mix well then add salt & pepper to taste.
  • Pour dressing over salad and toss. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Should last well in the fridge for 1-2 days.

Video

Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potatoes are one of my husbands’ favorite foods, but the ‘typical’ sweet potato casserole is packed with sugar that you can’t even enjoy the real flavor of the sweet potato.  I came up with this dish to satisfy our sweet potato casserole craving without a guilty conscience.

The great thing about this dish is it conforms to SO MANY dietary issues, so it is perfect to make for those who have those struggles! Dairy Free, Gluten Free, and processed sugar-free! You can even adjust the crumble topping ingredients so that it is nut free!

With this recipe, you can do a lot of the prep and assembly a day or two in advance, making this a perfect dish for the holidays because you can prep it and then just do the final baking step on the day of! I am all about easing my cooking to-dos on the day of the dinner, you could even freeze the filling, freeze the crumble topping and then assemble when you are ready to bake!

 

 

So toss those mini marshmallows to the side this year and make a sweet potato casserole that everyone can enjoy!

 

 

Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole

A delicious healthy twist on the classic Sweet Potato Casserole.  A yummy almond pecan crust over perfectly roasted sweet potatoes and coconut milk. 
Print Pin Rate
Servings: 8 people

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Casserole

  • 3 cups Sweet potatoes (about 5)
  • 1/4 cup Honey
  • 2 whole Eggs beaten
  • 1/2 cup Ghee
  • 1/2 cup Coconut MIlk
  • 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Nutmeg freshly ground

Pecan Crumble Topping

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425º. Line baking sheet with foil. Place washed sweet potatoes on foil (skin still on).  Bake until tender (typically 40-50 min). Once tender, turn off oven and allow potatoes to cool down in the oven. 
  • Remove potatoes from oven and remove skin, put potatoes in the bowl. Add eggs, coconut milk, 1/4 cup of honey, 1/2 cup of Ghee, Sea Salt, Cinnamon & Nutmeg.  Blend until mixed well and smooth. Put in 11 X 7 casserole dish.
  • In a separate bowl mix remaining ingredients to make the crumble topping. Sprinkle evenly over top the sweet potato mixture. Bake in the oven at 350º for 20 minutes or until golden on top. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Video

Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole, gluten free & Dairy Free