Sweet Potatoes with Apples and Pineapple – and definitely without marshmallows

• 4 lb Sweet Potatoes (whatever kind, but I usually use garnet ‘yams’)
• 3 or 4 Granny Smith Apples
• One 20oz Can Sliced Pineapple (or part of a fresh one, sliced)
• Dried Cranberries
• Pecans
• Brown Sugar, Maple Syrup, Pineapple syrup from the can if you have it (How much? How sweet do you like it?)
• Butter
• Salt, Pepper, cinnamon & whatever other spice you like (I like garam masala, but Frankie hates it for this dish. Probably for Thanksgiving, less is more.)

Cook the sweet potatoes, but not too much. They should still be firm-ish because you’ll cook them again. I’ve always roasted these whole and then peeled and sliced them, but since I’ve been reading Samin Nasrat (and watching her on NetFlix!), I’ve been thinking maybe I should peel and slice them before roasting so as to get more caramelization.

Peel and slice the apples and pineapple. Keep the apple slices in some water with a squirt of lemon until you are ready to use them. Rehydrate the cranberries.

Arrange the slices artfully in a buttered casserole dish, tuck in cranberries and pecans here and there, sprinkle some brown sugar and spices, dribble with maple syrup and pineapple juice if you have it (and a little water if you don’t), and dot with butter. Be careful with the pecans–any left high and dry on top will burn.

Bake at 350° covered with aluminum foil until the apples and sweet potatoes are soft–maybe a half-hour or so, then take off the foil and brown the top some. Mind that the pecans don’t burn.