These creamy garlic mashed potatoes and maple glazed green beans with ham are the perfect sides for your holiday gathering.

Thank you to ALDI for sponsoring this blog post. All opinions are my own.

This time of the year it seems like there’s so much going on. Everyone seems to be in a rush and in somewhat of a holiday daze. I think it’s easy for us to find ourselves going through the motions this time of the year because everything moves so quickly. One thing is for certain though; good food will always bring people together no matter what. There is no better way to bond than over a good meal.

Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated this time of the year, nor does grocery shopping, which is why I partnered with ALDI to bring you these two recipes. The items used in both recipes were purchased from ALDI. I love when I can get everything that I need from one store, seriously!

The first recipe is for the creamy garlic mashed potatoes. This is somewhat of a classic recipe. The potatoes are whipped with heavy cream and butter, and a hint of garlic because we didn’t want to overdo it.

The second recipe is for the maple glazed green beans with ham. We added a little maple syrup to the green beans to give them a touch of sweetness. The maple flavor goes really well with the ham.

How to Make Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

First, peel the potatoes then cut them into chunks and boil them in salted water. They should boil for approximately 20 minutes or until they can be easily pierced with a fork. While the potatoes are boiling, heat the cream, butter and garlic over low heat. Once the potatoes are done boiling, drain them really well. Then place them in a large bowl and mash them. Then slowly stir in the cream. For extra creamy whipped potatoes, blend them with a hand mixer. Highly recommend this method! Season the potatoes lightly with salt and pepper

How to Make Maple Glazed Green Beans

First you want to blanch the green beans. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil then place the green beans in the water and boil for 3 minutes. Drain them, and then place them in a bowl of ice water for a couple minutes. While the green beans are in the ice water, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Then add the chopped ham and maple syrup to the pan. Cook for a couple minutes, then add in the green beans and cook for a couple more minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

The Best Holiday Sides

Yield: Mashed Potatoes: 6-8 servings Green Beans: 5-6 servings

Author: Jasmine Comer

prep time: 15 Mcook time: 25 Mtotal time: 40 M

These creamy garlic mashed potatoes and maple glazed green beans with ham are the perfect sides for your holiday gathering.

ingredients:

For the Mashed Potatoes

3 lbs yellow potatoes (also known as Yukon gold)
6 tbsp Simply Nature Organic Salted Butter
1 cup + 2 tbsp Countryside Creamery Heavy Whipping Cream
1 garlic clove, minced
Stonemill Salt & Stomemill Ground Black Pepper to taste

For the Green Beans

1 lb green beans
1 tbsp Simply Nature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 slice Appleton Farms Spiral Sliced Half Ham, chopped
2 tbsp Specially Selected 100% Pure Maple Syrup
1 tsp Simply Nature Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
Stonemill Salt & Stonemill Ground Black Pepper to taste

instructions:

How to cook The Best Holiday Sides

For the mashed potatoes

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel the potatoes and then cut them into large chunks. Boil them for approximately 20 minutes or until they can be easily pierced with a fork. While the potatoes are boiling, heat the butter, cream, and garlic in a small saucepan over low heat.
Once the potatoes are done boiling, drain them really well. Then place them in a large bowl and mash them. Slowly add in the heavy cream mixture and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. For extra creamy, whipped potatoes blend them with a hand mixer on a high speed.