flavorsoffall – The Ardent Cook

Sweet Potato, Celery, and Apple Bake

This Sweet Potato, Celery, and Apple Bake is an unexpected pairing of veggies and fruit that takes on the feeling and flavor of Thanksgiving stuffing… without all the bread. Not that bread is bad. You just maybe don’t want to devour an entire skillet-full of it on a day that isn’t Thanksgiving. Made entirely in one skillet or baking dish, this bake is quick, delicious, and perfect for an easy fall side.

Ingredients needed to make Sweet Potato, Celery, and Apple Bake

To make Sweet Potato, Celery, and Apple Bake, you’ll need a few key ingredients. The rest is simply for flavor, and you likely have most of it in your pantry already. The full list includes:

Sweet potatoes
Apples
Celery
Shallot
Fresh sage
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Love a short ingredients list!

This recipe uses fresh sage. You can easily grow it, or it can be found in the refrigerated produce section in any major grocery store!

Tools used to make Sweet Potato, Celery, and Apple Bake

The best part about this bake is the low-effort clean up. All you need to make this dish is a sharp chef’s knife for chopping, a cutting board, and a skillet or baking dish big enough to fit everything. That’s it!

How to make Sweet Potato, Celery, and Apple Bake

This recipe is simple to make using only one skillet. You’ll begin by preheating your oven and chopping your vegetables and apples. Since the sweet potatoes take a bit longer to cook than the other produce, those get added to the skillet with olive oil, sage leaves, salt, and pepper, and baked for a few minutes ahead of time. Once the potatoes are partially cooked, add the apples, celery, and shallots. Stir to combine, then return to the oven to finish cooking. That’s IT. I love to serve this bake alongside roasted chicken or turkey, or as a topping over butternut squash or sweet potato soup.

Looking for other one-skillet recipes from The Ardent Cook?

Roasted Apricot Chicken

Cheesy Corn and Poblano Casserole

Chicken with Nectarines and Crispy Prosciutto

Recipe Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large sweet potato, chopped into ½-inch cubes

4 large sage leaves

2 medium tart apples, such as Pink Lady, diced

5 stalks celery, diced

1 medium shallot, minced

½ tsp salt

Black pepper, to taste

Recipe Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place sweet potatoes and sage leaves in a cast-iron skillet and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 12 minutes.
Remove skillet from the oven, then add the apples, celery, and shallots. Season again with a pinch more of salt and pepper. Toss to combine and return to the oven for another 15-18 minutes, until vegetables are tender and slightly caramelized around the edges.
Serve immediately alongside a protein of your choice. I have paired this with both roasted chicken and grilled sausages and it never disappoints. It’s also great as a topping for creamy soups such as butternut squash or sweet potato. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3-5 days, so this is a great meal-prep option. Enjoy!

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Warm Roasted Cauliflower Salad

Warm Roasted Cauliflower Salad is a gourmet take on a traditional vegetable side. The days of steaming cauliflower are over and have been replaced by roasting. I know everyone is probably up to their ears in cauliflower recipes, from cauliflower rice to cauliflower mash to cauliflower Alfredo sauce. Lucky for you, I’m not trying to disguise cauliflower as anything but its own true self in this recipe, which is delicious!

Ingredients needed to make Warm Roasted Cauliflower Salad

It goes without saying that you’ll need a pretty large head of cauliflower, or two small ones, to make this recipe. In addition, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Olive oil
Jarred pesto (I prefer using store-bought here because we’re incorporating it into a dressing… if we we’re having pesto pasta, I’d obviously recommend homemade)
White wine vinegar
Honey
Pitted green olives
Dried cranberries
Slivered almonds
Salt and pepper

Tools used to make Warm Roasted Cauliflower Salad

I always start this portion of the recipe by recommending you invest in a good set of knives. If you aren’t ready to take the plunge into a full knife block, at least get yourself a chef’s knife that has some weight to it. Here is the knife block set I’ve had for two years (and they still look and feel brand new), or an option for just the chef’s knife. In addition, you’ll need a cutting board, large rimmed sheet pan, and a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid (or a mixing bowl and whisk).

How to make Warm Roasted Cauliflower Salad

I love this recipe because you can “set it and forget it” for the most part. The only real cooking involved is roasting the cauliflower, which takes about 20-25 minutes. During that time you can easily gather all the other ingredients you need, quickly toast the almonds in a skillet, shake up the dressing, while still having time to prepare the rest of your meal. When the cauliflower is finished roasting, you’ll layer on the olives, cranberries, and toasted almonds, then drizzle the dressing over the top. Give it a final season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper and you’re ready to enjoy!

Looking for other delicious vegetable sides?

Try these other vegetarian sides from The Ardent Cook.

Cheesy Corn and Poblano Casserole

Blistered Green Beans with Garlic and Ginger

Herbed Carrot Salad

Grilled Zucchini with Feta Cheese and Zesty Oregano Chimi

Recipe Ingredients

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets

2 tbsp olive oil

¼ cup jarred pesto

2 ½ tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp honey

¼ cup pitted green olives, halved

¼ cup dried cranberries

¼ cup slivered almonds

Salt and pepper, to taste

Recipe Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place cauliflower on a large rimmed baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cauliflower is soft and has browned slightly.
Combine the pesto, white wine vinegar, and honey in a large mixing bowl or mason jar with a tight-fitting lid. Whisk (or shake, if using a mason jar) vigorously until the dressing is combined.
Toast almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir them frequently and watch closely until browned and fragrant.
Transfer cauliflower to a serving dish. Top with the olives, cranberries, and almonds. Drizzle with dressing and serve immediately, while the cauliflower is still warm. If you don’t use all of the dressing, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Harvest Steak and Goat Cheese Bowls

Harvest Steak and Goat Cheese Bowls were inspired by a seasonal salsa I picked up at Trader Joe’s this past week. I wanted to create the feeling of a Tex-Mex-style bowl but with flavors of fall. This salsa was the PERFECT addition. Featuring cast-iron sirloin steak, crispy spicy broccoli, goat cheese, and pepitas, these bowls are healthy, filling, and remind you of crisp weather.

Ingredients needed to make Harvest Steak and Goat Cheese Bowls

To make Harvest Steak and Goat Cheese Bowls, you’ll need the following:

Olive oil
Rice
Sirloin Steak
Broccoli
Goat cheese
Roasted, salted pepitas
Ground cumin
Garlic powder
Cayenne pepper
Trader Joe’s Fall Harvest Salsa (seasonal- see picture below)

Tools used to make Harvest Steak and Goat Cheese Bowls

These bowls couldn’t be easier to whip up, making them perfect for a wholesome weeknight dinner. The only special piece of equipment needed is an oven-safe skillet. I prefer to use my cast-iron for the best sear, but any oven-safe pan will work. Here’s the one I use most frequently. In addition to a great skillet, you’ll need the following kitchen tools:

Large pot (to cook rice)
Chef’s knife
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Rimmed sheet pan

How to make Harvest Steak and Goat Cheese Bowls

I love these bowls because of how quickly they come together. The hardest part is cooking the rice, which is where you’ll want to start, as it takes the longest. After the rice gets going, you’ll season the broccoli with cumin, garlic, and cayenne, then roast them for 15-20 minutes until crispy. The steak takes no time at all, and gets seared on the stovetop for a couple minutes each side, then finished in the oven with the broccoli.

As for the assembly of the bowls, simply arrange the broccoli and sliced steak over the rice, crumble the goat cheese, drizzle the salsa over, and finish with pepitas! It’s so simple and makes enough to serve four. I’m typically only feeding Jeff and myself, so I love saving the other two bowls for a meal prepped lunch for the next day. It’s so delicious!

Looking for other hearty bowls?

Give these recipes a try from The Ardent Cook archives!

Pulled Buffalo Chicken Bowls with Blue Cheese Celery Slaw

Ponzu Greens and Grains Bowl

Red Curry Pulled Chicken with Turmeric-Lime Rice

Recipe Ingredients

1 ½ cups white rice (dry)

3 cups broccoli florets (from 1 large head)

3 tbsp olive oil, divided

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp salt, plus more for seasoning steak

One 1-1 ½ lb sirloin steak

½ cup roasted, salted pepitas

2oz goat cheese, crumbled

1 cup Trader Joe’s Fall Harvest Salsa

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Recipe Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium pot with a lid, combine 1.5 cups white rice with 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, stir, and cover the rice. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid.
While the rice cooks, roast the broccoli. Spread broccoli into an even layer on a sheet pan and drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Season with the cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and 1/2 tsp salt. Roast for 15 minutes until the broccoli is tender and florets are beginning to brown and crisp.
Heat a cast-iron or other oven-safe skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. Season the steak on all sides with salt and pepper. When the pan is hot, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and swirl in the pan. Add the steak. Cook for 2 minutes on the first side, then flip and cook an additional 2 minutes.
Transfer pan to the oven and let the steak finish cooking for another 7-9 minutes until it reaches medium. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of the steak should read between 130-140 degrees Fahrenheit. Let steak rest on a plate for at least 10 minutes before slicing it against the grain.
Assemble the bowls. Spoon rice into the bottom of each bowl and divide the broccoli between them. Add a few pieces of sliced steak to each bowl, then top with crumbled goat cheese. Spoon 1/4 cup of Trader Joe’s Fall Harvest Salsa over each bowl, and top with pepitas. Serve bowls immediately, or store in air-tight containers for up to 4 days in the fridge for easy prepped meals! Enjoy!