Spice Up Your Sides This Holiday Season
The holiday season can often bring traditional family recipes that warm your heart and stir up savory nostalgia. But what if you’re tired of the same old thing? Known for updated family favorites featured at Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille, owner Chris Perry serves up a few tips for a fresh palette sure to bring holiday cheer.
For some families, yams and green beans are a necessity. Surprise the family with flavor by adding apples to your cranberry sauce, blue cheese to the mashed potatoes, or add bacon to the top of a seasonal vegetable puree.
“One of my favorites, which is also featured at Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille, is our butternut squash puree, that can be made very easily at home,” Perry said. “Our recipe calls for yellow onion, garlic, bacon, maple syrup and just a dash of granulated sugar, salt and pepper. To top it off, make a crust with Italian breadcrumbs, parmesan and extra virgin olive oil and place into a broiler until golden brown.”
Seasonal veggies like cranberries, sweet peas, sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash and even cauliflower can also be easily made into a puree that is colorful, tasty, and presents beautifully by adding just a few simple ingredients. It usually takes just a bit of salt, pepper and chicken broth to enhance the natural flavor, but you can also add a variety of herbs, onions and garlic to customize to your family’s taste.
“When it comes to the holidays, it’s fun to play with traditions and create new ones,” he said. “Sharing new recipes and dishes with the ones you love is a fantastic way to make memories that last far past the holiday season.”
For more information on booking holiday parties, and a list of holiday hours for Perry’s locations, please visit PerrysSteakhouse.com
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Founded in 1979, Perry’s is a Houston-based, family-owned business that operates Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille, with nine locations in Houston, Austin, Dallas and San Antonio. For more information, please visit PerrysSteakhouse.com.
Recipe
Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille
Butternut Squash Puree
Makes 8-12 servings
Yield: 8 cups
2.5 lbs butternut squash
3/4 of a yellow onion (medium sized, sliced thin)
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter (unsalted)
1/4 lbs bacon (cooked crisp, fat rendered)
1/2 cup maple syrup
10 cups chicken stock
1. Fry the bacon until crisp and save the fat rendered from the bacon
2. Peel and cut butternut squash, yellow onions and garlic and place in stainless steel pot with 10 cups of chicken stock
3. Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring to boil. After bringing to boil turn down to a simmer and season with sugar, salt and pepper
4. Continue cooking until butternut squash is tender (around 15-20 minutes)
5. Once butternut squash is done, strain the squash through a sieve into a stainless steel bowl and save the cooking liquid in a separate container
6. Begin pureeing the butternut squash with a pole blender
7. You can start with small batches adding the reserved liquid to help puree
8. Also begin adding butter
9. After the butternut squash is pureed with the butter add the crisp bacon, bacon fat and maple syrup
To top it off, make a crust with Italian breadcrumbs, parmesan and extra virgin olive oil and place into a broiler until golden brown.
