So, Thanksgiving has come and gone. I didn’t hurry to post my T-giving posts, since it is already over anyway. However, as Christmas is on the horizon, this will be fitting for then.

One of the must-haves in my family’s Thanksgiving dinner menu (or any time we make turkey, which is several times a year – we LOVE it and look for any occasion to make it) is potato “stuffing” as made in the USVI.

In the Virgin Islands, this is a traditional side to Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey dinner.  Even though it is called stuffing, it is not stuffed into anything, and definitely not the turkey. It looks like it is made from yams, but it is actually made out of white potatoes, brown sugar, and tomato paste or tomato sauce. It is a savory and spicy potato side, rather than the sweet Thanksgiving sweet potato side dishes common in the US. It can also be made as a weekday dinner side dish. I also think it tastes good reheated, but you wouldn’t want to eat this cold.

Cruzan Potato Stuffing
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 mini sweet peppers (or half one regular sweet bell pepper), chopped

2-3 tablepoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons butter

2 pounds potatoes, boiled and mashed

3 tablespoons tomato paste
2-4 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 cup raisins
1 egg (optional)
1/2 – 3/4 cup milk
 

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 325.

Boil and mash potatoes, set aside.  Do not add any milk or butter to the potatoes.

 

Heat oil in medium sized pot.  Add onions, garlic, parsley, and peppers. Saute  3 or 4 minutes.

Add butter

Stir to melt butter, adding tomato paste, oregano, and brown sugar

Saute 2 -3 minutes more till it looks like this

Remove from heat.  Add potatoes to pot, along with raisins, milk, and beaten egg, fold all ingredients to incorporate  completely. You want the consistency to be slightly more liquid/thinner than mashed potatoes if you add the egg. If you do not add the egg, let it be the same consistency as mashed potatoes.

Spread in an oiled 9″ pie plate.

Bake for 45 minutes until top is golden brown.

Optional – You can add a couple of drops of hot sauce if you like it spicier, when you add the milk. I’ve done that before, but my kids don’t eat it like that. I don’t always add the egg, and it is perfectly good, and lower in fat without it.

Semi-homemade variation – you can use instant mashed potatoes instead of boiling and mashing regular potatoes.