Do traditional Thanksgiving dishes have you feeling lukewarm? Try shaking things up by tossing a couple of Mesquite Bean recipes to upgrade those classic dishes with a tasteful Texas flair.
Let’s face it, Thanksgiving dinner is a meal defined by traditions with the same dishes, guests and drama making an appearance at the table year after year. But as with most everything in 2021, this Thanksgiving is probably going to be different. Having lived through two years of upended uncertainty, there's a case to be made for embracing the familiar, and taking comfort in making tried and true Turkey Day classics. On the other hand, if you've been waiting for the right opportunity to switch things up, the year of hope is definitely the time to do it!
With that plucky spirit of experimentation in mind, Cappadona Ranch has created two easy-peezy add-ins that will put a tasty twist on your Thanksgiving menu. So ditch the cranberry sauce and bust out your cast iron skillet for a Texas Mesquite Bean take on your traditional holiday meal. Minimal supervision required, optimal flavor guaranteed.
Mesquite Fall Ratatouille
Purée Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons mesquite flour
1 small white onion, thinly sliced
¾ cup orange sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4 in thick rounds
¾ cup yellow potato, peeled, cut into 1/4 in thick rounds
½ cup gala apple, peeled roughly chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup vegetable stock, divided
Ratatouille Ingredients:
3 small orange sweet potatoes, 1½ inch wide, cut into 1/8 in thick rounds
3 small yellow potatoes, 1½ inch wide, cut into 1/8 in thick rounds
3 small purple potatoes or white potatoes, 1½ inch wide, cut into 1/8 in thick rounds
3 yellow squash with skin, 1½ inch wide, cut into 1/8 in thick rounds
3 gala apples with skin cut into 1/8 in (3 mm)
1 5oz. bag of baby spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F
In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, add potatoes, apple, thyme, mesquite flour and salt. Sauté for 10 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add ½ cup of vegetable stock and cover the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20–25 minutes, until the vegetables are completely softened. Remove the pot from the heat.
Remove the thyme stems and discard. Add the remaining ¼ cup of vegetable stock and blend with an immersion blender until completely smooth. If needed, season with extra salt to taste.
Spread the purée over the bottom of an 10-inch cast iron skillet. Arrange the orange sweet potatoes, yellow potatoes, purple or white potatoes, yellow squash in skin, apple slices with skin about 5-6 spinach leaves in an alternating pattern on top, working from the outside in. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of mesquite flour and olive oil over the top and season with the salt, pepper, and thyme.
Cover the pan with foil and bake the ratatouille for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 20–25 minutes, until the vegetables are softened and starting to brown. Serve warm.
Ingredients:
4 large apples sliced with skin
1 lemon
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
Directions:
In a medium size bowl fill half way with water and squeeze juice of one lemon to prevent apples from browning. Working with 1 apple at a time, cut around the core, discarding the core and removing the "cheeks." Slice the cheeks. (I like to slice mine thin but you don’t have to.)
Next in a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar and mesquite flour. Stir to combine. Add the sliced apples, stir to coat, and let sit for 30 minutes.
In a large pot over medium heat sauté apples for approximately 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Next, purée in a food processor or blender until smooth. Store in the refrigerator and serve by itself, over pork chops, baked ham, ice cream, pancakes, oatmeal, toast, yogurt and more. 
