Sweet Potato Stuffing

Rachel called. Rachel Stein, class of 2004, now a literary agent. She called on Tuesday afternoon — I was making soup, of course, because I am always making soup when important phone calls arrive — and she said, "Mrs. Feldman. I've read the three chapters. I've been reading your blog for years. I need to ask you something." I said, "Ask." She said, "Have you ever considered writing a book?" I laughed. I said, "Rachel, I just sent you three chapters of a book." She said, "I know. But I've been wanting to ask you for years. I've been reading your blog since 2018 and every post I've read, I've thought: this is a book. This needs to be a book." I said, "I've considered it every day since I was twelve. I just didn't think anyone would want to read it." She said, "I've been reading your blog for years. Everyone wants to read it."

The conversation lasted an hour. Rachel wants to represent me. Rachel wants to sell the book. Rachel believes the book is publishable, is important, is the kind of book that people press into each other's hands and say, "You have to read this." Rachel Stein, whom I taught to write twenty years ago, wants to sell the book that I wrote because she taught me that the writing was worth something, because the student became the agent and the agent is telling the teacher: your words have value. Your soup has value. Your life has value. Write it down. I'll sell it.

I hung up the phone and I sat on the kitchen floor (the kitchen floor: my location for receiving life-changing news) and I cried. Then I stood up. Then I made challah. Because it was Friday. Because Shabbat does not pause for literary agents. Because the challah needs braiding and the candles need lighting and the brisket needs braising and the book needs finishing and all of these things need Ruth, and Ruth is here, on the kitchen floor, crying and laughing and about to make challah, because that is what Ruth does.

The brisket was already in the oven when Rachel called, and by the time I got up off the kitchen floor and braided the challah and lit the candles, I still needed a side dish — something warm and sweet and a little golden, something that felt like a celebration without announcing itself as one. Sweet potato stuffing. I’ve made it a hundred Friday nights, but this one tasted different, because I made it knowing that somewhere in the city, Rachel Stein was already thinking about how to sell my book, and all I had to do was feed my family and finish crying and show up at the table.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

3 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
6 cups cubed day-old bread (challah or a sturdy white bread), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (or olive oil for a pareve version)
1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)
1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside. Spread the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8–10 minutes until lightly dried, then transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Roast the sweet potatoes. Toss the sweet potato cubes with 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil, a pinch of salt, and the cinnamon. Spread on the same baking sheet and roast at 375°F for 20–22 minutes, until just tender and lightly caramelized at the edges. Add to the bowl with the bread.
Sauté the aromatics. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7–8 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, sage, thyme, rosemary, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and cook for another minute until fragrant. Pour the mixture over the bread and sweet potatoes.
Combine and moisten. Add the dried cranberries and nuts if using. In a small bowl, whisk together the broth and beaten eggs, then pour over the stuffing mixture. Gently fold everything together until the bread has absorbed the liquid evenly. The mixture should be moist but not soggy — add a splash more broth if needed.
Bake. Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15–20 minutes until the top is golden and slightly crisp.
Rest and serve. Let the stuffing rest for 5 minutes before serving. It holds beautifully and can be made a day ahead and reheated, covered, at 325°F for 20 minutes.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sweet Potato Stuffing — The Side Dish That Waited While I Sat on the Kitchen Floor