Since the Thanksgiving trauma of soon-to-be six years ago, I have been looking for ways to get myself through the month of November. The month itself feels less threatening as compared to past years, but the day itself has the potential for unspeakable sorrow. Thankfully I have found the best possible antidote in sharing the day with my other half Josie and her wonderful family who has also become mine. Our visits together are already about as fun as they can be with nearly constant good food, plenty of drinks, late night giggles, and general hilarity, but sharing this holiday allows us to live out our mutual yearning for unique spins on more traditional Thanksgiving foods together.
Last year, we chose a Mexican theme for our meal. Think turkey tacos with pumpkin tortillas, pineapple margaritas, poblano mac and cheese, spicy Brussels sprouts, and even more delicious dishes including this sweet potato spoonbread with smoked gouda and roasted poblano. As someone who is generally iffy about sweet potatoes and spoonbread, I was shocked by how much I ended up loving this dish. It is sweet, spicy, and smoky all at once. I found myself coming back to this dish and loving it even more as leftovers. I made a mental note to share it with you when the season came around again because it really is not to be missed!
Since this dish is so delicious rewarmed and since oven space is at a premium on Thanksgiving day, I recommend baking this ahead of time, perhaps the day before, and then rewarming it just before you are ready to eat. It may not be quite as puffy as when baked the first time through, but it will still be every bit as tasty. As written, the dish has a decent kick to it so you may consider halving the amount of poblano if you are sensitive to spice.