Favorite Thanksgiving Sides

I like to make a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner. There won't be a dish of sticky rice in our spread, like some of our Asian friends like to do. Our feast will have turkey, a soup or salad, bread, corn, mashed potatoes, candied yams, stuffing, cranberry sauce, shrimp, a fruit salad and pumpkin swirl cheesecake! Are you hungry yet?
My mom's candied yams and the pumpkin swirl cheesecake are always a crowd pleaser.
So I thought I'd share them with you.

Mom's Candied Yams
I'm sorry there are no exact measurements since it's a family recipe
(This can be made to any size portion)
Yams
Light brown sugar
Butter

Peel and cut yams. Boil yams til it's half cooked, drain and place yams in a bake dish. Lay each piece side by side. Do not overlap.
Sprinkle brown sugar and slices of butter generously on top of yams. Cover with foil.
Bake at 325 degrees F for 20 minutes covered.
Flip each piece and sprinkle more brown sugar and slices of butter and cook for another 20 minutes.
Remove cover and cook for another 15 minutes.
* For best results cook the night before and reheat in oven when ready to serve. The yams get more caramelized and the flavor sets in. Mmmm!

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

PREP: 25 minutes plus refrigerating
BAKE: 55 minutes

2 cups finely crushed ginger snaps
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
3 pkg. (8oz.each) of 1/3 fat cream cheese
1 cup sugar divided
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Mix ginger snap crumbs, pecans and butter. Press onto bottom of 9 inch- springform pan.
Beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup of the sugar and vanilla with the electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended.
Reserve 1-1/2 cups of plain batter. Stir remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, pumpkin and spices onto remaining batter. Spoon 1/2 of the pumpkin batter over crust; top with spoonfuls of 1/2 of the reserved plain batter. Repeat layers. Cut through batter with knife several times for marble effect.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 55 minutes or until center is almost set if using a silver springform pan.
(Or bake at 300 degrees F for 55 minutes or until center is almost set if using a dark nonstick springform pan.) Loosen cake from side of pan; cool before removing rim of pan.
Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator. Makes 12 servings.

ENJOY!
What is your favorite dish that you make during the holidays? 
Please share a good recipe if you have one. I'd love to try it!

Eva