Thanksgiving Vegetable Casserole

This is what I’m bringing to dinner tomorrow. I’ve made a variant of this once before, and it was delicious and went over very well. It’s a good way to get multiple veggies into one dish, especially if (like me) you like cranberries but the rest of your dining companions don’t (or are at best ambivalent). To dress it up a bit, garnish with some parsley before serving. Makes 6-8 servings.

• 3 cups (1/2-inch) sliced raw carrots (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 2 1/2 cups (1/4-inch) cubed peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a shallow 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with butter. Bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours or until tender, stirring after 45 minutes.