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Sweet Potato Casserole

 

This sweet potato side dish recipe has been years in the making. My family goes to great lengths and efforts when gathering for the holidays. Everything is homemade and we don’t spare any ingredients! I remember one Thanksgiving when I was 12 years old. I was asked to participate by being in charge of at least one thing, and I said, “well what can I make?” My aunts thought the easiest thing for me to do would be sweet potatoes, so I gave it a try.

So, that Thanksgiving I was in charge of sweet potatoes. They were not the best and my aunt did her best to fix them, bless her heart! I was determined to master the craft and so several years later, I have come up with this recipe and it is a hit every year. Even for those who swear they don’t like sweet potatoes. There are years that I did not make it for Thanksgiving and I remember hearing complaints that I didn’t make them, especially from my mom. This was one of her favorite Thanksgiving recipes. Maybe because I made them!

 

This version of my sweet potatoes is similar to a sweet potato pie, except without the crust. Over the years I have had to find ways to substitute for dairy and egg, so I provided alternative ingredients for this recipe. We also have allergy concerns in our family, so if that effects yours as well, you can opt out of adding pecans or coconut and/or replace with any crunchy and sweet ingredient you prefer. Because of our allergies I’ve actually only used brown sugar, flour, and butter, and it came out just fine.

Make ahead of time:

This casserole can be made ahead of time and either refrigerated overnight or frozen the week before your dinner party. The baking time will vary if the dish is frozen. Or, you can roast the potatoes ahead of time and save in the refrigerator in a zip lock bag until you’re ready to assemble the casserole. I would do this no more than 1-3 days ahead of time.

 

Here is a link to my favorite casserole dish I use for this recipe.

 

Types of sweet potatoes:

For this recipe I would recommend a traditional yam which has a reddish or purplish skin with bright orange flesh (also called garnet yams). Another good option is the white sweet potato. It is similar in size except it has a beige skin and a white flesh color.

How to roast a sweet potato:

• Wash/clean potatoes thoroughly and pat dry.
• Using a large carving fork, poke a few holes into the body of the potato.
• Place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake in the oven at 400 degrees for approximately 45-60 minutes.

Roasting Tip: You’ll know it’s perfect when you start to see the caramelization out of the potato which is basically the sugar coming out of the potato and baking onto the pan. That will achieve the best flavor.

 

I hope you give this recipe a try. It’s a great alternative from a traditional sweet potato dish. You can serve it as a side or as a dessert. Enjoy!