Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and as we’ve been planning our holiday menu, one dish in particular kept giving me trouble: the sweet potatoes. Growing up my mother made sweet potato casserole every year without fail. Now, I love my mom, and although she seldom cooks, I do love her cooking. However, that casserole was one thing that I always put on my plate only out of politeness and sensitivity — not because it was bad, but simply because it was just too sweet. The sugar, the marshmallows, the cinnamon, the already sweet tubers; it was just too much of a good thing. So in trying to determine this year how I should prepare my own sweet potato side dish, my mind automatically went to a casserole, but I knew that I wanted to balance that sweetness somehow. The answer: salt and heat.
I did a trial run of this dish tonight (just a half-recipe), and it was ah-mah-zing! Yep. The salted nut crust on top and the subtle warmth of cayenne within collaborated with the traditional recipe to make something at once sweet and salty, creamy and crunchy, familiar and unexpected, and altogether balanced and delicious. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you — may your holiday be filled with joy, love, and gratitude.
Ingredients:
Yields 8-10 Servings
– 4 lbs. sweet potatoes (about 4 medium sized tubers)
– 1/2 c. evaporated milk (or almond milk for vegan)
– 4 Tbsp. melted butter, plus 2 Tbsp. for topping (or butter substitute, such as Earth Balance)
– 2 tsp. vanilla extract
– 1/3 c. sugar
– 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
– 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
– 1/4 tsp. white pepper
– 1/8 tsp. cayenne
– 2 eggs, beaten (optional — the eggs are a binder, and make for a stiffer casserole, but personally I think this dish works just as well without them)
– 1 c. salted nuts — I used pecans and peanuts here, but walnuts and cashews would also be excellent, however, the peanuts were especially complimentary to the flavor of the sweet potatoes
– 1/2 c. light brown sugar
– 3 Tbsp. flour
– 1 c. miniature marshmallows
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Wash and dry sweet potatoes. Wrap in aluminum foil and place in oven directly onto rack.
3. Roast sweet potatoes at 400F for approximately 1 1/2 hours, or until soft and a fork or knife can glide through easily
4. Remove from oven and allow to cool
5. Reduce oven temperature to 350F
6. Place sweet potatoes into a large bowl and mash well
7. Whisk in evaporated (or almond) milk, the first 4 Tbsp. of melted butter (substitute), vanilla, sugar, salt, and spices
8. Add eggs if using and mix well
9. Transfer mixture to a 2 qt. baking dish and spread evenly
10. Finely chop your nuts
11. Place nuts in a small bowl and add brown sugar, flour, and remaining 2 Tbsp. butter. Mix well.
12. Sprinkle nut mixture evenly over the top of sweet potatoes
13. Top with the miniature marshmallows
14. Bake in a 350F oven for 20-30 minutes, or until warmed through and nuts and marshmallows are golden brown
Happy Thanksgiving!
theindiehomemaker 