Lightened-Up Sweet Potato Casserole. {Video!}
Today I start working on my 30th year. At least I think that is how this works, right? I turn 29, but that means I’m working on my 30th year, correct? I sure as heck hope so since I’m structuring an entire blog post about it.
It seriously makes my brain explode when I think about the fact that I have been walking this earth for nearly 30 years. Maybe it’s because I’m so horrific at math (I froze in the back of a cab in San Francisco this past weekend when I had to tip the driver… disaster), or maybe it’s because I usually reserve the idea of “30 years” for long lasting marriages (which uh, by the way… how the HECK have those people not killed each other? they must not be snorers or cover-stealers).But
THIRTY years?! Is this even sweet potato casserole worthy?
As usual, I came to this party totally unprepared. If I was super creative or managed to think about something other than the next five minutes in front of my face, I would have made something completely chocolate-covered, bacon-infused, sugar-loaded and salty. Because salt is heaven.
But I didn’t. I made sweet potato casserole. Boring sweet potato casserole. Nothing worthy of birthday celebrations. Can I have an assistant? Not because I’m busy enough but because I need a second brain. It would help us all. Really.
So this whole turning 29 thing? I’ve never been one to freak about birthdays. I’ve never spazzed at the thought of turning 30 or 40 or even 50. I mean, yesterday I spent six hours on a plane listening to Kenny G on my iPod for the second time in 48 hours. I’m pretty sure I’m closer to age 50 than 29, right? Without all the wisdom and stuff.
As your typical product of the internet generation, I grew up assuring myself that by this age I’d have spent my college years being even cooler than Jessica Wakefield, the majority of my 20s gallivanting in and out of popular clubs in an even more popular city, and the rest of the time making millions of dollars, owning some kind of mansion on water somewhere, marrying someone who doesn’t come complete with a stuffed turkey, popping out four or ten Ralph Lauren polo-clad kids, and decorating my entire life a la Martha Stewart.
Raise your hand if you think I read too many fiction novels.
And thanks a lot to you too, MTV.
I definitely drank the koolaid.
Soooo. Here I am. I cook way too much food in my kitchen and then talk about something completely other than that food to my invisible internet friends. I pretend to know what I’m doing even though many days I honestly have zero idea… ever. I don’t wear ball gowns every weekend and I don’t sit at cool coffee shops and I don’t have a house in Malibu and I don’t have a wardrobe like Carrie Bradshaw. The money tree I planted must have began with faulty seeds because, uh… I see no bills laying in my backyard. Fail.
29 is so different at 29 than I thought it would be at 7 and 15 and even 21. But it’s just what I need and it certainly is… delicious? Yes. So I’m gonna eat up.
Lightened-Up Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
sweet potato layer
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/3 cup canned lite coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
oatmeal coconut pecan crumble
- 1/2 cup whole, unsalted pecans, chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened, flaked coconut
- 1 tablespoon whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Peel and chop sweet potatoes into 1 1/2 inch cubes. Add to a pot with cold water, then bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 20-30 minutes, then drain. While sweet potatoes are cooking, add butter to a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisking constantly, cook until little brown bits appear in the pan – about 4-5 minutes. Remove immediately from heat and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In the bowl of an electric mix (or a large bowl, using a hand mixer), add sweet potatoes. Add all remaining ingredients – sugar, syrup, spices, salt, vanilla extract, coconut milk and brown butter – and mix on low speed until combined about 30 seconds. Mix on medium speed for another 1-2 minutes, until potatoes are whipped. Spread in an oven-safe pan or dish. I used an 9 x 2 1/2 round tart pan.
- Combine oats, flour, pecans, coconut, spices and salt in a bowl and mix to thoroughly combine. Add in softened butter, and use your hands to completely moisten the mixture and clump it together. Sprinkle the crumble around the outside of the dish, leaving room in the center for marshmallows. Add marshmallows to the middle. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until crumble is golden and marshmallows are gooey.
- Notes: If you want to skip the marshmallows, I suggest doubling the crumble mixture and covering the entire top with it. If you can’t find unsweetened, flaked coconut (I use Bob’s Red Mill brand), using sweetened is fine, but I would decrease the sugar by a 1/2 tablespoon (or more/less, depending on tastes). You can also sub in milk, cream or half and half for the coconut milk if you wish. However, the coconut milk does NOT add a coconut flavor to the casserole.
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
Since, like always, I spent so much time talking about myself, I forgot to tell you about that orange stuff up there. It’s good. It has less than half the sugar and butter than regular sweet potato casserole has. I threw a bunch of stuff in the dish and said a prayer that it would turn out. It has lovely coconut milk. Mmmmm. But! IT HAS BROWN BUTTER. That should be enough. Make. Now.
343 Comments on “Lightened-Up Sweet Potato Casserole. {Video!}”
Made this for Turkey-Day and it was a HIT! Thank you! :)
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Sara Posted on Hi, I don’t think it’s a total throw away; looking at the oranigil one from Antro, it looks like their main architectural element was a unified white base of beads, with some accents of colour and then the flashy rim that was holding all of the candle bulbs. If you rejigg your design so that there is one main colour forming the shape of your lamp and then embelish the top and the bottom it would come off a lot better. Maybe try a string of twinkle lights wrapped in tulle glued around the bottom of the lamp instead of a single bare bulb?
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Lynn — JANUARY 30, 2013 @ 1:02 PM
Just bought the TJ dip and went on line to search for a similar recipe. Was thrilled
to find your recipe and lol’d a lot – one of my first readings of an official blog!
I recently turned 61 – and my brain has a doubly hard time wrapping around this # as yours! I love cooking and writing too, but only now have enough spare time
to start indulging. BTW I am in a wonderful marriage of 37 years – it can be done!
We have a king bed with ample covers and my husband got skinny so he no longer snores!
We have the same birthday. No wonder I admire you so much. I’be been ready your blogs for several months and just love them.
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I’m excited to make this for thanksgiving! I am in love with the coconut addition! Have you ever made this a day ahead and then baked the next day?
i do make this ahead of time since i always have to go multiple places on thanksgiving! i make the sweet potato portion and put it in the dish it will bake in. in a separate bag i take the marshmallows. in another bag, i take the crumble mixture – everything but the butter. i take the softened butter with me. when i get to the location, i mix the crumble with the butter, top the casserole and bake it all!
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I made these for Thanksgiving yesterday and they were delicious! Even my mother, who doesn’t normally like sweet potatoes, gobbled (ha!) them up. Thank you for a fantastic recipe!
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Love this recipe! I have made it for three years and everybody always raves about it. Just wanted to find out what brand/where your blue tart pan is from? Thanks!
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This recipe seems like it would be a hit during Thanksgiving! I’m definitely going to have to give it a try!
My favorite recipes are ones homemade because you can put any ingredients you want in there. This lightened up sweet potato casserole perfectly depicts how you can make any dish lighter calorie when making it at home!
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Oh my gosh, this sounds fabulous. Totally going on my Thanksgiving Menu this year!
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OMG! That means you’re now 36. Oh, the horror. How can you live with yourself?
But in all seriousness, your recipe looks delicious, and I plan to make it next week as part of my Thanksgiving Feast. So thanks for that. But not for making me feel so old at 65. Just wait, you’ll get there. And won’t that be fun? :)
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Hi! I am looking to make this for Thanksgiving—any way to sub oil for the butter?
i would leave the butter out in the sweet potato layer (since you brown it) – but i think you could do coconut oil for the crumble layer!
Hi! Planning to make this for Thanksgiving as well. How far in advance could I prep the sweet potato base? I’m assuming the topping should be done right before popped into oven so it doesn’t get soggy?
you can do it as early as today! just store it in the fridge.
and yes – don’t mix the topping until right before baking, but i do usually mix together the dry ingredients! so when it comes time to bake, just mix the dry ingredients with the butter and sprinkle!
Great thank you for responding! Also making your pumpkin dream cake for the first time.✨ Happy Thanksgiving to you!