Fall is all about leaves changing color, smells like cinnamon and who can forget the sweet taste of sweet potatoes! During this season, we sometimes go a little bit overboard on sweet potatoes, but here’s how to create sweet potatoe dish a little bit healthier (just so you can have more of it)!
One of the best ways is to use less butter, in order to boost healthy flavors. We added honey and orange zest in this recipe to liven up the flavor so we could cut back on less healthy ingredients like butter. This saved us 7 grams of fat per serving and 4 grams of saturated fat.
Ingredients
3 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 5 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/3 cup honey
1 large egg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Kosher salt
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
1 tablespoon orange zest
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mist an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a pot with a large steamer basket in place. Put the sweet potatoes in the basket, cover and steam until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and let cool slightly.
Add the honey, egg, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the nutmeg, ginger, butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt; add orange zest and whip with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread the sweet potato mixture in the prepared baking dish.
Mix the brown sugar, pecans and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl; sprinkle over the potatoes. Bake until hot and beginning to brown around the edges, 40 to 45 minutes.
Here are FOUR (4) quick tips to try when cooking this dish:
Use room temp ingredients. Allow the eggs and cream to warm on the counter while you boil the potatoes. This will help them blend easier into the base and prevent any texture changes when added to the hot potatoes.
Swap out the nuts. While pecans are the classic choice, the topping would be equally delicious with walnuts instead.
Prep it in advance. For a make ahead sweet potato casserole, prepare the base the day before and put it in your baking dish. Then, bring it to room temperature the day of, add the streusel topping, and bake.
Make it extra Southern. Add a splash of your favorite bourbon to the base instead of vanilla extract. Avoid blends or bottom shelf for the best flavor.
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