Sweet Potato Casserole
This sweet potato casserole recipe is not overly sweet, avoiding marshmallows, canned pineapple, honey, and excessive sugar. The sweet potatoes are baked, not boiled, for better flavor and less wateriness. They are baked, cooled, peeled, and then mashed until light and fluffy.
This sweet potato casserole recipe is not overly sweet, avoiding marshmallows, canned pineapple, honey, and excessive sugar. The sweet potatoes are baked, not boiled, for better flavor and less wateriness. They are baked, cooled, peeled, and then mashed until light and fluffy.
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup pecans
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger ground
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 6 pounds sweet potato
- 2 teaspoon orange zest finely grated
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/4 tablespoon black pepper or to taste
- 4 tablespoon butter 1/2 stick melted
- Carbohydrate 85.0615720223247 g
- Cholesterol 15.2515625065405 mg
- Fat 8.43882276833178 g
- Fiber 10.7161470892856 g
- Protein 5.88620653221001 g
- Saturated Fat 3.9393867841961 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (387g)
- Sodium 232.172865146092 mg
- Sugar 74.3454249330392 g
- Trans Fat 0.598009152464768 g
- Calories 430 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter a 2-quart casserole and set aside.
- Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, beating until smooth. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed.
- Scoop into the casserole, spreading to the edge and roughing the surface. Bake uncovered on the middle oven shelf for about 45 minutes or until tipped with brown.
- Serve hot as an accompaniment to roast turkey, chicken, or pork. Good, too, with pork chops.
Trading canned sweet potato puree for whole root vegetables fundamentally alters the moisture content and structural integrity of a baked side dish. Fresh tubers contain dense starches that lock onto added butter and citrus juice rather than separating into a watery slurry during baking. Roasting them whole before peeling concentrates their natural sugars through gradual caramelization, creating a foundation that requires far less added sweetener.
- Bake the sweet potatoes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until entirely tender, allowing natural enzymes to convert complex starches into maltose.
- Allow the hot roots to cool completely before handling, which firms the flesh and makes peeling effortless by hand.
- Incorporate fresh orange zest and juice carefully; the citric acid balances the rich butterfat while brightening the earthy root flavor.
- Rough the surface of the mixture with a fork before baking to create numerous small edges that brown quickly under direct heat.
- Bake the casserole uncovered on the middle oven shelf for roughly 45 minutes until the exposed ridges turn a rich amber brown.
Chemistry dictates how these components behave under sustained dry heat. The pectin in fresh sweet potatoes softens gradually during roasting, binding smoothly with the dairy fats and ground spices without requiring chemical thickeners.
