This Savoury Sweet Potato Casserole tastes delcious and makes a beautiful presentation on your holiday table. The recipe as written serves a large crowd, however, you can cut the recipe in half and bake it in a smaller dish, if you wish.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Total Time50 minutesmins
Servings: 10to 12
Ingredients
5poundssweet potatoes
6 Tablespoonsunsalted butter plus more for greasing baking dish
1Tablespoonextra-virgin olive oil
3-4large shallotsthinly sliced, or ½ onion, finely chopped
2 garlic clovesminced
1/3cupfresh sage leaves, or a 1/2 cup mix of rosemary and sage
2large eggs
1 ½cupsfresh breadcrumbspulse fresh artisanl bread in a food processor (or use panko breadcrumbs)
1 ½cupsfinely grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
3/4cup2% milk (or unsweetened non-dairy)
3/4teaspoonKosher salt
freshly ground black pepperto taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Using a fork, poke a few holes in the sweet potatoes so steam can escape. Place the sweet potatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in the oven until very tender, 60 - 75 minutes, depending on size. You can also peel, cube, and boil the sweet potatoes for 15 - 20 minutes, or until tender when poked with a fork, then drain.
Butter a 13 x 9 inch (or 8x11) baking dish. If baking the casserole right away, leave the oven on without changing the temperature.
While the sweet potatoes are baking, place a medium skillet or saucepan over medium heat and melt 6 Tablespoons of butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil. When butter foams, add the sliced shallots and sauté until softened and the butter has started to brown, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat and add the garlic and chopped sage (and any other herbs you may be using) and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Set aside to cool slightly.
When the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and discard the skin and place potatoes in the bowl of a food processor. Add the eggs and half of the browned butter-shallot-herb mixture. Puree the mixture until smooth. (*See notes if you aren't using a food processor.)
Place the breadcrumbs in a small bowl and add the remaing browned butter-shallot-herb mixture on top. Toss so that all the breadcrumbs are nicely coated.
Transfer the pureed sweet potato mixture into a large bowl and add the parmesan cheese, milk, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Using a spatula, mix until well combined and smooth.
Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Pour into the prepared baking dish and top with breadcrumb mixture. Bake until crumbs are golden and crisp, about 20-25 minutes.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Bon AppetitMake without a food processor:Place the baked sweet potatoes in a large bowl along with the eggs and most of butter-shallot-sage mixture (reserve a few tablespoons for the breadcrumbs). Using a potato masher, or a large fork, mash the mixture until very smooth and fluffy, adding the milk and cheese in increments. You can also use an immersion blender. To make aheadTo make one day ahead, assemble the casserole with the topping, and place covered in the refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator one hour before placing in the oven, and bake until heated through and the crumb topping is a nice golden-brown colour.TIP: Bake the sweet potatoes up to 3 days ahead and store in the refrigerator, covered with foil. Heat them slightly in the oven or microwave when ready to assemble the casserole, which will make mashing them easier.