Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

No Thanksgiving is complete without sweet potatoes on the table.  Only, these are much lower in sugar so you can enjoy them as a side dish and not a dessert. 

Thanksgiving is coming!  Aren’t you so excited??  It’s the start of the holiday season.  It’s where all the recipes from your grandmother get pulled out and dusted off.   Family gets together.  Great food gets shared and eaten.

It’s just the best time of the year.  It’s also the unhealthiest too.

One of my MOST FAVORITEST side dishes is the sweet potato casserole.  Unfortunately it can be  LOADED with added sugar.  I know many people who save the sweet potatoes for dessert.  DESSERT!  I mean that’s what the PIE is for.

But some recipes call for THAT MUCH added sugar, plus not to mention many recipes call for adding marshmallows on top.  I’m sorry, but there just has to be a healthier way to enjoy one of natures most deliciously ALREADY SWEETENED vegetables.

Traditionally speaking, you can make this one of two ways:

1. You can use fresh sweet potatoes and bake them in an oven for about an hour.  Let the potatoes cool and then mash them.
2. Or you can buy canned potatoes.   If you choose to buy canned potatoes please know there is a LOT of added sugar.  There are 57 grams of sugar in a 15 oz can, 54 of which are ADDED!  And you need TWO cans for this recipe.

So you already know my thoughts.  Bake the potato !

After the potatoes are cooked and nice and soft,  remove them from their skins and mash them up.  Add the wet ingredients and mix with a hand mixer until they are really nice and smooth.  Taste for seasoning, add a little salt and pepper or cinnamon or nutmeg.  Whatever gets you going.

Then put the sweet potato mixture in a small baking dish.  Top the casserole with a mixture of pecans, butter, sugar and flour and you’re good to go.

Bake for about 25 minutes until the nuts are golden brown the potatoes are nice a bubbly hot!

It’s that easy.  There’s no need for all that added sugar or marshmallows when nature made these potatoes perfectly sweet just as they are.

Can you make this ahead of time?

The answer is YES.

You can make this an hour ahead of time or a day ahead of time.

You can either choose to follow all the steps in the recipe and NOT bake it, just cover the casserole and refrigerate it.  Or you can bake it and simply reheat it the day you plan
to serve it.

Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

• Author: Debi

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 3 Large Organic Sweet Potatoes
• 1/3 Cup Organic Butter, melted
• 2 Tablespoons Organic Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 Organic Eggs, beaten
• 1/2 Cup Organic Whole Milk
• 1 Tablespoon Organic Orange Juice

FOR THE TOPPING:

• 2 Tablespoons Organic Butter, melted
• 1/3 Cup Chopped Pecans
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Flour

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° and place the potatoes on the middle rack and cook approximately 45min-1hour.  Remove from the oven and let cool before peeling.
2. Lightly grease a pie plate or other baking dish with softened butter.  Set aside.
3. Place the peeled potatoes, butter, sugar(s), eggs, milk and orange juice in a large bowl and mix with a hand mixer until combined.
4. Add the mixture to the prepared pan.  Prepare the topping mixture and sprinkle that on top.
5. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the edges slightly pull away.   Let stand before serving.