Sweet Potato Casserole
I don’t really consider myself American.
Weird, right?
I was born here and have spent 90% of my life here, yet I don’t feel American. For the first few years that I remember celebrating Thanksgiving with my family, we didn’t even have a turkey. We had either a lamb or a roast. As I got older my dad had a conference in NYC over Thanksgiving weekend, so we would have a Thanksgiving meal at our hotel while watching the parade. I didn’t even have my first sweet potato until I was 18.
Now that I am a married woman and share in my husband’s traditions too, Thanksgiving has come to mean so much more. I love creating traditional Thanksgiving dishes and I love enjoying the Philly parade with friends in the morning and a nice traditional Thanksgiving meal (but with pilaf- you Armos know what I’m talking about!) in the afternoon. This year my dad, brother, and sister in law are coming down too, which makes it even more special.
Given my history, I had to do a little research to learn about sweet potato casseroles. I know it is my favorite dish on Thanksgiving, and I love to get a bit of sweet potato casserole, mashed potato, and turkey all in one bite. I was shocked to learn that many sweet potato casseroles contain eggs and cream and loads of butter and sugar. It is unnecessary. Sweet potatoes are heavenly in themselves, and I simply dressed them up with a fun topping of sweet marshmallows and crunchy pecans.
Welcome to an American Thanksgiving. I’m feeling very thankful this holiday season.
Sweet Potato Casserole
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
5 medium sweet potatoes (about 3 lbs) scrubbed clean, peels left on
1 tbs butter + a bit more for the casserole dish
1/4 cup light cream
1/2 tbs kosher salt
app. 1 cup mini marshmallows
app. 1 cup pecans*
Directions:
1. Put your potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Place over high heat and boil until they are fork tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from water and peel immediately.
2. Set oven to broil. Using either a potato ricer, fork, or potato masher, mash the potatoes in a large bowl (while still hot). Add 1 tbs butter, the salt, and all of the cream and mix to combine.
3. Grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish with the butter. Add the mashed sweet potato mixture. Place the marshmallows and pecans on to the mixture in a fun pattern. I chose to do alternating diagonal lines.
4. Broil for 2 minutes or until the marshmallows are brown and gooey. Enjoy!
*NB: Next time I would slightly toast the pecans prior to placing them on the sweet potato mixture.
Other Thanksgiving posts:
Thanksgiving Lunch Menu 2010
Thanksgiving Brunch Menu 2009
Thanksgiving 2009 Set up
Dishes for Entertaining
Butternut Squash Soup
Well that certainly is a beautiful looking casserole. Looks like you’ve been making it for your whole life!
that’s the prettiest sweet potato casserole i’ve ever seen! and i’m with you…i definitely don’t feel American sometimes even though that’s what i am!
That looks delicious! I am in charge of taking sweet potato casserole to one of our Thanksgivings this year and this may be the recipe!
gorgeous looking display!
while my family’s traditions aren’t “American,” since Ryan and I started dating, I get to experience the real Christmas and Thanksgiving with his family. ๐
It is quite shameful how much sweet potato casserole I hoard onto my plate and yours looks just as hoard-worthy! ๐
Sabrina, my favorite meal on Thanksgiving has got ot be sweet potato casserole too! I actually made it recently just for the heck of it. But I add a bit of orange juice, cloves and nutmeg in small amounts for an extra kick. Love it! Hope you enjoy Thanksgiving with your family coming into town ๐
That is absolutely gorgeous. I do my casserole a little differently (no marshmallows) but am absolutely inspired by that pattern!
That is so pretty, and I’m sure it’s delicious.
Oh my gosh that is gorgeous! One of my favorite holiday sides, for sure!
Wow this turned out absolutely wonderful and looks gorgeous. I might be trying this out for Thanksgiving.
xo
Looks beautiful! I can totally relate to your Thanksgiving celebrations. Although we always have turkey, we never have the traditional mashed potatoes and gravy. We have raviolis (home made by my Nonna when I was growing up)…with gravy ๐ or pasta sauce to non-Italians.
My dad is half Middle Eastern and my Mom is German…so Thanksgiving was never a big deal in my house.
We would usually go to a restaurant and then see a movie in the afternoon.
So, I’m with you on this one…my SO comes from a big family and Thanksgiving is a big deal, and I love it!!! It’s exactly like every movie, magazine portrays it to be!
Sweet potato casserole is my #1 favorite dish for the holidays. I could eat a plateful of it alone and be happy.
It’s such fun finding out about other traditions! I’m spending Christmas with the boyfriend’s family this year and I’m eager to see what their traditions are for the holidays.
Just a thought….
What do you think it would be like if you whipped the cream and folded it into the sweet potatoes, or even whipped egg whites??
@Lauren, That is a brilliant idea!!! I’d probably be too lazy to do it for Thanksgiving (since I have to make a zillion dishes), but I will do my best to try it!
@RhodeyGirlTests,
I will do it and let you know how it comes out!
Even though I’m completely American, my family never really did sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving. This is beautiful!
I’m in charge of the sweet potatoes too! and mand o man does this look good.
If you roast instead of boil the flavor will be even better!
i used to think i hated sweet potatoes because the only time i ever had them was at thanksgiving in that casserole and for some reaons I just don’t like it. It’s beautiful and lovely, but just one I can’t do
Thank you for embracing American Thanksgiving with that casserole ๐ Looks lovely! I think it’s ironic that you don’t “feel” American, per say, because I’ve always thought of you as a classic American girl who fully incorporates her ethnic background into her life.
sweet potato casseroles are already awesome but yours is the prettiest i’ve ever seen! do you have one for green beans in mushroom soup (that’s what i’m in charge of this year)
I’ve never heard of or had a sweet potato casserole, but man it looks good!
YUMMMM! This is my fave as well! I also love putting it on a fork w turkey ๐ I think I will try this healthy version!