I’ve never been a huge fan of side dishes that are functionally desserts – especially at a meal like Thanksgiving, where you’re definitely going to have at least one kind of pie after the meal itself. And that’s why I developed a recipe for sweet potato casserole that doesn’t use marshmallows.
To me, the sweet, marshmallow-y version is too much like dessert to have alongside my turkey and stuffing. I love the concept of the casserole, however, so I’ve come up with a more savoury version that still has some warm spice and a touch of sweetness, but cannot be mistaken for a dessert!
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole Without Using Marshmallows
This is quite a simple recipe and it can be made in advance, but you need to ensure that you allow for time to bake the sweet potatoes.
I prefer baking them rather than boiling them as you will see in other recipes, as I find it really concentrates their flavours and sweetness.
To bake the potatoes, first poke them all over with a fork, then set them on a baking tray.
Bake in a 180°C/350°F until they’re so tender that a knife can easily pierce through the potato with no resistance. How long this takes depends on the size of the potatoes in question, but plan for at least an hour.
Once the potatoes are cooked and cool enough to handle without burning your fingers, go ahead and use a knife to remove the peels and add the flesh to a large bowl.
To the bowl, also add in a splash of chicken stock, some olive oil, a bit of maple syrup, some parmesan cheese, a bit of fresh chopped sage and a touch of cumin, cinnamon and smoked paprika.
Season generously with salt and pepper and then use a potato masher to incorporate everything until smooth and spreadable.
And that’s the filling done!
Now, move on to the topping. I went for a crumbly pecan topping for this (I wanted some texture and obviously wanted to avoid marshmallows.
Add some olive oil and maple syrup to a saucepan and set it over medium heat. Once it’s bubbling, add some chopped pecans and cook, stirring constantly, until the syrup coats the pecans (this will only take a minute or two).
Remove from the heat and add in some flour, a bit more parmesan cheese and some more fresh sage. Stir until everything is well combined.
Now, scrape the filling into a casserole dish and smooth it out so it’s evenly dispersed. Then, sprinkle the topping on top of the filling so that it’s evenly coated.
Move the casserole back into the oven and bake until the filling is bubbling up and the topping is crisp and golden – about 30 minutes or so.
Once baked, allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes, at least, before serving. Go ahead and enjoy this savoury side dish alongside other classic dishes (green bean casserole, for example) and leave the sweets for dessert (maybe my homemade pumpkin pie or pecan pie recipe…)
Sweet Potato Casserole Without Marshmallows
Ingredients
Mashed Sweet Potato
- 1½ kg (3 lb) sweet potatoes
- 120 ml (½ cup) chicken or vegetable stock
- 60 ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 25 g (¼ cup) parmesan cheese finely grated
- 1 tbsp fresh sage finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Pecan Topping
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 100 g (1 cup) pecans roughly chopped
- 100 g (⅔ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour (see note 1)
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese finely grated
- 1 tsp fresh sage finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Use a fork to prick several holes through the skin of the sweet potatoes. Place the potatoes on a parchment-lined baking tray and move to the oven. Bake until the potatoes are completely tender and offer no resistance when pierced with a knife, 1-1½ hours, depending on the size of the potatoes.
- Allow the potatoes to rest until cool enough to handle. Use a paring knife to remove the peel from the flesh of the potatoes. Add the flesh to a large mixing bowl.
- To the bowl with the sweet potatoes, add the chicken (or veggie) stock, olive oil, maple syrup, parmesan, sage, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, pepper and salt. Use a potato masher to combine all of these ingredients together until very smooth and homogenous. The mixture should be soft and spreadable but not loose – add a splash more stock if needed.
- Next, make the topping. Add the olive oil, maple syrup and a generous pinch of salt to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Once bubbling, add the pecans and cook, stirring frequently, until the syrup mixture thickens slightly – about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the flour, parmesan and sage along with a generous grind of black pepper. Stir until combined and crumbly.
- Scrape the mashed sweet potato mixture into a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in) baking dish and smooth the top. Sprinkle the pecan topping over the top. Move to the 180°C/350°F oven and bake for 25-30 minutes – or until the filling is bubbling and the topping is golden and crisp. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- For a nuttier flavour, swap an equal amount of rye or wholemeal flour for the plain flour
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The casserole can be made in advance. Before baking, allow the assembled casserole to cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat
From refrigerated: bake at 180°C/350°F, uncovered, for 30–35 minutes or until heated through and bubbling. From frozen: thaw overnight in the fridge for best results, then bake as above. Alternatively, bake from frozen at 180°C/350°F for 45–60 minutes, covering loosely with foil for the first 30 minutes to prevent over-browning. If the topping begins to darken too quickly, loosely tent with foil. For extra crispness, uncover for the final 5–10 minutes.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Sweet potato casserole can still be rich, slightly sweet and super good without too much sugar and a marshmallow topping.
Are you after a marshmallow-free sweet potato casserole? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
