This is NOT your Grandma's yam and marshmallow casserole. This is quite the opposite and is sure to hit the spot for the Holiday Season. Best part about this dish, the leftovers makes for a delightful breakfast with a hot cup of buttered coffee.
I was never a fan of sweet potatoes when growing up. In fact, I didn't really start to like them until I started eating a Paleo diet years ago. It was that Thanksgiving that I finally tried to make my own #paleo sweet potato casserole. As I usually do when making something new, I will find numerous recipes to get a feel for the ingredients and proportions and then create my own. So this is exactly that. This is the sweet potato casserole that I have been making for a few years now and I seriously look forward to it every year. I actually get reminded every Thanksgiving time that I need to make this for more than just the holidays because it is so dang good. But then again, there is also something special about only making certain dishes for special occasions. I'm weirdly sentimental like that.
How does this Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole compare to the 'traditional' version? IT DOESN'T. My version of the holiday "favorite", definitely depending on who you ask because I know some people DESPISE sweet potato casserole, has no refined sugars, definitely does not come from a can and in fact pacts in tons of vitamins and nutrients by using grass-fed butter, pecans, cinnamon, pastured eggs and the sweet potatoes. Oh, AND it's #dairyfree and I PROMISE you there is zero coconut flavor even considering that I use full-fat coconut milk. So if you had ANY reservations about making this for Thanksgiving because you're worried if the family will like your "#healthy and dairy-free" side dish, don't. They will be singing your praises and asking you for the recipe. Promise.
Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole
Filling
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled & cubed
¼ cup full-fat organic coconut milk
4 tbsp. grass-fed butter or ghee
2 organic, pastured eggs
2 tbsp. maple syrup
2 tbsp. coconut sugar
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
Topping
1 ½ cup pecans, roughly chopped
4 tbsp. butter or ghee, softened
2 tbsp. maple sugar
1 tbsp. coconut sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Boil sweet potatoes in stock pot until fork tender; about 10-15 minutes. Drain.
Using an immersion blender (be sure to return sweet potatoes to pot) or food processor, blend until smooth and no chunks of sweet potato remain.
Add remaining filling ingredients to pot, if using immersion blender or to food processor with sweet potatoes. Blend until ingredients are fully combined and butter or ghee is completely incorporated.
Combine all of the topping ingredients in a small bowl with clean hands.
Transfer filling to an 8"x8" baking dish. Smooth top of the filling with a spatula.
Using your hands, carefully place topping on top of sweet potato filling being sure to cover as much of the top as possible. Cover with foil.
Bake for 25 minutes, while covered with foil. Remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes. If topping starts to become too browned then recover with foil for remaining cook time.
If you are cooking multiple things at once in the oven then cooking time will increase to closer to an hour.
Let sit 10 minutes before serving.