Cinnamon Streusel Sweet Potato Casserole

This recipe has so much natural sweetness, you’ll never miss the sugar and marshmallows from that old sweet potato casserole recipe.

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Growing up I was never much of a sweet potato fan. Mostly because I had only experienced them as yams, canned or pureed, smothered under a pillow of sickening sweet marshmallows. Even before I embarked on this healthier lifestyle, I never enjoyed sugary foods, especially if they were intended to be savory, much less desserts. And as a pastry chef I prided myself on creating flavorful desserts, moreso than just dumping mounds of sugar into a recipe because it was supposed to be “sweet”.

My mother, for as much as she cooked from scratch, loved canned and frozen vegetables for the convenience. At some point I discovered fresh sweet potatoes, roasted with butter and a little cinnamon brown sugar and it was a revelation. The texture, melted buttery flavor and slight sweetness changed my opinion. Since then I’ve loved all types of sweet potatoes and have ventured into Hannas and Marasuki varieties. But when Thanksgiving comes around, I love the tradition of yams.

I decided recently, as I was re-imagining this recipe to be more in keeping with paleo, that the nuts could be dusted with tapioca flour to create more of a streusel texture, it helps to bind the nuts and create a crust.

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I used this old baking technique to arrange the potato slices. In a round baking dish, “shingle” the slices around, creating a flower petal look.

This recipe can be made family style, in a large casserole or ceramic pie dish, or individual servings like in this small roasting pan. Be sure to adjust the bake time for the smaller portion.

Yield: 10

Living Delish & Nutrish: Tina Wells

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Cinnamon Streusel Sweet Potato Casserole

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 1 H & 45 MTotal time: 2 H & 15 M

This sweet potato casserole has so much natural sweetness, you’ll never miss the sugar and marshmallows from that old recipe. Could be a new tradition!

Ingredients

For the sweet potatoes:For the streusel topping:Potato CasseroleStreusel Topping

• 3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 6-7 medium sweet potatoes or yams)
• 1/4 cup ghee
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 heaping Tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Salt, to taste

For the streusel topping:

• 1/3 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons tapioca starch
• 1 Tablespoon ghee, melted
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Salt, to taste
• Flaky sea salt such as Maldon, for garnish

Method

Potato Casserole

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Peel and slice the sweet potatoes on a mandolin, using a medium thick setting. You want the slices to be somewhat thick to hold up for the long baking time, but not so thin that they dry out.
3. Arrange slices slightly “shingled” in a prepared casserole dish, or if you prefer, individual oven-safe baking dishes. If your baking dish is round, such as a ceramic pie dish, follow the circular pattern from the outside rim to the center, arranging in a flower-petal pattern.
4. In a sauté pan, melt the ghee and maple syrup, stirring together. Add cinnamon, rosemary and salt. Simmer until fragrant.
5. Pour mixture over sweet potatoes, being sure to evenly distribute to get into all of the spaces, use a pastry brush if needed.
6. Bake for 45 minutes, then cover with foil and bake for an additional 45 minutes. This will ensure that the tops of the slices get a little crispy but they won’t dry out.
7. At this point the potatoes can be cooled and refrigerated until ready to serve.

Streusel Topping

1. When ready to serve, preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. Dust the chopped nuts with the tapioca flour and set aside.
3. In a small sauté pan, melt the maple syrup and ghee, add the cinnamon.
4. Toss the nuts into the ghee mixture, mixing to completely coat.
5. Arrange streusel evenly over potatoes and place in oven for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, to toast the nuts. Serve right away.

https://www.livingdelishandnutrish.com/recipe/cinnamon-streusel-sweet-potatoes

©Tina Wells Luxury Brands, LLC

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