casserole

The Best Sweet Potato Casserole (a.k.a My Thanksgiving Must-Have Side Dish)

If you are looking for an easy side dish for your Thanksgiving gathering, I’ve got just the casserole for you.

I know that I may be in the minority, but I’ve never been a fan of the marshmallow-topped concoctions or those syrupy, too-sweet bakes. That’s why I never really ate sweet potatoes until well into adulthood. I tweaked my mom’s recipe until I not only had a great side dish, but also look forward to it every year.

This recipe has citrus zest to brighten up the potatoes, and a spiced pecan topping to bring texture and crunch. Best of all? You can make it ahead and just pop it in the oven while the turkey rests.

The Best Sweet Potato Casserole

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings 10

Ingredients
  

Casserole

  • 3 29-ounce cans sweet potatoes, drained
  • 1/2 tablespoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2-1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 3/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3/4 cup sugar granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons orange zest
  • 1 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 3 tablespoons butter melted
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • additional butter for greasing casserole

Topping

  • 1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions
 

Casserole

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place sweet potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Add remaining casserole ingredients. Using an electric hand mixer, beat mixture until fluffy.
  • Pour into a buttered 9x13casserole, spreading mixture evenly.
  • Bake casserole at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove casserole from oven, top with pecan mixture, and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Topping

  • In a medium mixing bowl, add brown sugar and all seasonings to melted butter, stirring to incorporate. Stir in pecans until they are well coated. Top casserole with pecan mixture in last 10 minutes of baking.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Our Easter Menu 2022 and a Carrot Soufflé Recipe

I finally planned out the Easter menu, because procrastination is apparently my thing this Spring. The days are flying by this year, for sure.

While I know that ham is traditional on many a southern Easter table, we usually opt for lamb. My family goes bananas for my grilled lamb chops, and with such easy prep and a fast cook time, I’m not juggling cook times and oven space as I often am on other holidays. I also aim for dishes that I can prep ahead, then just toss in the oven or on the grill come lunch time. I’d rather be hanging out and visiting with everyone than stuck in the kitchen on a holiday.

So, here’s the rundown of the big meal:

Maple Mustard Grilled Lamb Chops

Cheesy Hash Brown Potato Casserole

Roasted asparagus (olive oil, salt and pepper, roast at 375 for 10-15 minutes)

This fruit salad

Garlic breadsticks (shaped and baked into rolls instead of sticks)

and Carrot Soufflé (see recipe below).

However, if you are hell-bent on ham, I love this Maple Orange Bourbon Ham, and this Jalapeno Honey Glazed Ham. Both of these would go well with this menu, though I’d switch out the rolls for biscuits.

As for dessert, I will probably whip up a carrot cake, assuming my lost motivation shows up sometime soon. Or maybe break with tradition and do a chocolate fondue-type spread. Now, here’s hoping that I can actually get my hands on everything I need, as the grocery store has been looking a little on the lean side lately.

Carrot Souffle

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour

Ingredients
  

  • 3 pounds carrots peeled and sliced
  • salt
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 6 eggs large
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup butter room temperature

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9x13 casserole dish.
  • Cook carrots in boiling salted water until tender. Drain and set aside.
  • In a food processor or blender, pulse the sugar and eggs until well combined. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, carrots and butter, and pulse to combine. Pour mixture into prepared dish.
  • Bake casserole until set, about 45 minutes to an hour. Serve immediately.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Community Cookbook Throwback Thursday–“Broccoli with Rice” (aka Broccoli. Cheese and Rice Casserole

To kick off the first installment of CCTT, I decided to play it fairly safe and select a recipe I was reasonably sure everyone in this house would eat. (For info about my CCTT project, read here).

This recipe comes from Cotton Country, which was published by The Junior League of Monroe, Louisiana in 1972. The book includes over 1000 recipes, and this particular recipe was submitted by Mrs. Armand E. Breard.

I made this following the directions exactly, and both the husband and the Heathens liked it. You really never can go wrong with a good broccoli rice casserole, and this version is a tasty, basic recipe that is also quick and easy to throw together.

**For CCTT, I will post the recipe exactly as written in the cookbook, but provide my notes and interpretations at the end.**

Broccoli with Rice

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Notes

Ingredients
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 rib celery, chopped
  • 1 package frozen chopped broccoli
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 cup grated cheese or one small jar Cheese Whiz
  • 1-1/2 cups cooked rice
  • Tabasco
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • bread crumbs
Procedure
In a large skillet, sauté the onions and celery in butter until the vegetables are clear. Cook broccoli according to package directions; drain well. Mix broccoli with soup and cheese; add celery and onions. Stir in rice; season and mix well. Put into a greased casserole and top with bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. This cam be mixed ahead and frozen.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

My Notes

  • I used a package of steam-in-the-bag frozen broccoli and I think it was about 10 or 12 ounces
  • You can easily substitute cream of celery in this
  • I used Cheese Whiz, and I think a small jar is about 8 ounces. If you can’t find a small jar, just use half of the 15-ounce jar. If you go with grated cheese, NEVER use pre-shredded cheese in casseroles and sauces. The anti-caking agent they put on pre-shredded cheese to prevent sticking also prevents it from melting evenly and you won’t get the best result in any recipe.
  • I only added a couple of dashes of Tabasco to keep the Heathens from fussing too much.
  • I’d say I probably added 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. of pepper for the seasoning, but just play it by ear.
  • When she says “clear” in reference to the veggies, she just means translucent/softened.
  • You can use seasoned breadcrumbs for this or plain.
  • Usually, the term “casserole” means a 9×13 dish, but when I added the mixture, it ended up being a pretty thin layer in the pan. Next time, I will use a smaller dish or double the recipe.
  • This would be a great potluck dish or side for a big gathering.
  • You could turn this into a full meal by adding cooked chicken, but I would consider increasing the sauce by half to accommodate the chicken.