Forget everything you thought you knew about sweet potato casserole! This recipe elevates the classic side dish with savory flavors, unexpected textures, and a browned butter topping that will redefine your holiday table. Prepare to be amazed by this sophisticated twist featuring Parmesan, garlic, and a touch of bacon for irresistible depth.
Ingredients You'll Need
Let's gather what we need for this amazing sweet potato casserole! For the sweet potato mash, you'll need about 3.5 pounds of sweet potatoes – that's roughly three big ones or six smaller spuds. Don't forget half a cup of sour cream, a half cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and two finely minced garlic cloves, and a quarter teaspoon of black pepper!
For the browned butter and crispy sage—yummy!—grab eight ounces of salted butter cut into cubes and fifteen sage leaves. Finally, for that crunchy topping that'll make everyone swoon (and secretly fight over), you'll need three-quarters of a cup of Panko breadcrumbs — that's a funny word! Also — another half cup of Parmesan, a quarter teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and five ounces of streaky bacon, cooked until golden and finely chopped. This touch of bacon will give the casserole a savory flavor similar to cheese and bacon potato skins. Got all that? Perfect!
Baking and Mashing Made Easy
Now, I'll start off by preheating the oven to 350°F so it's nice and ready! Let's get those sweet potatoes baking. No need to peel them. Just pop 'em on a foil-lined tray.
Baking time, you ask? It depends on size. Smaller ones need about 1 hour 15 minutes and larger ones need around 1 hour 40 minutes. You'll know they're ready when a knife slides in super easily! Much like with baked apples, the oven will create a comforting dessert by softening the insides of the sweet potatoes.
Once they're cool enough to handle — still hot inside, mind you! — cut them open and scoop out all that lovely flesh into a bowl. Next, you'll wanna mash 'em up. I like using an electric beater for super smooth results.
Now, add in the ½ cup of sour cream, ½ cup of freshly grated parmesan, ¾ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Boom!
Browned Butter and Crispy Sage Instructions
I'm ready to tackle the browned butter and crispy sage, and believe me, it's easier than trying to catch a greased pig at the county fair! This is where the magic happens.
First, grab your salted butter—about 250g, cut into cubes. Toss that into a large saucepan over medium heat. Once it's melted and foamy, toss in 15 sage leaves. Cook for about a minute, until they're golden brown.
Fish those leaves out—they're gonna crisp up as they cool on some paper towels. Now, keep the butter on the stove. You'll know it's ready when the foam chills out and you see little black bits at the bottom and it starts smelling nutty. Should be around 180ml!
Finally, strain the butter through a paper towel-lined sieve. This guarantees your final product is smooth and free of any rogue browned bits. Set aside—you'll need it later!
Assembling and Baking the Casserole
With browned butter and crispy sage ready, it is finally time to assemble this magnificent savoury sweet potato casserole!
First, I'm going to place half the mashed potato in my 2-litre baking dish. Now, I'll make swirls on the surface using the back of a spoon – these are butter catchments! Drizzle ¼ cup browned butter over these swirly pools; that's where the magic happens!
Next, I'll gently cover that buttery goodness with the remaining potato. The less I disturb the butter, the better, trust me!
Now comes the fun part: I will sprinkle the parmesan panko topping evenly; pop that casserole in the oven at 180°C – baking for about 25 minutes. The topping should be golden and the edges bubbling – just like my excitement; bake another 5 following the sprinkle with crumbled bacon before serving!
Recipe Notes and Serving Suggestions
Let's talk recipe notes and serving suggestions so you can tweak this casserole to your heart's content! I've got some ideas to help you make it your own.
Don't have fresh sage? No sweat. You can totally sub in about 1/2 teaspoon of mixed dried herbs into the topping. Or hey, skip it altogether – the flavor's already pretty awesome!
For serving, this casserole is fantastic as a side dish for any holiday meal – Thanksgiving, Christmas, you name it! I think it pairs really well with roasted chicken, pork loin, or even a good ol' steak.
Want to get ahead? Assemble the whole thing – sans bacon though – and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just bake it when you're ready, then sprinkle the bacon on for the last 5 minutes!
Short Recipe Version
Browned Butter Savory Sweet Potato Casserole (Short Version)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
- 3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Boil sweet potatoes until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain.
- Brown butter in a saucepan. Stir in brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Mash sweet potatoes and mix in browned butter mixture.
- Pour into a greased baking dish.
- Top with pecans.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle crumbled bacon over the top. Bake for another 15 minutes.
Nutrition (Estimated Per Serving):
- Calories: 300
- Protein: 6g
- Fat: 15g
- Carbohydrates: 40g