Sweet Potato Souffle Casserole is light and fluffy, but uses less sugar than similar recipes and it has a secret ingredient that just makes the flavor explode! And the best part? This holiday side dish can be made up to 2 days ahead to help keep you sane during busy holiday meals!
I'm joining forces with a group of awesome food bloggers this week to help you plan your holiday menus with great holiday side dish recipe inspirations like this incredible sweet potato recipe.
I'm sure everyone can agree, a Thanksgiving meal wouldn't be a Thanksgiving meal without turkey. However, as much as I love turkey, it's really the side dish recipes that make the meal shine. Classic holiday side dishes such as Cherry Pecan Stuffing, homemade apple cranberry sauce, country style green beans, and of course, sweet potatoes compliment the turkey perfectly and complete the meal.
My recipe for sweet potato souffle casserole is one I've been making for years! I found that adding orange juice and zest really compliments and brightens the sweet potato flavor. Using orange juice, also adds a bit of natural sweetness to the casserole. That allows me to use a lot less sugar than other sweet potato souffle recipes out there. That's my secret to the perfect sweet potato casserole.
Sweet Potato Casserole vs. Sweet Potato Souffle
If you search the internet, you'll find a plethora of recipes for sweet potato casseroles and sweet potato souffles. They are both similar in that they use sweet potatoes as a main ingredient. A sweet potato souffle can be a sweet potato casserole but a sweet potato casserole isn't always a souffle.
In researching this topic, what I found was one discernable factor. What makes a sweet potato souffle a souffle and not merely a casserole is the addition of eggs to the whipped potatoes. Eggs help the casserole bake up light and fluffy.
What's the difference between a sweet potato and a yam?
You might have used the both terms to describe the classic orange potato most commonly served as a Thanksgiving side dish. However, there is a distinct difference between a sweet potato and a yam.
A yam has a dry, starchy, whitish interior and a dark bark-like thick skin. It's not very sweet. Yams are primarily grown in West Africa and imported to the United States for sale.
A sweet potato, on the other hand, has a moist interior that can vary in color from white, orange, or even purple. The most common color being orange. It has a smooth, thin, skin and a sweet taste. It is primarily grown in North Carolina. It is the sweet potato you are familiar with. It's not a yam, it's a sweet potato!
Are sweet potatoes good for you?
Sweet potatoes are very good for you! They are packed with Vitamin A, fiber, and potassium. They provide you with the complex carbohydrates needed for energy. A medium sweet potato is about 100 calories.
How do you make Sweet Potato Souffle?
Begin by gathering the ingredients:
- fresh sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- brown sugar
- unsalted butter, room temperature
- kosher salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- ground cinnamon
- ground ginger
- a medium sized orange
- half and half
- large eggs
- pecans
Cook the sweet potatoes. There are several ways to cook the sweet potatoes to use in this sweet potato recipe. I've used each method over the years, but prefer to boil the potatoes. I guess I'm old school like that.
There are probably other methods to cook sweet potatoes for this recipe, but I've outlined three methods I've used in the past below. You can use any method you like to cook the potatoes, but the boil method is what is included in the recipe card below.
- Boiling sweet potatoes - Peel whole sweet potatoes and cut into 2 to 3-inch cubes. Add the cubed sweet potatoes to a large stock pot. Fill with cold water until the cubes are covered by a few inches. Salt water. (I use about 2 tsp. of kosher salt). Bring to boil over medium high heat and turn down to a steady simmer. Cook potatoes until they are fork tender (about 20 to 30 minutes or so.) Drain well and pour into large mixing bowl.
- Baking sweet potatoes - Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Scrub the skins of whole sweet potatoes. With a fork, poke each potato a couple of times to pierce the skin. Wrap each potato in foil and place on a large baking sheet with sides. (I like to use a silpat or parchment paper to line the pan with to capture any sticky drippings the sweet potatoes may leak for easy clean up.) Bake in oven until the potatoes are soft when squeezed in the thickest part. Bake time will vary with size and thickness of sweet potatoes. When they are soft, remove from oven and cool enough to handle. (Tip: Potatoes can be baked a day ahead, and once cooled stored in refrigerator until ready to use in recipe.) When cool enough to handle, peel skin off and put flesh in a large mixing bowl.
- Instant Pot sweet potatoes - Scrub the skins of whole sweet potatoes. Place one cup of water in the bottom of the inner pot of the IP. Place the rack that comes with the instant pot on top of the water into the inner pot. Place potatoes on rack. Seal IP and use the manual mode set to pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. (You may need to adjust time according to the size of your sweet potatoes. Large, thick potatoes may need more cook time.) Allow a natural pressure release. When cool enough to handle, peel skin off and put flesh in a large mixing bowl.
Once the potatoes are cooked and ready to go in a large mixing bowl, add the brown sugar, butter, salt and pepper, cinnamon, ginger, orange juice, orange zest, and half and half.
Combine with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Whip in the eggs until well combined. Spread mixture into prepared pan.
Top with pecans and brown sugar and cover with foil. Bake as directed. Allow to cool for 5 - 10 minutes before serving.
Can this sweet potato souffle casserole be made ahead of time?
Yes! This sweet potato casserole can be made 2 days ahead of time. Prepare the casserole to step 6 in the recipe card and cover tightly with foil. Keep in refrigerator until ready to finish. When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator and set out for 30 minutes while oven heats. Remove foil and top with pecans and sugar, replace foil and bake as directed above.
Can this sweet potato souffle recipe be made for large crowds?
Yes! I generally host about 20 people at Thanksgiving. I usually triple this recipe and bake it in a large roasting pan for my family during the holidays. This recipe can also be doubled and baked in a 9-inch by 13-inch pan. I've found cook times generally remain the same, although you may need to bake the casserole just a little longer than called for in the recipe if you triple it.
Can sweet potato souffle casserole be frozen?
No, I do not recommend freezing this recipe. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Yield: 6 servings
Sweet Potato Souffle Casserole
Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 1 H & 10 M
Sweet, but not too sweet, this Sweet Potato Souffle Casserole is our standard Thanksgiving sweet potato dish. It's sweetened with a little sugar and fresh orange juice and bakes up light and fluffy.
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 pounds yams (sweet potatoes), peeled and cubed
- 3 TBSP brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- juice of 1/2 medium sized orange
- zest of 1/2 medium sized orange
- 3 TBSP half and half
- 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 tsp. brown sugar, if desired
Instructions
- Add the cubed sweet potatoes (yams) to a large stock pot. Fill with cold water until the cubes are covered by a few inches. Salt water. (I use about 2 tsp. of kosher salt).
- Bring to boil over medium high heat and turn down to a steady simmer. Cook potatoes until they are fork tender. (about 20 to 30 minutes or so)
- Drain well and pour into large mixing bowl. Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
- To the hot potatoes, add brown sugar, buter, salt, pepper, cinnamon, orange juice and zest, and half and half. Mash down with the beaters of an electric mixer and then beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs.
- Spread into a greased 9-inch baking dish. (I use cooking spray) TO MAKE AHEAD stop at this step and cover tightly with foil. You can refrigerate for up to 2 days before serving.
- Top with pecans and sugar (if using). Cover with foil.
- Bake in oven for 30 minutes and remove foil. Bake another 10 minutes or until puffy and hot all the way through.
Notes
TO MAKE AHEAD - this casserole can be made up to 2 days ahead. Prepare the casserole to step 6 and cover tightly with foil. Keep in refrigerator until ready to finish. When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator and set out for 30 minutes while oven heats. Remove foil and top with pecans and sugar, replace foil and bake as directed above. This recipe can be doubled and made in a 9-inch by 13-inch pan. Cook times will be the same. I usually triple this recipe for the holidays and make it in a roasting pan.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
585.72Fat (grams)
23.51 gSat. Fat (grams)
7.03 gCarbs (grams)
88.97 gFiber (grams)
12.68 gNet carbs
76.29 gSugar (grams)
14.12 gProtein (grams)
8.22 gSodium (milligrams)
464.06 mgCholesterol (grams)
84.96 mgNutritional Information provided is an estimate.
Copyright © 2019 Renee's Kitchen Adventures
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Perfect Holiday side dish. This is a tradition in our household.
ReplyDeleteThanks Wendy! It's not Thanksgiving without it!
DeleteI'm drooling looking at this recipe! I love how fluffy you got the sweet potatoes!
ReplyDeleteThanks Heather! It's a family favorite!
DeleteCan you substitute for 1/2 and 1/2 to make vegan
ReplyDeleteThanks for your question. YES! There are so many milk alternatives in the form of creamers out there right now you can use any of them in place of the half and half. If you want to make this casserole vegan, you will need to replace the butter with a plant based butter, the half and half as mentioned, and leave out the egg. It will still be delicious.
Delete