Martha Stewart Living (November 2009) If forced to choose between white potatoes or sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving, we resoundingly come down on the side of sweet potatoes. Sure, regular potatoes have their place, but sweet potatoes -- with their orange autumnal hue and sugary flavor -- seem tailor-made for Thanksgiving table. For the past two years, we've made the same sweet potato dish for Thanksgiving: Spiced Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar. We loved that dish two years ago. We adored it last year. This year, it's time to try something new. Can this Sweet Potato and Sage-Butter Casserole hold up to our two-time favorite?
Sweet potato casseroles have one great advantage at Thanksgiving: They can be made ahead. That's the case here, where the potato purée can be made two days in advance. The breadcrumbs that top the casserole can also be made ahead and kept in an airtight container. Then the dish can be easily assembled prior to baking. We made one slight alteration to this recipe as we were cooking. Though we might not like our corn pudding sweet, we enjoy our sweet potatoes on the, well, sweeter side. Once we made the potato purée for this dish, we found it wasn't as sweet as we would like, so we added a bit of molasses into the mixture. The molasses gave the dish just the right touch of sweetness. The sage and butter breadcrumbs add a nice additional flavor and smell amazing coming out of the oven. Plus, the crunchy, aromatic breadcrumbs give the casserole a nice texture. With its comforting flavors and sage-tinted sweetness, this casserole hits all the right notes for Thanksgiving.
More Thanksgiving Suggestions From The Bitten Word >>
Sweet Potato and Sage-Butter Casserole
Martha Stewart Living (November 2009)
Subscribe to Martha Stewart Living
(This photo: Martha Stewart Living)
serves 6 to 8
The potato purée can be refrigerated for up to two days. Make the breadcrumbs and sprinkle them on top just before baking. (The dish may need to bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer if cold.)
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus 1 ounce (2 tablespoons), melted
2½ tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1½ cups whole milk, warmed coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (from 3 slices white bread, crusts removed)
1. Place sweet potatoes and potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water, and season with salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 9 minutes. Drain; pass through a ricer into a bowl.
2. Preheat oven to 375°. Melt 1 stick butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat; add 2 tablespoons sage. Stir butter mixture and milk into potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 2-quart casserole dish. (Mixture can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
3. Combine breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons melted butter and remaining tablespoon sage. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
4. Top potato mixture with breadcrumbs. Bake, uncovered, until bubbling around edges and breadcrumbs are golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. (If browning too quickly, tent with foil.) Let stand, uncovered, for 10 minutes.