Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
If you find the typical sweet potato casserole with marshmallows too sweet, then try this savory sweet potato casserole instead! It's a great spin on a classic filled with bacon, caramelized onions, roasted garlic, mushrooms and pecans for that ultimate savory flavor in every bite. This savory sweet potato casserole is gluten-free, easily adapted to be dairy-free and a great way to round out your holiday table.
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Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 169kcal
Ingredients
For the Roasted Garlic:
- 1 head garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms:
- 6 slices bacon (diced)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 yellow onion (thinly sliced)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 cup mushrooms (sliced)
- 1/2 cup red wine
For the Sweet Potatoes:
- 4 large sweet potatoes (peeled and quartered)
- 1/2 cup milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
- 1/4 cup butter (or non-dairy butter)
- 1/4 cup fresh sage (roughly chopped)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 + 1/2 cups pecans (toasted)
Instructions
To Roast the Garlic:
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Slice about 1/4 inch off the top of the garlic head, to expose the tops of the cloves.
- Drizzle olive oil over the garlic generously. Wrap in aluminum foil.
- Roast in the oven at 400F for 45 minutes to an hour, until garlic is brown and buttery. Remove from oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes to cool.
- Once cool, gently squeeze each garlic clove and the clove should pop right out. Place in a bowl and gently mash with a fork. Set aside.
To Make Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms:
- While the sweet potatoes are boiling, prepare the caramelized onions and mushrooms.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced bacon and cook 2-3 minutes, until bacon is about halfway cooked through.
- Add sliced onions and brown sugar to the skillet and stir with a wooden spoon.
- Cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and a light golden brown.
- Add the mushrooms and tablespoon of olive oil and cook an additional 5 minutes. By this time the onions should be pretty much caramelized. If not, cook an additional 3-4 minutes.
- Add the red wine, and cook about 5 minutes, until it has absorbed into the mushrooms and onions. Remove the skillet from the heat.
To Make Sweet Potatoes:
- Add peeled and quartered sweet potatoes to a large pot. Cover the potatoes completely with cold water.
- Place pot on the stove and cook over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil.
- Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes, until sweet potatoes are fork tender. Drain water and add the sweet potatoes a large bowl.
- Mash with a potato masher or wooden spoon. Mix together with milk, butter, salt, pepper, roasted garlic, and caramelized onions and mushroom mixture (reserve 1/2 cup of the onion/mushroom mixture for the topping).
- Spoon sweet potato mixture into a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Top sweet potatoes with reserved onion mushroom mixture and toasted pecans.
- Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes or until sweet potato casserole is completely warmed through.
Notes
Make Ahead Tips:
- Roasted garlic can be made in advance. Store in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
- You can make the caramelized onions and mushroom mixture 2-3 days in advance if you wish. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- You can make the whole savory sweet potato casserole the day ahead. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and then bake on the day you are serving. Bake at 350F with the aluminum foil on for 20 minutes, remove aluminum foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until heated through.
Nutrition
Calories: 169kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 330mg | Potassium: 242mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 6280IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 0.5mg
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