Why put eggs in sweet potato casserole?

A really good sweet potato casserole filling should be light and moist, not dense. If it's dense, then you may not have added an often overlooked ingredient—an egg. An egg adds lift, structure and volume and makes the filling more custard-like .

How do you make sweet potato casserole not watery?

Maple syrup, a dash of cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla all make an appearance for an incredible flavor. It's hearty and satisfying. Eggs and cream help stabilize the dish and prevent it from becoming too runny (a common complaint with many sweet potato casserole recipes).

When not to eat sweet potatoes?

How to tell if sweet potatoes have gone bad. If your sweet potato is soft in spots, smells rotten, or oozes a mysterious liquid , that potato should be discarded. Another sign that sweet potatoes have taken a turn for the worse is if they start growing stalky purplish sprouts.

Why is my sweet potato casserole stringy?

Sweet potatoes stored at temperatures above 60 degrees Fahrenheit will shrivel and become dry and stringy. Sweet potatoes may develop an off-flavor and the flesh may become discolored when stored at temperatures below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Why do you soak sweet potatoes before baking?

The cold water bath helps rinse the starch off the sweet potatoes so they're a bit more crispy . That said, if you do not have the time, you can still get crispy baked sweet potato fries by using high heat and a little drizzle of olive oil.

Why do you need to soak sweet potatoes before cooking?

TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: The main secrets to achieving that incredible crispy texture, is to soak the cut sweet potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes. This helps remove the starch from the sweet potatoes so they´re not limp & soggy .

How do I thicken my sweet potato casserole?

The solution for watery casseroles is instant potato mash powder or cornflour - slake (mix with a little water) at first or it will go lumpy . Stir well. Alternatively, don't add so much water at first, especially if you're using a slow cooker.

What is the sticky liquid from sweet potato?

The ooze is actually referred to as " sap ." It is made up of sugar and starch combined with the moisture found in the vegetable, and it escapes out of the damage made from the knife. The sap really equals the sweetness. If it's pouring out of your potato, that means it's a sweet and delicious vegetable.

What is the purpose of adding eggs in baking?

What Eggs Do in Baking Recipes. Eggs play an important role in everything from cakes and cookies to meringues and pastry cream — they create structure and stability within a batter, they help thicken and emulsify sauces and custards, they add moisture to cakes and other baked goods, and can even act as glue or glaze .

Does egg thicken casserole?

The proteins in eggs coagulate or set at different temperatures. This results in thickening but it means that eggs must be cooked gently and heated carefully or they will scramble rather than thicken a sauce or other mixture.

What is the purpose of putting an egg in mashed potatoes?

Adding egg yolks to a pot of mashed potatoes is an easy, dairy-free texture and taste upgrade that doesn't require any special techniques. The yolks harbor all the flavorful fats and emulsifying components and will thus effectively unify the fat and water in potatoes, translating to a smoother, uniformly creamy pot.

What does adding an extra egg do to baked goods?

Eggs are responsible for giving baked goods structure, which means the amount you use directly affects the resulting texture. Using too few eggs will make your desserts dense, but using too many will make them rubbery . The explanation for this lies in the fact that eggs are made up of protein.

Saweet! Potato Casserole with a Crunchy Nut Crumble (Vegan + GF)

November 4, 2014 « Jump to Recipe »

This is a side dish you’re going to want on the holiday dinner table. Or maybe, on your regular fall dinner table. Because who can wait for the holidays? It is sweet potato season after all, which means in this house we’re cooking them a couple times a week. Give me all the sweet potatoes, please. They are the edible equivalent to a big warm hug.

Now that it’s officially November (plus chilly and dark at 6pm…tear…sob), I figure some of us are thinking about happier things…like the holidays and all the delightful holiday food. I know I am. It’s my favourite time of the year to cook and bake. For some reason, I always have oodles and oodles of recipe ideas floating through my mind this time of the year and can’t keep up with testing them all out. You should see my “to make” list…it’s massive!

In preparation for the holidays, I decided to do something I’ve been meaning to do for a long time; I revamped my old sweet potato casserole recipe from 2009. It’s a good recipe, but with 5 years of recipe development under my belt I knew I could improve upon it. This version got lightened up and given a crazy good pecan oat maple crumble topping. It totally blew us away and the previous recipe is all but history in my mind.

Just look at this crunchy crumble…

Here are a few things I changed up:

1) cut sweetener by over half (you won’t even notice)

2) added some heart-healthy virgin coconut oil

3) added a new and improved crunchy topping – gives it a great texture contrast!

4) made this one gluten-free as the old one wasn’t

5) amped up the maple + cinnamon flavours

6) new photos…because 2009 wasn’t my best year for photography…hehe

I recommend serving each portion with a pat of vegan butter or coconut oil on top to really take it over the edge. The butter/oil melts and cascades all over the casserole. Bliss!!

I love you, sweet potatoes.

PS- If you haven’t tried it already, check out my Sweet Potato Oatmeal Breakfast Casserole. Dessert for breakfast!

Sweet Potato Crumble Casserole

Vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free

★★★★★
4.9 from 57 reviews

Yield
12 large side servings

Prep time
35 minutes

Cook time
35 minutes

Total time
1 hour, 10 minutes

This is a side dish you're going to want on the holiday dinner table! The crunchy nut crumble tastes just like an oatmeal cookie. I recommend serving this casserole with a pat of vegan butter or coconut oil to really take it over the top. Also try serving it with Coconut Whipped Creamfor a decadent twist. In this recipe, I swapped out half the vegan butter for virgin coconut oil to add some heart-healthy fats while still retaining that lovely butter flavour.

Ingredients

For the sweet potato mash:

4 1/2 to 5 pounds sweet potatoes (about4 to 5 large)
1 1/2 tablespoons (22 mL) vegan butter
1 1/2 tablespoons (22 mL) virgin coconut oil
2 1/2 tablespoons (37 mL) pure maple syrup, or to taste
1 teaspoon (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon fine grain salt, or to taste

For the Crunchy Nut Crumble:

1 cup rolled oats (use certified gluten-free if necessary)
1 1/3 cups pecan halves, chopped
1/3 cup almond meal or almond flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 tablespoons (30 mL) virgin coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons (30 mL) vegan butter, melted
2 1/2 tablespoons (37 mL) pure maple syrup

Directions

Peel and roughly chop sweet potatoes into large chunks. Place into a large pot and cover with water. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat to medium-high, and gently boil for 10 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 2 1/2-quart (10-cup) casserole dish and set aside.
Prepare the crumble topping: Pulse the oats in a food processor until coarsely chopped. In a medium bowl, stir together the chopped pecans, oats, almond meal/flour, cinnamon, and salt. Pour on melted coconut oil, melted butter, and maple syrup. Stir until combined.
Once cooked and drained, place sweet potatoes into a large bowl.
Mash potatoes with the butter and coconut oil until smooth. Now, stir in the maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Adjust to taste if desired. Spoon into casserole dish and smooth out.
Sprinkle the crumble topping all over the sweet potato mixture, evenly.
Bake, uncovered, at 375°F (190°C) for 16 to 23 minutes, until the dish is hot throughout. Plate and serve immediately with a pat of vegan butter or coconut oil.

Tip:

For a creamy twist, try subbing some of the butter/oil in the sweet potato mash for full-fat canned coconut cream.

Nutrition Information

(click to expand)

The Oh She Glows Cookbook has been nominated in the Good Reads Choice Awards 2014 in the Best Food & Cookbooks for 2014 category! I’m honoured to be nominated with so many other awesome food and cookbooks. This contest is a popular annual event and it is the only major book award decided by readers. That’s you! If you have enjoyed The Oh She Glows Cookbook, I would greatly appreciate your vote of support. You can log in with Facebook and it takes 2 seconds to submit the vote. You can find the voting page here. I’m so grateful to be able to do what I love each day and couldn’t do it without your support. Thank you!

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Shannonthehero

6 years ago

Recipe Rating :

This was fantastic! Not that I had any doubts. I’ve actually enjoyed the leftovers more today than I liked the right-out-of-the-oven creation last night. I followed the recipe as written, except added about 1/4 cup of coconut sugar and 1/4 cup of sweetened coconut flakes CAUSE IT’S THE HOLLIDAYS YA’LL! Thanks for the great recipe!

Angela Liddon (Oh She Glows)

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