Description
This Savory Sweet Potato Casserole is a rich, comforting side dish featuring roasted sweet potatoes blended with Parmesan, shallots, and a hint of nutmeg, crowned with crispy sage and toasted sourdough breadcrumbs for a deliciously textured topping. Perfectly baked to golden perfection, it makes an excellent addition to any American-style meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Potato Base
- 2 ½ pounds medium sweet potatoes, halved lengthwise
- 1 large shallot, chopped
- ½ cup olive oil or avocado oil mayonnaise
- ½ cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
Toppings
- ¼ cup sage leaves
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ cups sourdough bread, broken into craggy pieces
- Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Heat oven to 350°F with racks set in upper-third and lower-third. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place sweet potato halves cut side down on the sheet and prick skins with a fork.
- Roast sweet potatoes: Roast potatoes until very tender, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Cool completely on the sheet. Increase oven temperature to 400°F.
- Cook sage: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat in a sauté pan until shimmering. Add sage leaves and cook until they start to brown and become crisp, about 2–3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Toast bread: Add the sourdough bread pieces to the remaining oil in the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until crispy and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Sauté shallots: Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the chopped shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Prepare sweet potato mixture: Scoop the flesh from the cooled sweet potatoes into a blender, discarding skins. Add cooked shallots, mayonnaise, Parmesan, egg, Dijon mustard, nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
- Assemble casserole: Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a shallow 1-quart baking dish. Smooth the top and create some divots with a spatula. Sprinkle the crispy sage and toasted breadcrumbs evenly over the top.
- Bake casserole: Bake the casserole on the upper oven rack until the topping is golden and crisp, about 25 minutes.
- Finish and serve: Sprinkle finely grated lemon zest over the top of the casserole and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- This recipe can be doubled to serve 12 people; for this, use a 2-quart baking dish.
- The casserole can be prepared up to one day ahead. Add the breadcrumbs and sage topping just before baking for best texture.
- For best flavor, use high-quality mayonnaise such as Sir Kensington’s.
- This recipe was adapted from a version originally developed for Sir Kensington’s.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
