Hi friends, and welcome back! I took a brief hiatus from the blog because I started a new job that has taken some adjustment. I’m back though and so excited to share some great recipes with you.
This new holiday favorite was born out of necessity. Our 12th annual Friend Thanksgiving was a more intimate gathering this year since fewer were able to attend, which also meant fewer dishes brought to the potluck. That morning, we realized that one staple dish that was not accounted for was the sweet potatoes. My dear friend, the hostess, wanted sweet potatoes at the table. So I volunteered to throw something together, and this dish began to formulate in my mind.
It may have been one of the best things I’ve ever made. Ever, ever. EVER.
THIS DISH, PEOPLE.
My friend Kacie saw the photo I shared of it on my stories on Instagram, and she immediately messaged me stating that she needed the recipe. A couple of days later, she expressed that the situation was dire because she had been assigned sweet potatoes as her Thanksgiving side dish contribution. I quickly texted her the recipe because I understood the URGENCY.
Kacie doubled the recipe and divided it into two casserole dishes, which worked out well. She also added a sprinkle of cayenne to her pecan topping to give it a little kick (which I think is brilliant).
This was her feedback from Thanksgiving day:
I know that sweeter sweet potato dishes are common during the holidays, with brown sugar, cinnamon, and marshmallows. But truth be told, those are not my favorite. I prefer to go the savory route with my sweet potatoes, which is what these are.
It’s the perfect balance of flavors and textures, and tastes better than it has any right to, especially considering how easy it is to make.
OKAY FINE without further ado, here’s the recipe that will steal all the thunder at your holiday table.
Scalloped Sweet Potatoes with Garlic, Sage, and Toasted Pecans
Ingredients:
-3 medium sweet potatoes (see note)
-1/4 cup fresh sage, finely chopped
-4-6 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 stick + 2 TB butter (sub 3 TB + 1 TB olive oil, ghee, or coconut oil for Paleo/Whole30)
-1/2 cup broth (chicken, veggie, bone, anything works)
-1 cup raw pecans
-1 tsp dried thyme
-Sea salt
-Black pepper
-Olive oil
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Thinly slice the sweet potatoes (about 1/8 inch thick, they don’t all have to be exact or uniform) and toss in 1 TB olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Layer them into a baking dish or pie dish, creating a single layer of overlapping sweet potato slices.
- Pour 1/2 cup broth over the sweet potatoes.
- Melt 1/2 stick butter over medium heat, then add minced garlic and chopped sage. Mix well. You don’t want to brown it, just mix it together and gently warm for about 30 seconds, then remove from heat.
- If using olive oil, warm 3 TB olive oil for 1 minute on stovetop, then add garlic and sage. Sauté for 30 seconds then remove from heat.
- If using olive oil, warm 3 TB olive oil for 1 minute on stovetop, then add garlic and sage. Sauté for 30 seconds then remove from heat.
- Pour the mixture evenly over the sweet potatoes, using a spatula to spread the garlic and sage if necessary.
- Give the sweet potatoes a little drizzle of olive oil (maybe 1 tsp), then cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes or until sweet potatoes have softened.
- In the meantime, finely chop the raw pecans. Melt the 2 TB butter (or 1 TB olive oil) on a skillet, then add pecans, 1/4 tsp sea salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp dried thyme (this seems like a lot but TRUST). Sauté, stirring continuously, until the pecans begin to deepen in color and grow fragrant (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and spread across parchment paper to cool and dry. They’ll become gloriously crunchy as they cool. TRY NOT TO EAT IT ALL.
- When the sweet potatoes have softened (check with fork for doneness), carefully remove the foil and top the sweet potatoes with the toasted pecan mixture.
- Place back into the oven for 10-15 minutes, allowing the pecans to toast more without burning them (check them frequently).
- Remove and serve, and revel in the fact that you just won Thanksgiving.
Notes:
-Choose longer and thinner sweet potatoes that are even in thickness. This will ensure that they cook evenly.
-The pecan topping is what makes the dish, so I like a lot of it. If you don’t want quite as much, you could easily decrease to 3/4 cup or even 1/2 cup pecans. Be sure to adjust the other measurements accordingly.
-You can easily make this earlier in the day, cool, then stick back into the oven to warm through before serving. That’s what I did and it worked beautifully!
-Alternatively, you could make everything the day before sans the pecans, then reheat the dish in the oven, add pecans, and cook through. Whatever makes your day easiest!
AIPooja: Seeking Wellness through Disease 