We celebrated Thanksgiving with my mom’s side of the family Saturday. She likes to say she has us over early so we’re free to be with our other family on Thanksgiving, but really she just likes 4 days off to herself! I can’t say I blame her. That side of the family is loud big, but the upside is everyone is only responsible for one dish!
I was assigned sweet potatoes every this year. Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite fall foods, and we eat them regularly in the Sugarplum house. Usually I just bake or roast them and serve with a little bit of cinnamon. I decided to forgo the typical marshmallow-laden Sweet Potato Casserole of the South (at 600+ calories per serving!), for something a little more healthy. I like to actually be able to detect the sweet potatoes!
Gather your ingredients:
Sweet Potato & Apple Bake
- 5 sweet potatoes
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, divided
- 1 t. ground cinnamon
- 1 t. ground nutmeg
- 3 large cooking apples – peeled, cored and cut into bite-sizes
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 T. butter
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup whole oats
Bake sweet potatoes in the oven or microwave until tender, but still firm. Peel and cut into 1/4-inch bites when cool. In a small bowl, mix half the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
In a lightly greased 9×11 baking dish, layer half the sweet potatoes, brown sugar mixture and apples.
Repeat the layers. In a medium bowl, mix flour (I use wheat flour), remaining brown sugar, butter, pecans and oats.
Sprinkle over the sweet potatoes like a crumb topping.
Bake covered in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or lightly browned. (I took the foil off with about 10 minutes left.)
Oh yes, Git in Mah Pumpkin Pie Stuffed Belly!
(Sorry for the bad pic…people were literally waiting behind me to eat them!)
The entire batch was eaten, and not one person…adult or child…asked where the sweet potato casserole was. I’m kind of a freak nut about my kid’s sugar intake, and there are plenty of other sweets on a Thanksgiving menu. This was at least one healthy dish, low in sugar and high in fiber, that I knew they’d have that day.
Don’t you like my pretty little serving bowl? It seems that ever since I whipped out these cake platters using $1 glass Ikea plates and votives, I’m always on the lookout for other things to glue together as serving ware:
Ikea came through again!
You can get a printable version of the original recipe here. I cut the butter and sugar, and added oats for an even healthier option. What dish are you most looking forward to devouring this Thanksgiving?
Oh, I’m guest posting over at Ten June today! If you aren’t familiar with Michelle’s blog…you’ll want to check it out! She’s my striped-wall-soul-sister!
