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Thanksgiving: Sweet Potato Casserole

Source of Recipe

From "America's Test Kitchen Thanksgiving Playbook"


Recipe Introduction

"Nothing against the marshmallow-topped version, but we wanted an elegant, simple sweet potato dish for the holiday table. We wrapped cubed potatoes seasoned with brown sugar in foil and baked them until they were soft. The food processor ensured a perfectly smooth purée, and butter and cream added richness, while cinnamon, orange zest, and a pinch of cayenne rounded out the flavors. Finally, we sprinkled a simple topping over the casserole and broiled it for a crisp, caramelized crust. Make sure to use a broiler-safe soufflé dish."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ ¼ cup packed brown sugar
â—¦ 1 teaspoon grated orange zest plus 2 tablespoons juice
â—¦ 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
â—¦ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
â—¦ ¼ cup heavy cream
â—¦ 1 teaspoon salt
â—¦ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon pepper
â—¦ â…› teaspoon cayenne pepper


Recipe

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix 3 tablespoons sugar and ½ teaspoon orange zest in small bowl until thoroughly combined; set aside.

Lay two 24 by 12-inch sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil perpendicular to each other inside rimmed baking sheet. Place potatoes in center of foil and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Fold opposite sides of foil toward each other and crimp edge to seal tightly. Transfer sheet to oven and bake until potatoes are tender, about 1 hour. Remove sheet from oven and heat broiler.

Carefully open one end of foil pouch, taking care to avoid escaping steam, and transfer potatoes and accumulated liquid to food processor. Add butter, cream, salt, cinnamon, pepper, cayenne, and orange juice and remaining ½ teaspoon zest and process until completely smooth, 30 to 60 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Transfer potato purée to 2-quart soufflé dish and sprinkle evenly with sugar-zest mixture. Broil until topping is lightly browned and bubbling, 2 to 4 minutes.
Serve.

Serves 6 to 8



• To make ahead:
Processed potatoes can be refrigerated without topping for up to 2 days. To serve, cover dish with aluminum foil and bake on middle rack of 400-degree oven until hot throughout, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove foil, add sugar-zest mixture, and broil as directed in step 4.