Sweet Potato Pecan Crumble
I think we can all agree that traditional sweet potato casserole would be more at home on the dessert table than the dinner table at the big family Thanksgiving gathering. Anything with marshmallows rarely qualifies as dinner food, but holiday food has different rules! I went on a quest to replace the usually watery and overly sweet casseroles of my childhood with one that had a bit more savory and rustic flavors to it. Of course, sweet potato will always be sweet, that will never change but a pinch of salt here, a dash of rosemary there, some oats and pecans for nuttiness and I arrived at something that could pass as a side at a regular dinner! Success.
Ingredients:
3 medium sweet potatoes
1/4 cup butter, or coconut oil
1/2 cup whole milk (or dairy free alternative)
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg (can be omitted for allergies!)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
Topping:
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans chopped
1/3 cup melted butter
1/ tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes, until soft. In a large bowl, scoop the sweet potato out of the skin and add the butter, milk, and vanilla. Use a fork, potato masher, or a whisk to milk to a smooth consistency. Add the egg, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt and mix well. Butter an 8x8 dish and pour the mixture in. Smooth the top. In a small bowl, mix the topping ingredients with a fork until it forms a rough moist crumble texture. Spread the crumble mixture over the top of the sweet potatoes as evenly as possible. Bring the heat down to 350 degrees F and cook for about 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Enjoy!
