POTS AND PANS CITY BLOG

A sweet potato casserole is often served at holiday gatherings.  This one has a twist, though, because it isn’t topped with conventional marshmallow.  It has a wonderful crunch because it is topped with pecans.  And, this Sweet Potato and Carrot Casserole recipe with its crisp topping can be made ahead and frozen.  On Christmas day all you have to do is pull if out of the freezer, heat it up and wait for the rave reviews of your family and friends.

Sweet Potato and Carrot Casserole

Ingredients:

• 5 large sweet potatoes
• 12 large carrots
• ¾ cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 TBSP. butter
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. salt

Topping:

• 1 ½ cups fresh bread crumbs
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 TBSP. chopped parsley

Cut and peel sweet potatoes and carrots into large chunks.  Place carrots and sweet potatoes in a large pot of boiling water and cook for about 20 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork.  Drain.  Place the vegetables in a food processor and puree until smooth. (You may have to do this in batches.)

Add orange juice, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, garlic powder and salt to the puree mixture and blend together well.  Spoon puree into a greased 13”x 9” baking dish.  (At this point recipe can be frozen until ready to use.  Let thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then for 30 minutes before adding topping.)

For topping, combine bread crumbs, pecans, butter and parsley.  Sprinkle over potato puree mixture.  Cover with tin foil and bake at 350° F. for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 30 minutes more until topping is golden.

This vegetarian dish is ideal to serve as a main course at a holiday dinner. It combines great taste with the protein that vegetarians need in their meals. It is packed with taste and healthy foods that everyone—even non-vegetarians—will love!

• ½ medium butternut squash, peeled & boiled until soft
• 1 pkg. soft or medium tofu
• 1 ½ cups ½ & ½ cream
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• Salt & pepper

Beat above ingredients together until smooth.

• 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into rounds ¼” thick
• 4-5 table potatoes, peeled and cut into rounds 1/4 “ thick
• 1 pkg frozen spinach, defrosted & excess moisture squeezed out
• Salt & pepper
• Garlic powder
• 1/3-cup breadcrumbs
• ½ tsp. paprika
• 3 TBSP. grated Parmesan cheese, separated

Spray an 8-quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Layer One: Using both sweet potatoes and table potato rounds, place 1/3 of potatoes in one layer in bottom of casserole dish. Top with 1/3 of creamed mixture. Spread ½ of spinach over this, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder and 1 TBSP. Parmesan cheese. Layer Two: Repeat layer one. Layer Three: Top with remaining potatoes & remaining creamed mixture. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then sprinkle 1/3-cup breadcrumbs and 1 TBSP. Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake in 450? oven, uncovered, for 1-½ hours.