Modified Sweet Potato Casserole

Hey everyone! I hope everyone's weekend has been relaxing and maybe even productive. We did an overhaul on our backyard and planted some lettuce and kale in our small raised bed so needless to say, we have had a hard working and dirt filled weekend.

To say our farewell to the weekend and most likely to the cooler weather here in Jax, we decided to have sweet potato casserole for dinner tonight. Sweet potato casserole is one of my favorite sides for Thanksgiving dinner, but it's usually super sweet and has lots of butter in it (not that I complain once a year) so I wanted to revamp it slightly to fit it into my healthier Sunday meal. Here is my recipe:

3-5 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups marshmallows

Put the cubed sweet potatoes in a large pot with enough water to cover
Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes
Drain the potatoes and add the butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and spices
Mash or use an electric mixer until the mixture is combined but still slightly lumpy
Spoon mixture into a casserole dish and top with marshmallows (you could add pecans or cashews here if you like)
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until marshmallows are just golden brown.

Fresh out of the oven

I cut the sugar by 1/2 cup while keeping the flavor by adding vanilla extract and nutmeg. I also reduced the amount of butter by half as the recipe I normally use calls for 1/2 cup. The marshmallows aren't going anywhere though, they are the best part!

I served this decadently delish casserole with some rotisserie chicken and some steamed green beans for a healthy Southern, Sunday meal! By cutting some of the sugar and the fat I let the goodness of the sweet potatoes shine through and I don't feel bad about making this casserole for a regular dinner.  This casserole is so good you won't even need dessert, heck it could be dessert on its own...and lunch tomorrow!

Rotisserie chicken, steamed green beans, and sweet potato casserole.

As SF was eating his dinner he said, "It's like Christmas in July, and by that I mean Thanksgiving in March." That means he likes it!

Enjoy and have a great week!