Time to ring in the holidays – first up Thanksgiving Day! This is my favorite holiday and to cook during. I love sweet potatoes year round and this baked casserole is a great healthy twist on a classic. These sweet potatoes are mashed with ricotta cheese, milk, and a little butter. The topping is my favorite part – a crunchy crust of sliced almonds, pumpkin seeds, and dried fruit. Included in the mash are warm spices of cinnamon and ginger – nice and cozy for the holidays. Plus, this is a great make-ahead dish and can be re-heated later, such as Thanksgiving Day to save yourself time!
Sweet potatoes are loaded with health including fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, and manganese! The skin is even excellent for you, full of nutrients. Overall, very high in antioxidants!
Featured Vegetables:
Sweet Potatoes, Medjool Dates
Healthy Holiday Sweet Potato Casserole
Equipment
- Boiling Pot
- mixing bowl
- Cutting Board
- Baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 lbs sweet potato medium, diced
- 1/2 cup 1% milk
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, skim
- 3 tbsp butter, unsalted
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds, unsalted
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, unsalted
- 1/4 cup medjool dates chopped
- 1 tbsp butter, unsalted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Wash sweet potatoes and dice, keeping the skin on
- In a saucepot, boil water and add sweet potatoes for 15-20 minutes
- Once potatoes are soft, add to a mixing bowl and mash
- Mix in milk, ricotta, butter, salt, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper
- Spread in a 8×8 baking dish
- In a small bowl, melt butter and mix in almonds, seeds, and dates
- Sprinkle over the sweet potatoes and bake for about 20 minutes
