Savoury Sweet Potato Casserole
User Reviews
5
Savoury Sweet Potato Casserole
Description
The Savoury Sweet Potato Casserole starts with whole sweet potatoes baked until tender and mashed while still warm, ensuring a creamy and smooth base. The mash includes sour cream, parmesan, and garlic for a rich, tangy flavor profile. Butter is browned with fresh sage leaves until it develops a nutty aroma and slight caramelization, imparting an herbal crispness when the leaves are drained and crumbled.
A topping made from panko breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, crumbled crispy sage, garlic, salt, pepper, and finely chopped golden bacon adds a crunchy, cheesy finish that contrasts with the softness of the sweet potato mash. The browned butter infuses both the mash and topping for consistent flavor. This casserole is baked in a 20x28 cm dish until bubbling and golden on top.
Serve this casserole as a hearty side dish to roasted or grilled meats or as a flavorful vegetarian main if omitted the bacon. It holds well if made ahead, with the option to assemble all but the bacon and refrigerate before baking. The browned butter and sage pairing is classic, and if fresh sage is unavailable, dried herbs or no herbs can be used without a big loss in overall flavor.
The recipe notes highlight using panko breadcrumbs for a textured topping and suggest cooking the bacon separately until golden to add a smoky crispness. The browned butter rendering leaves behind flavorful residue that enhances the mash. Baking times vary by potato size, with slits cut down the center to help mash preparation.
Ingredients
Sweet potato mash:
- 1.75kg / 3.5lb sweet potato (3 large or 6 smaller ones)
- 1/2 cup (115g) sour cream
- 1/2 cup (50g) parmesan , freshly grated
- 2 garlic finely minced, cloves
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Browned butter & crispy sage:
- 250g / 8oz butter , salted, cut into 2cm/1" cubes
- 15 sage Note 1, leaves
Topping:
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (Note 2)
- 1/2 cup (50g) parmesan , finely grated
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 150g / 5oz Bacon , streaky, cooked until golden then finely chopped
Instructions
Bake & mash:
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Place potatoes on a foil lined tray. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes (small) to 1 hour 40 minutes (large) until knife can be easily inserted into the centre.
- Cool potatoes until they can be handled (but still piping hot inside!) or use tea towel to handle.
Browned Butter & crispy sage:
- Meanwhile, place butter in a large silver saucepan over medium heat.
- Once melted and starts to foam, add sage leaves. Cook 1 minute or until golden brown, then fish through the foam to find the leaves and drain on paper towels (will crisp when cool).
- Continue to leave butter on stove until foam dies down and you see black bits on the bottom of the pan (it will smell nutty).
- Strain through paper towel lined sieve - should have 180ml or so.
Topping:
- Crumble sage leaves in your hand (chop if not fully crisp) and place in bowl.
- Add 1/4 cup Browned Butter, panko, parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper, mix.
Mash:
- Cut slits down the middle of the potatoes then scoop flesh out into a bowl.
- Add 1/4 cup Browned Butter (below), sour cream, parmesan, salt and pepper. Mash or use electric beater to mash until smooth (if using food processor, be careful not to overdo as it will make potato gluey).
Assemble & bake:
- Place half the potato in a baking dish (2 litre / 2 quarts). Make swirls across surface with spoon (as catchment for butter!), then drizzle over 1/4 cup Browned Butter. Cover the butter pools with remaining potato - the less you disturb the butter, the better!
- Sprinkle over Topping. Bake 25 minutes until top is golden brown and edges are bubbling.
- Sprinkle with crumbled bacon, then bake a further 5 minutes. If you've got any leftover butter, drizzle it on then serve!
Notes
- If fresh sage is unavailable, half a teaspoon of mixed dried herbs can be used in the topping or omitted since the dish remains flavorful without it.
- Panko breadcrumbs create a crispier topping than normal breadcrumbs; they can be found in the Asian section of some supermarkets or replaced with regular breadcrumbs.
- Use a baking dish approximately 20x28 cm (8x11 inches) with a 2-litre capacity for best results.
- The casserole can be assembled without bacon up to 2-3 days ahead, then baked and topped with cooked bacon before finishing baking.
- For reheating, bake until golden, then reheat topped casserole for a few minutes to restore topping crispness.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 10Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 321 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 321cal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 4g | 1% |
| Protein | 7g | 14% |
| Fat | 31g | 48% |
| Saturated Fat | 18g | 90% |
| Cholesterol | 76mg | 25% |
| Sodium | 713mg | 30% |
| Potassium | 70mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 780IU | 16% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 145mg | 15% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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