HEALTHIER SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

Hi friends!

​Hope you're ready for the coming Turkey Day holiday!  One of my very favorite foods this time of year is my mom's Sweet Potato Casserole.  Mmm! 

Not only do I love sweet potatoes, but this wonderful, orange root vegetable is a good source of fiber and potassium, and high in vitamins A and C.  Unfortunately, all it's amazing nutritious qualities get covered up by all the extra sugar and fat called for in her original Sweet Potato Casserole recipe.  So I decided to make it over! 

The ingredients in this dish are pretty simple, but I was still able to make some easy modifications to this dish, including slashing the sugar (by adding in less sugar and skipping the marshmallows) and enjoying fewer fat grams (by replacing whole eggs with 2 egg whites, going for lower-fat milk and substituting applesauce for oil).  Try this healthier Sweet Potato Casserole for yourself! 

HEALTHIER SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

SERVING SIZE: makes one standard loaf pan

INGREDIENTS 

• 3 cups sweet potato, mashed**  
• 1 large egg + 2 large egg whites  
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce  
• ½ cup fat-free milk  
• ½ cup brown sugar 
• ½ teaspoon salt  
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract  
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon  

 
Topping:  

• ¼ cup brown sugar  
• 4 Tablespoons almond flour 
• 2 Tablespoons butter 
• ½ cup pecans, chopped  

 
DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, eggs, applesauce, milk, sugar, salt, vanilla and cinnamon.  
3. Pour the mixture into a greased casserole dish.  
4. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the remaining sugar, almond flour, butter and pecans until the butter has melted and the ingredients are well combined.  
5. Spread over the top of the casserole mixture.  
6. Bake for 25 minutes and enjoy!  

**NOTE: To make homemade mashed sweet potatoes, try this method from Leaf.  ​

It's amazing how just a few simple tweaks can make a family favorite recipe healthier while also maintaining great flavor.  Now you can truly enjoy the reason for the season and celebrate guilt-free! 

What traditional dish will you makeover this holiday season? Tell us in the comments below! 

lindsey

P.S. Need more guidance on how to "healthify" a recipe.  Check out our "10 Simple Substitutions to Try Today"!