I know that sweet potato casserole is a dish that is synonymous with Thanksgiving dinner. It’s good, but usually very sweet with a lot of brown sugar and then extra sugar on top in the form of marshmallows. If you want a healthier option, try this: Brown Sugar Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes. You can make a dish that promotes eye health, without all the extra sugar.
Sweet potatoes are a rich source of vitamin A (they’re up there with carrots!). One sweet potato gives you five times the daily vitamin A you need. This vitamin helps protect against night blindness and dry eyes. Sweet potatoes also have lots of beta-carotene, a type of antioxidant that your body converts into vitamin A. Now that’s something your regular mashed potatoes won’t have! Sweet potatoes also give you a bit of vitamin C, which may reduce your risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, and calcium, which helps activate nerves and allows muscles to contract.
I use a little almond milk in this recipe, not only to make the mashed sweet potatoes creamy, but to add more of the antioxidants vitamin A and vitamin E to the dish. Plus, this almond milk contains more calcium than regular milk!
Don’t let the name fool you. I say “brown sugar” in the name of this dish, but I only use 3 tablespoons– considerably less sugar than most of your casserole recipes, and yet it’s still sweet (because we’re talking sweet potatoes!). This dish will taste more like a true complement to your meal rather than a dessert that is disguised as a side dish.
Ingredients (serves 4 to 5):
- 5 sweet potatoes, peeled & cubed
- 3 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup original almond milk
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 to 2 tbsp pecan pieces (optional)
Directions:
- Put cubed sweet potatoes into a large pot on the stove. Pour enough water into the pot to cover the sweet potatoes (about 6 cups of water). Cover and bring to a boil. Then lower to medium heat and continue to cook (stirring occasionally) for about 5-7 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft.
- Drain water from pot and place cooked sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add butter, almond milk, cinnamon, sea salt and brown sugar and use a mixer to blend together until creamy.
- Place into serving a dish, and serve warm. (Optional: Sprinkle a little extra cinnamon and brown sugar, and even some pecan pieces on top)
