The signature sweet potato casserole my mom makes every year for Thanksgiving is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free thanks to the combination of regular sticky potatoes and yams, which gives you an extra creamy texture (no butter or cream required!). It's topped with heady sweetness and spiced caramelized onions – you'll never eat marshmallows again after you try them!
La Pine Thanksgiving is a potluck dinner and we bring our signature dishes year after year. Over time, mine became gluten free fillings. My mother has been a fan of half mashed sweet potatoes and caramelized onions since the beginning.
My mom has been gluten- and dairy-free since before it was a fad—even before dietary restrictions existed. But you'd never know it the way she cooks it, and that's the case with this gluten-free sweet potato casserole.
How to Get the Best Texture for Sweet Potato Mashed (Dairy-Free)
I've always thought cream and butter were cheap tricks. Meaning, they're an easy way to make food taste great. But there are often more nuanced techniques and approaches that can really make your other ingredients shine.
The first tip for this dairy-free sweet potato casserole is simply using the right potato mixture. Regular russet itself can be a bit gritty and dense without the addition of milk or dairy to lighten it. But they are naturally thicker, more starchy, and creamier than sweet potatoes, which tend to be a little loose, mealy, and watery in texture.
The perfect solution to making sweet potato puree thicker and creamier without dairy is to use some sweet potato puree in the mix. Just dice both types of potatoes (about a 50/50 ratio), boil them together, drain them, and mash them.
Dairy-Free Sweet Potato Casserole Step by Step
Adding extra fat also gives the potatoes a richer flavor and texture, even if they don't require the addition of water to dilute the potatoes.
My mother's solution has always been to use a good quality extra virgin olive oil olive oil and a little chicken broth (although you could easily use vegetable broth to make these vegetarian). I like to use olive oil infused with garlic to add even more flavor.
Finally, the texture of dairy-free mashed sweet potatoes (or regular potatoes) depends largely on how they are processed after cooking. The use of a food processor is prohibited in our house unless you want an ultra-gooey texture.
We find that the best results are obtained using any of the following methods rice mill or food millwhich is a small metal device that attaches to the bowl. While it's almost obsolete in today's gadget-heavy cooking world, we save space in our cupboards for this dish (and mine Dairy-free fish cakes!
If you don't have one on hand (I couldn't find mine this time and wondered if it got lost in the move!), you can Use a regular potato masher and eliminate all anxiety about smaller pieces Place in a bowl until both potatoes are completely combined and creamy. The color will be a lovely terracotta and the sweetness will be close to savory.
Caramelize onions into natural candy
As for toppings, we don’t do marshmallows in this house (no judging!). Instead, in my mother's gluten-free sweet potato casserole, we take the relationship between sweet and savory even further by adding extra caramelized onions on top of half a mashed sweet potato.
This is the only element of this recipe that requires a little time and patience. If you start with sweet Vidalia or Spanish onions, it's also best to maximize the natural sugars you're developing.
Two large onions will look huge once you slice them, but you'll be surprised how they will wilt into nothing (and wish you had two!). Remove the onions over high heat so that all the moisture has a chance to evaporate. Once this happens and the onions are shiny, malleable, and translucent, you can turn the heat to low and begin the slow process. Try not to damage the onions and Just turn once every 5 minutes at this stage.
It's also important not to salt the onions too early as too much moisture will be released and the onions will begin to burn rather than slowly crisp up.
After about 30 minutes, when they are nicely browned, add a mixture of chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper to offset the sweetness and add a lovely spice to this gluten-free sweet potato casserole.
Make Sweet Potatoes Ahead of Thanksgiving
One of the reasons this dairy-free sweet potato casserole recipe is a go-to for the holidays is that it doesn’t require too much time in the oven, and both ingredients (mashed sweet potatoes and onions) can be made separately on the stove top and stored days in advance. in the refrigerator.
When ready to eat, add the potatoes to the casserole dish, top with the onions, and bake long enough to heat through the potatoes throughout. If you do eat dairy, a sprinkle of cheddar or gouda isn't a terrible addition!
Time-Saving Tips to Make Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Casserole in 30 Minutes
While I love the natural sweetness produced by Vidalia onions, you can use shallots instead to reduce the time. Since they are smaller and naturally more delicate, they only take about 15 minutes to caramelize in the same process. You'll need about 12, and peeling them will add a little more prep time, so be aware!
I hope this dairy-free and gluten-free sweet potato casserole makes its way to your holiday table. Ours will be paired with some other family favorites including this one gluten free gravy and my signature Gluten Free Cornbread Stuffing!
With health and hedonism,
phoebe
Mom's Delicious Sweet Potato Casserole (Gluten and Dairy Free!)
portion size 8
raw material
- 2 Large Sweet Vidalia or Spanish Onion cut into thin slices
- olive oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chili
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon chili
- sea ​​salt
- 1 3/4 pound Russet potatoes Peel and cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1 3/4 pound Sweet Potato or Garnet Yam Peel and cut into 2-inch cubes
- ½ cup Chicken or vegetable stock
instruct
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In a large skillet (preferably cast iron), heat ¼ cup olive oil over medium heat.
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Add the onions and sauté, redistributing every few minutes, until they are malleable, translucent, and most of the water has burned off, about 10 minutes. Once the onions start to brown on the bottom, you'll know it's time to turn the heat down.
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Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking, making sure the onions are spread as evenly as possible over the pan. Let the onions rest and caramelize in 5-minute intervals, then scrape off the bottoms and redistribute the onions so that each onion gets maximum surface area. The purpose is to slowly crisp up the onions by attracting the remaining liquid to sweat, and to sweeten the onions by condensing their own juices in them. This process takes approximately 30 minutes.
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When the onions are dark brown but not burnt, remove from the heat and add the paprika, cumin, paprika and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside or store in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble (up to 5 days).
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While the onions are slowly caramelizing, prepare the potatoes and place them in a large pot. Cover generously with water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook the potatoes until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to pot.
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When it comes to mashing, use any technique you like. I find that the best texture is achieved by using a food mill (or mouli as my mother calls it) or a ricer. You can use a hand masher for coarser results. Food processors can make the texture gummy, so avoid using them.
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Mash the potato mixture, season with salt and dilute with 1/4 cup olive oil and a little chicken or vegetable broth. Blend dairy-free sweet potatoes until smooth and creamy.
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Either store the potatoes for later use or transfer to a casserole dish and spread in an even layer. Top with caramelized onions. Reheat immediately, or assemble later and reheat in a 350°F oven until Gluten Free Sweet Potato Casserole is piping hot again.
If you make it, tag @phoebelapine and #feedmephoebe – I’d love to see it!
