I know, I know… it’s not even Halloween yet! Why am I talking about Thanksgiving already? Well, I’ll bet you’ve already figured out what you’re doing for Halloween, so on the blog it’s on to planning for the next holiday. After you hear about the low carb holiday side dish I’ve got for you today, you’ll see why!
My (extended) family has a holiday tradition of getting together at my second cousin’s parents’ house for Thanksgiving Day. I have yet to get a firm consensus for what their relationship to me is supposed to be. Third cousins? Second cousins once removed? We don’t have a large family, so even if they aren’t super close to me by blood, they’ve always been Aunt and Uncle to me growing up. Every November, my uncle prides himself in making the most perfect Thanksgiving turkey, while others contribute with salads and sides. Last Thanksgiving, I brought my keto mashed cauliflower to our gathering and made everyone guess what it was. Some people thought it could be mashed potatoes, others figured out that it was mashed cauliflower, but ultimately it didn’t matter. Both groups gobbled it right up. This year, I’ve made it a goal to low-carb-ify (new word right here, yeah!) another classic holiday side dish: Low Carb Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crust!
Of course, actual sweet potatoes are too starchy for a low carb diet, but there’s no need to miss out. It turns out that roasted butternut squash and cauliflower make the perfect stand-ins. They just need a little sugar-free sweetener added to make them as sweet as sweet potatoes. I like to use monk fruit allulose blend, which tastes like sugar, has zero net carbs, and doesn’t add any weird texture to this keto sweet potato casserole. This pecan-crusted butternut squash and cauliflower casserole was the delicious result. I’m still calling it “low carb sweet potato casserole”, even sans the actual sweet potatoes, because it’s the perfect replacement. The bulk of it is just like silky smooth, buttery sweet potatoes, and the topping is all mouthwatering cinnamon-pecan crunch. It would be the perfect pairing with an herb roasted turkey or air fryer turkey breast. I went through a couple of iterations to get the recipe just right. By the last one, I honestly thought it was – dare I say it? – better than sweet potatoes. If you do want to make a casserole that uses actual sweet potatoes, try my classic healthy sweet potato casserole instead. It uses a similar pecan topping, but real sweet potatoes as the base. Just in case, I did a final test run on my husband, mom, and daughter. They all couldn’t get enough. Let me tell you, a nineteen-month-old isn’t going to pretend to like something just to be nice! She couldn’t stop eating this sweet (but sugar-free) low carb sweet potato casserole. That’s a sign, right there. So, what are you making this Thanksgiving? Now you can officially cross that question off your list. Seriously, a healthy potato casserole with pecan crust is the side dish you need. Then try keto green bean casserole next!
Large Mixing Bowl – These are my go-to mixing bowls. I love that this set comes with so many variations in size. Baking Sheets – You will need two baking sheets to roast your vegetables. This is the baking sheet I use in my kitchen. Food Processor – This food processor will work great for pureeing your vegetables.
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