Where Do You Stand on Marshmallows?
Alright, serious question. One that defines who you are at your core, what matters to you, what makes your life worth living. Burnt marshmallows on your sweet potato casserole or nah? This might surprise you, but I’m totally anti-burnt marshmallows. I dig them, sure! But bagged puffs of corn syrup and tetrasodium don’t really sing to me. Fresh marshmallow cream brûléed? Now we’re talking. Hell yes. But the marshmallows-or-nah debate has proved divisive in my family. First, we had vegans, so that was a no. Then we had a few too many “extra burnt” occasions. My mom ends up making half with, half without. So when I started hosting Thanksgiving years back, I came up with an idea to please everyone — a sweet potato casserole bar. Genius, right? Here’s my vision: plain sweet potato casserole, fortified with quality butter and a tiny bit of sweetener and salt, ready to be topped with homemade marshmallows, candied pecans, compound butter (with parsley, garlic, and shallots!), real maple syrup, fresh thyme, dried cranberries – you dream it up, and I’ll put it on the bar, my friend. Now I just need to get around to doing it.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This year I wanted something different: a Whole30 sweet potato casserole with absolutely no sweeteners, finished off with a pretend praline topping. Pecans, ghee, cinnamon, and a bit of chopped dates for good Whole30-indulgence measure. It’s magical. In fact, I made this Whole30 sweet potato casserole for my very-non-Whole30 best friend and mom for a little early Thanksgiving (life of the food blogger), and it was their favorite dish out of everything! Not sure how they could even top the magic that is my Whole30 green bean casserole, but hey! That just really says something about this Whole30 sweet potato casserole. The banana and the eggs fortify the sweet potatoes and their texture, adding a bit of sweetness and firmness to the dish. You can leave out the dates in the praline topping if you wish, but I highly recommend putting them in there. Just be careful not to eat the whole bag while you’re cooking. That just might turn everything into a Whole30 disaster! Because of the bananas, this dish is best made fresh; chilled overnight, it can get a little bit brown. Still tastes great, but the oxidation of the bananas kinda blocks the visual appeal.
More Whole30 and Paleo Holiday Dishes
Best Paleo Stuffing (Healthy, Gluten-Free, Grain Free) Instant Pot Whole30 Cranberry Sauce with Apples and Rosemary (Paleo, No Sugar) Paleo Cranberry Apple Chicken Thighs with Rosemary (Whole30) Easy Paleo Gravy (Whole30, Grain Free, Vegan Friendly) Whole30 Green Bean Casserole (Paleo, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free)
