This savory twice baked sweet potato casserole with bacon balances the natural sweetness of the potatoes with spicy chipotle powder, mild green onions, and salty bacon. The mashed sweet potato mixture is formed into mounds and topped with buttery breadcrumbs before baking again.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe ...
- has a perfect balance of flavors.
- it's an easy sweet potato recipe.
- makes a delicious side dish that's not heavy on sugar.
- a holiday side dish you can assemble ahead of time.
- an elegant dish to grace the holiday table.
Instead of serving the traditional sweet potato casserole loaded with mini-marshmallows, crunchy pecans, tablespoons butter, and brown sugar, serve this savory side dish instead. Your whole family will find it a welcome change.
🛒 Ingredients
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Note: The full list of the savory sweet potato casserole recipe ingredients with their amounts and options are listed in the recipe card below.
- Sweet potatoes - the base of the savory dish, we use the dark-orange potato variety.
- Bacon -
- Bread crumbs - we use the crunchier Panko-style variety.
- Unsalted butter - you may use salted butter but taste before adding additional salt.
- Sour cream - adds richness to the mashed potatoes.
- Green onions - gives a mild onion flavor to the sweet potato recipe.
- Ground red chipotle seasoning - gives the savory side dish the spice.
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
🗒 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Heat the oven to 350℉. Line a 15X10X1-inch baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray a 13X9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Pierce the sweet potatoes several times with a fork. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes. The potatoes are done when you can easily pierce the flesh with a fork. Cool for 10 minutes. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and cut out any eyes or dark spots.
- Place the potatoes in a large glass bowl.
- Mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Meanwhile, cook the bacon until crisp and chop into small pieces.
- Add the bacon, sour cream, ¼ cup butter, green onions, chipotle powder, salt and pepper to the mashed sweet potatoes.
- Mix until well blended.
- Form individual servings with a ½-cup ice cream scoop or measuring cup.
- Place the measured servings into the prepared baking dish.
- In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs and the melted 1 Tablespoon butter.
- Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the mashed potato mounds.
🔪 Equipment
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- Baking sheet
- Potato Masher
- Glass bowls
- Sharp knife
- Dry measuring cups -- you could also use a ½ cup ice cream scoop.
- Measuring spoons
- Heavy skillet
- Glass baking dish
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- High Altitude 3500 to 6500 ft. preparation -- Bake the potatoes 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Bake the prepared casserole for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Save time by using pre-cooked bacon.
- You can make this sweet potato casserole the day before by simply covering and refrigerating it until you're ready to bake.
- If you don't want to bake the sweet potatoes, you can microwave them or use a slow cooker. The directions for cooking is in the recipe card. Once the potatoes are cooked, follow the directions to complete the savory casserole side.
🤔 FAQs
Here are some questions we're often asked about the savory sweet potato recipe.
Yes. Cover the casserole with plastic wrap then take out of the fridge 60 minutes before baking.
Herbs & Spices: chili pepper, chipotle powder, cilantro, cinnamon, coconut, garlic, ginger, nutmeg, rosemary, thyme, allspice, cinnamon, and clove
Produce: lime, onions, carrot, salt, thyme, walnuts, oranges, pineapple, apples, and potato
Savory: pecans, maple sugar, and rich meats such as pork, duck, ham, bacon, and poultry
Other: butter, cream, rum, brown sugar, sour cream, maple sugar/syrup, honey
They are different. Yams are starchy and have a rough brown exterior. Sweet potatoes are a root vegetable with a softer, reddish skin, a creamier and darker interior.
No they don't. Yams are less sweet and more starchy and dry.
😋 Variations
- If your Thanksgiving meal would not be complete without your mini marshmallows and pecan topping, replace the bread crumbs with the mini marshmallows and crunchy sugared pecans.
- Replace the chipotle seasoning and green onions with a bit of garlic powder and some fresh thyme.
- Add a bit of orange zest and allspice in place of the chipotle seasoning.
📚 Related Recipes - Holiday Sides
- Swiss Chard Gratin features a leafy green in a delicious cheese sauce that’s topped with homemade bread crumbs. Make your winter greens in this method and watch them disappear on the plate.
- Peas and Mushrooms is a delicious vegetable side that we've made for all the major holidays.
- Roasted Mushrooms makes a rich elegant side that goes well any meat.
- Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole frees up the oven for all those other tasty holiday dishes while keeping the original delicious flavor of that traditional green bean dish.
📝 Recipe
An easy and yummy way to make sweet potatoes. I have shared this recipe with friends and family and always get rave reviews. This is a great dish for buffet dinners and the individual portions make an elegant presentation.
Next time try these delicious roasted potatoes.
And if you need a delicious vegetable side that does NOT require the oven or stovetop, try our Green Bean Casserole in the slow cooker. W
We love sweet potatoes, and if you feel the same way, try our delicious Sweet Potato Pie with a Marshmallow Cream topping. This dessert will leave your family and guests speechless.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
📖 Recipe
Twice baked Savory Sweet Potato Casserole With Bacon
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 6 pounds Dark-orange sweet potatoes 9 large or 12 medium
- 8 ounces Bacon 8-10 slices
- ¼ cup Panko crispy bread crumbs
- 1 Tablespoon Unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup Sour cream
- ¼ cup Unsalted butter softened
- 2 Medium green onions chopped (2 tablespoons)
- ½ teaspoon Ground chipotle powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350℉. Line a 15X10X1-inch baking sheet with foil
- Spray a 13X9-inch (3 quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
- Pierce sweet potatoes several times with a folk. Place in foiled-lined pan. Bake about 1 hour 15 minutes or until a fork easily pieces through the potato.
- Cool 10 minutes. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes, discard skins, and cut out and eyes or dark spots. Place the sweet potato flesh in a large glass bowl.
- In a medium size skillet, cook bacon until crisp; chop. Set aside.
- In a small glass bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the 1 Tablespoon melted butter. Set aside.
- Mash the potatoes with a potato masher.
- Stir in the chopped bacon, sour cream, the ¼ cup softened butter, the onions, chipotle seasoning, salt and pepper, until well blended.
- Spread mixture in the glass baking dish, or form individual servings in the dish with a ½-cup ince cream scoop or measuring cup.
- Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over top.
- Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated and bread crumbs just begin to brown.
Notes
- High Altitude 3500 to 6500 ft. preparation -- Bake the potatoes 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Bake the prepared casserole for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Save time by using pre-cooked bacon.
- You can make this sweet potato casserole the day before by simply covering and refrigerating it until you're ready to bake.
- Instead of baking the potatoes, you can cook with in a crockpot or microwave them.
- Scrub sweet potatoes and rinse - do not dry off. This is the moisture the potatoes need in the slow cooker.
- Place rinsed potatoes into the crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3.5-4 hours. Potatoes are done when a fork can easily be inserted into the potato.
- Scrub the potatoes and pat dry. Trim away any blemishes with a paring knife.
- Prick each potato four or five times all over with a paring knife or fork.
- Place the potatoes on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave at 100% power for 12 minutes. If your microwave does not have a rotating turntable, flip the potatoes after 7 minutes.
- At 12 minutes check the potatoes for doneness, and continue to microwave in 1-minute bursts as needed until the potatoes are cooked through.
Nutrition
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