• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
A Grateful Meal
  • About
    • Press
    • Contact Me
  • Nutrition Coaching
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Valentine’s Day Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Shop
  • Contact Me
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Valentine’s Day Recipes
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Shop
    • Contact Me
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Thanksgiving

    Smoky and Savory Sweet Potato Casserole

    Published: Dec 12, 2019 · Modified: Dec 7, 2021 by Melissa · This post contains links that pay me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    A serving of savory sweet potato casserole being spooned out on a dish
    This post contains links that pay me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

    I didn’t really grow up eating sweet potatoes. On the other hand, they were a staple in my husband’s family growing up. When I think of potatoes, I think savory flavors, like in mashed potatoes. Salt, herbs, vinegar, you know, those kind of flavors. It wasn’t until adulthood that I really embraced the sweet potato and all of his lovely casserole forms around the holidays. However, this holiday season, I’ve been craving a more savory sweet potato casserole instead of the norm. I recently had a very delicious sweet potato bisque that involved coconut milk, chipotle peppers, and bacon, which was my inspiration for this savory sweet potato casserole. Man, oh man, did my muse serve me well. This is freaking fantastic. 

    Close up of savory sweet potato casserole with bacon topping

    It gets its smokiness from not just smoked paprika, but also chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Chipotle peppers in adobo can easily be found in the Latin section of the grocery store. Chipotle peppers are simply dried and smoked jalapenos, and the adobo sauce is a sweet and tangy tomato sauce that they are canned within. No need to drain off the sauce. I typically just pull out a pepper from the can onto my cutting board and chop it finely. I discard any stems but include the seeds in my cooking. I love keeping a jar of these around the kitchen and put them in all sorts of dishes that need a little kick.

    Overview of the savory sweet potato casserole

    The topping of the casserole is simply breadcrumbs with a little oil, seasoning, and crumbled bacon. All of this adds a beautiful crunch component to the consistency of the casserole. I think that this dish is all about balance. The sweetness of the potatoes is balanced with smoky and savory flavors. The soft texture of the potatoes is juxtaposed with the crunch of the panko breadcrumbs and crispy bacon. And, there you have it, folks. I’m totally going to win a casserole of the year award here. I mean, that should totally be a thing, right?

    A serving of savory sweet potato casserole being spooned out on a dish

    Smoky and Savory Sweet Potato Casserole

    Melissa
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr 40 mins
    Total Time 2 hrs
    Course Side Dish, vegetable
    Cuisine American, Christmas, Thanksgiving
    Servings 6 -8 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 medium-large sweet potatoes about 2.5 lbs
    • 4 slices bacon cut into ½” pieces
    • 1 small onion minced finely
    • 2 cloves garlic minced finely
    • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce minced with seeds
    • 2 tsp. smoked paprika
    • ½ tsp. oregano
    • salt/pepper to taste
    • 1 can coconut milk ~13.5 oz
    • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
    • 2 tbsp. light-colored olive oil
    • 2 eggs beaten

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Pierce each sweet potato several times with a fork. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until easily pierced all the way through with a fork. Set aside to cool. 
    • Meanwhile, heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook bacon until crispy and remove to drain on a paper towel. Drain bacon fat from skillet except for about 1-2 tsp. Add onion and saute for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, chipotle pepper, smoked paprika, oregano, and salt/pepper to taste. Cook for additional 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat, add coconut milk, and stir. 
    • In a separate bowl, mix breadcrumbs, olive oil, and bacon crumbles. Season to taste with black pepper. 
    • Once sweet potatoes cool enough to handle, scoop orange flesh out of potatoes into large mixing bowl. Add coconut milk mixture and mash. Fold in the eggs to the sweet potato mixture.
    • Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick spray or with olive oil. Add potato mixture to casserole pan. Top with breadcrumb mixture and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until breadcrumbs golden and casserole warmed through.
    CLICK TO DISPLAY NUTRITION INFO

    Nutrition

    Calories: 458kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 10gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 448mgPotassium: 811mgFiber: 8gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 22287IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword casserole, savory, side dish, smoked, sweet potato
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Thanksgiving Recipes

    • Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board (Easy Guide)
    • Baked Brie with Fig Jam and Honey
    • Negroni Sbagliato (with Prosecco – Negroni Spritz)
    • Sparkling Pear Vodka Cocktail with Prosecco

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Photo of Melissa sitting on porch with coffee cup leaning forward with pumpkins and plants on the porch.

    Hi, and welcome! 👋🏻 I’m Melissa, a RD with a Food Science degree living in Charleston, SC. I love sharing all my favorite food and cocktail recipes right here.

    More about me →

    Valentine's Day Favorites

    • Chambord Sour Cocktail
    • Cherry Whiskey Sour (with Bourbon and Amaretto)
    • Empress Gin Martini Cocktail Recipe
    • Wild Berry Chambord Spritz Cocktail
    • Empress Gin French 75
    • Shimmering Cotton Candy Spritz Cocktail with Prosecco

    Popular Recipes

    • Hibachi Shrimp Rice Bowls
    • French 95 (French 75 with Bourbon)
    • Hazelnut Frangelico Sour Cocktail Recipe
    • Turkey Taco Bowl

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About + Policies

    • Privacy Policy
    • HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
    • Content and Recipe Sharing Policy

    About + Contact

    • About
    • Contact

    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

    Disclaimer: Information on this website is meant for general use only and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease or condition. Readers should consult their healthcare providers prior to making any changes to their lifestyle. The information contained in this site is intended to serve as general information and should be used in conjunction with advice from your healthcare team. It is not a substitute for medical treatment or therapy of any kind. All information contained in this site is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without permission from the site owner.

    Copyright © 2023 Grateful Meal Nutrition

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT