Crowd-Pleasing Sweet Potatoes
At the Thanksgiving table, no dish is more divisive than sweet potatoes. There are two camps: with marshmallows and without, and there’s no middle ground. This genius recipe bridges the divide by offering two different toppings, one sweet and one savory. Bake all the sweet potatoes in a large baking dish and serve the toppings on the side, so guests can assemble their own, or divide the sweet potato mixture between two smaller gratin dishes and top them yourself.
Ingredients
- 4 large sweet potatoes, about 3 1/2 lb. (1.75 kg) total
- 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) (2 oz./60 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) evaporated milk
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- Kosher salt
For the sage and pecan brown butter:
- 16 Tbs. (2 sticks) (8 oz./250 g) unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
- 30 fresh sage leaves
- 3/4 cup (3 oz./90 g) toasted chopped pecans
- Kosher salt
1 batch Marshmallow Cream Topping
Directions
Preheat an oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Using a fork, pierce each sweet potato 4 to 6 times and wrap separately with foil. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake until a fork easily pierces the center of the potatoes, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Let stand until cool enough to handle.
Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C). Butter a 13-by-9-inch (33-by-23-cm) baking dish.
Remove the skin from the sweet potatoes and place the flesh in a food processor. Add the melted butter, eggs, evaporated milk and cinnamon and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt. Transfer the sweet potato mixture to the prepared baking dish and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 20 minutes.
To make the sage and pecan brown butter, in a fry pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter is browned and foamy, 3 to 4 minutes more. Add the sage leaves and cook, stirring constantly, until they are dark green and crisp, about 1 minute. Stir in the pecans. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt. Cover to keep warm.
Transfer the sage and pecan brown butter and the marshmallow cream topping to serving bowls and serve alongside the sweet potatoes. Serves 8.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen