Sweet Potato Casserole with Apricots [RECIPE]

Although we both love sweet potatoes, whether they are simply baked, cut into wedges and roasted, or turned into our fan-favorite sweet potato spoon bread. But growing up in the South, I sometimes get a hankering for sweet potato casserole. While Heather finds the traditional recipe topped with marshmallows too sweet for her liking, she actually enjoys eating this version because it is subtly sweetened with the secret ingredient: diced dried apricots! Nearly all the ingredients in this dish are orange, so your family probably won’t even notice the apricots are in there until they take a bite and ask, “What’s that I’m tasting? It’s yummy!” It makes for a fun guessing game and a tasty side.

PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOK TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 3 large sweet potatoes, washed and patted dry with a paper towel (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• 1/2 cup orange juice with pulp (not from concentrate)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup diced dried apricots
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pea-sized pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F.
2. Put the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast for 40 minutes.
3. While the sweet potatoes are baking, start making the topping. In a food processor, pulse together the oatmeal, brown sugar, olive oil, butter, walnuts and pecans. Set aside.
4. When the sweet potatoes are done baking, set them aside to cool. When they are cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and place them in a 2-quart casserole dish. Mash them with a potato masher, then add the orange juice, cinnamon, honey, milk, and dried apricots and stir to combine.
5. Smooth the top of the sweet potato mixture with the back of a spoon, then top with the crumbly topping. Bake until casserole is heated through, and the topping is brown is crispy, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

YIELD: 6 servings