One of our family’s favorite Thanksgiving traditions is this sweet potato casserole. My daughter Elizabeth, who has been known to cast a suspicious eye on my attempts to lighten up recipes, once said to me, “Now don’t go messing with this recipe. It’s perfect just the way it is.”
It took me years to admit to her that it came from an old Cooking Light cookbook. It’s not exactly diet food, but it’s a good example of how you can take a typically fat-laden recipe and make it lighter, and better, without sacrificing an ounce of taste. I’ve reduced the brown sugar in the sweet potato mixture because it’s already fairly sweet, and don’t leave out the vanilla; it’s is a must.
2 egg whites (or 1 egg*)
3 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes (about 2 1/4 lbs.**)
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup nonfat milk
2 T. butter, melted
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. salt
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 T. butter, chilled
1/3 cup chopped pecans
Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl and combine. Spoon mixture into an 8″ square baking dish or gratin dish that’s been sprayed with nonstick spray.
Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar and flour in a bowl and cut in the chilled butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly. Stir in pecans and sprinkle this flour mixture over the sweet potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Serves: 8
WW Points per 1/2 cup serving: 5
(* if made with a whole egg, each serving is 6 points)
(**3 large or 4 small sweet potatoes)
I love love love this recipe. Was planning to make it to take to my sister’s but left the recipe at home…3 states away. Thrilled to find it posted. What a lifesaver!