Healthy Butternut Sweet Potato Casserole (2024)

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Combining sweet potatoes, butternut squashandmaple syrup, this healthy, make-ahead sweet potato casserole wows everyone!

I love how traditional Thanksgiving feasts vary tremendously from family to family, as well as from one area of the country to another. While I was preparing this sweet potato casserole, I thought back to a time when I wasn't aware of this wonderful melting pot of Thanksgiving traditions.

Both Scott and I grew up in central Wisconsin.Atypical Thanksgiving dinner for us includedturkey, mashed potatoes, gravyandcranberry sauce. You'd often also findsweet potatoes, corn, a green veggieand some type of yeast rolls on the table. When we moved to North Carolina, we discovered that, what was "typical" for us, wasn't really typical at all!

When Thanksgiving rolled around the first few times in North Carolina, I experienced a bit of a shock.I learned from new friends at work and in the neighborhoodthat a classic southern Thanksgivingmeal was quite different from my norm. To start with, there were usuallyseveral types of meat, minimally a ham and a turkey. The sides often included dishesthat, to me, seemed a bit weird. Some of my friends talked aboutdeviled eggs, mac cheese, pickles and collard greens! Other typical feasts included pimento cheese, cornbread stuffing, corn puddings, biscuits and grits.

"What is wrong with these people?" was the first thought from this narrow-minded midwestern girl. It took a bit of time, but I finally came to understandthat there arelots of wonderfully, delicious ways to celebrateThanksgiving.

These days, I love hearing about"typical" Thanksgivingfeasts, knowingthere are a zillion uniquetraditions and beloved culinary customs. Did you knowthat in Baltimore and parts of Pennsylvania, a Thanksgiving meal without sauerkraut isquite unthinkable? Now that's my kind of tradition! (Not so much the photographer/editor's though!)

Although there are lots of unique variations, a fewthingsare quiteuniversal for Thanksgiving meals, here in the States. For example, it doesn'tmatter where you go in the country, turkey is a given, as well as some type of pumpkin or pecan pie. Sweet potatoes are another endearing tradition; usually in the form of a casserole.Traditional recipes for sweet potato casseroles include a marshmallow or brown sugar pecan topping. And the sweet potatoes insideare usually sweetened to the point of being dessert-worthy.

No marshmallows or sugar needed!

This season, I'm happyto present a new option; a delicious, but healthy sweet potato casserole - with butternut squash! Intrigued by a recipe I sawon Pinterest,Icouldn't resist checking it out. Happy to see that theingredient list didn't include marshmallow or sugar, I adapted the recipe to make it a bit easier (no peeling and dicing the squash) and added a few touches of my own.

This easy sweet potato casserole comes together quickly once the veggies finish their stint in the oven. This dishwill be sure to bring rave reviews, as itallows the wonderfulnatural flavors of the veggies to shine without adding sugar.

Theingredient cast list also includes salt, pepperanda splash of maple syrup. In addition, there'sa pinch of both cinnamon and curry powder. Don't worry if you're not a curry fan. The small amount of curry just adds a warm deliciousness when combined with the cinnamon. No one will be able to quite put their finger on the fabulous flavor. They'll just know they love it!

The topping for this sweet potato casserole is my Maple Molasses Glazed Pecans and a scatter of fresh rosemary. If you haven't tried these pecans yet, you might want to make a double batch!

Why? Because, if you pop one in your mouth, it will be impossible to stop nibbling. And they make wonderful little appetizers with a glass of wine.

What does your "typical" Thanksgiving meal include? I know it's wonderful. If you have a minute and live in the U.S. or Canada, we'd love to hear how you celebrate this beautiful holiday. Feel free to leave a comment below. And finally, if you want to add a fabulous new dish to your holiday table, be sure to try this delicious and healthy butternut sweet potato casserole!

Café Tips for making this Healthy Butternut Sweet Potato Casserole

• To make your life easier, make this sweet potato butternut casserole a day in advance. Just cover and keep the pecans separate till just before baking. It also reheats well for those wonderful leftover Thanksgiving meals.
• You'll have more pecans than you need for this recipe, but they keep well if stored in an airtight container. They’re perfect for sprinkling on puddings, ice creams and stirring into your morning yogurt.
• Butternut squash can be a real pain to cut as they are so hard and dense. If you pop the whole squash in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, it will be much easier to cut. Remove it with an oven mitt or pot holder as it will be hot. Give it a few minutes to cool, then slice off the hard stem at the top of the squash. Lay squash on its side and, with a long, sharp knife, starting at the top end, cut down the middle of the squash to the center. Do the same thing, starting from the other end. Your cuts should meet in the center and the squash will be cut in half. For this recipe, don't worry about scooping out the seeds before baking. It will be much easier to remove seeds after the squash is roasted and it's nice and soft.