Name: Maple Sweet Potato Casserole
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Ingredients: 3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 6 medium potatoes), peeled, halved lengthwise, and halves cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices; 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted; 5 tablespoons maple syrup; 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon powdered ginger; 3/4 teaspoon table salt; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted a sweet potato casserole recipe that was sweet without being cloying, rich enough without gratuitous fat, and didn't require the better part of the holiday weekend to prepare. We first found we needed to precook the potatoes for our sweet potato casserole recipe; when we made a casserole with raw potatoes their sugars did not develop. Parboiling exposed them to hot water for a long enough time to bring them to the point of releasing their sugars, but not allowing them to overcook. Next we wanted to use a more interesting sweetener to complement the potatoes—maple syrup was perfect. Fresh ginger proved to be a natural seasoning and only 6 tablespoons of butter added sufficient flavor.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. In large pot or Dutch oven of boiling water, parboil sweet potato slices over high heat until they are bright orange and the point of a paring knife easily pierces but does not break apart a few slices, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain potatoes well and turn into buttered 13-x 9-inch baking dish.

Whisk melted butter, maple syrup, ginger, salt, and cayenne in small bowl; set aside. Mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water in small bowl until totally smooth, then whisk into butter mixture; pour over sweet potatoes and toss to coat well.

Cover dish tightly with foil and bake until liquid is bubbly, about 50 minutes. Remove foil, stir potatoes gently, and bake until liquid thickens to glaze potatoes, about 20 minutes longer. Cool slightly and serve hot or at room temperature.