Basic Sweet Potato Casserole Healthy Style

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2 lbs of sweet potatoes -- wrap potatoes in foil and place in baking dish (helps avoid a sticky mess in the oven if potatoes leak) OR peel the potatoes, cut in equal sized pieces and boil in a pan covered with filtered water until fork tender (Fork tender:  a fork can be easily inserted and released from the food)

Reduce oven to 375 degrees.

If baking, squeeze the potatoes gently to ensure doneness.  They should squeeze easily.  Bake about an hour depending on size.  Let cool by unwrapping foil, cut the potatoes in half and when cool remove the skin.  

Place the potato meat in a blender (Vitamix is the best!!) and add:

• 3 T coconut oil, EVOO, or Grass-fed Ghee (melted)
• 1 c unsweetened apple sauce (homemade applesauce is easy: simply peel 2 apples and place in a pan with 2 T of filtered water, cover & gently boil until the apples are fork tender---smash with a fork and measure a cup--reserve the rest & refrigerate)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of ground nutmeg (Pinch:  with your thumb and index finger, take a pinch out of nutmeg container)
• Fave salt to desired taste

Blend until combined well and to desired smoothness.  

Transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle with:

• 1 cup of chopped pecans, almonds, pistachios, macadamia nuts or walnuts (ok to do a mixture of faves)
• Sprinkle a little extra cinnamon if desired!

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until desired browning of the nuts.  Let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Char Tip:  Great make ahead of time side dish!  Do everything up to baking the casserole and store in the refrigerator covered until an hour before baking.  Remove from the frig one hour before baking to let the dish warm up a bit!

shared by my Aunt Donna with a couple Char twists