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Why I Love This Side Dish
In my opinion, Thanksgiving should be changed up periodically. I’m not talking about anything radical, but instead, using the basics in a new way.
On my table, sweet potatoes are always present in some form, but I like to have variations. Dessert has enough added sugar, and sweet potatoes have enough natural sugars that I see no reason to add any more. Instead of brown sugar and marshmallows, I want to taste the sweet potatoes themselves.
This casserole brings out the sweet potato flavor with a homemade chipotle butter. No flavor masks the other. Instead, they create perfect harmony.
What is Chipotle Pureé?
As a rule, I always keep a can of chipotles in adobo in my pantry. If you haven’t used this ingredient, it’s composed of two items:
- Chipotle is dried and smoked jalapeńo peppers.
- Adobo is a Mexican red sauce that is slightly sweet and tangy.
Together, chipotles in adobo become an intense, smoky, spicy ingredient that is packed with flavor. When opening a can of chipotles in adobo, you will find whole peppers in the red sauce. I always blend the peppers with the sauce to create a paste-like sauce. This can easily be added to recipes in any amount.
Why Does This Recipe Work for Thanksgiving?
With the monotony of customary browns and yellows present at Thanksgiving, an update is needed. Or at least, the holiday needs something unique and fresh to liven up the meal. These sweet potatoes can be assembled the morning of Thanksgiving and stored in the refrigerator until about one to one-and-a-half hours before the meal. Simply pull them out of the refrigerator and bake!
Anything that can be prepared ahead is a time saver and takes away at least some of the stress. I love the simplicity of these potatoes, but also the major flavor impact they provide!
More Thanksgiving Sides
- Caramelized onion and croissant stuffing
- Parmesan roasted Brussels sprouts
- Cauliflower au gratin
- Garlic butter Hasselback potatoes
Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?
I hope you make this recipe and put some food on your table. Leave a comment and share a star rating so you can let others know how much you love this recipe. This helps show others that this is a recipe they, too, can make, enjoy, and love!
Chipotle Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 tbsp (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup chipotle puree
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- 5 lb sweet potatoes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and set it aside.
- Remove the ends of the sweet potatoes to create even-sized slices. Save discarded potatoes and roast them separately. Slice the sweet potatoes ¼-inch thick. Lay in a baking dish in a shingle style.5 lb sweet potatoes
- In a small saucepan, combine the butter, chipotle puree, orange juice, lime juice, maple syrup, thyme, and salt. Bring to a simmer over low heat, 3-4 minutes. Once at a simmer, stir to ensure all of the ingredients are evenly mixed. Remove from the heat and pour over the prepared sweet potatoes.12 tbsp (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, ¼ cup chipotle puree, ¼ cup fresh orange juice, 2 tbsp fresh lime juice, 3 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- Bake in the preheated oven until the potatoes are tender, 55-65 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
I made Kaleb’s Chipotle Sweet Potato Casserole for Thanksgiving this year. It was great to have a colorful savory dish to compliment the meal. It was so fast and easy to make, too, which was a relief when there was so much other food to prepare. I also love that it can be made the night before and baked the next day. I was not successful in using my immersion blender like Kaleb did to blend the chipotle peppers, so I just chopped them finely with a knife which worked well. Even though I thought the casserole was very tasty and not too spicy, I’m not sure the older people at our table enjoyed the spiciness of the dish as much as the younger people did. Next Thanksgiving I’ll make Kaleb’s sweeter sweet potato casserole recipe:)
Oh boy was this ever good! I tasted the sauce before pouring it over the potatoes and wondered what I had done. BUT! Once the sauce was simmered with the butter then the dish was baked, this provided a very tasty and not too sweet side dish. I loved it. One of the guests even asked for the recipe too. Yum!
I made this dish last Thanksgiving. It was a big hit with my husband who does not eat sweet potatoes, but does enjoy spicy foods. The sauce keeps in refrigerator for several weeks, if you reduce the recipe as I did. So looking forward to including this recipe in our Thanksgiving menu again this year. It would make a delicious accompaniment to roasted pork or chicken, as well.
Love your work, Kaleb!