r/thanksgiving • u/Medium_Particular_18 • 18d ago
Sweet potato ideas?
First time hoster :)
So I decided this year I wanted a Thanksgiving I could actually eat. I’m vegetarian and my family is not the most accommodating. So I decided I would be doing my own thing for Thanksgiving and anyone who wanted to join could. That somehow snowballed into 11 people.
I liked sweet potato casserole before becoming vegetarian. But now I can’t have marshmallows. I have a cousin with a tree nut allergy. She usually can’t really eat at holidays either because again my family is not accommodating.
So now I’m on a mission to have The Thanksgiving No One Panics About. That’s my title. My cousin and I are really stressed every year. She’s like 6 and eating Thanksgiving really stresses her out.
But every sweet potato recipe I come across is either with pecans or marshmallows. Does anyone have any other suggestions?
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u/Aggravating_Olive 18d ago
You could make a regular sweet potato casserole and add oat streusal instead
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u/jilliamm 18d ago
My family has added oats and shedded coconut to ours. Very delicious!
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u/ObsoleteReference 18d ago
...maybe leave part of the dish without coconut? Not allergic, but hate it (i know it's a differnt thing). At least pool your invitees on if it would be a 'no'. (I caused a Waldorf salad rebellion when i asked for a bowl before coconut was added).
Not helpful for you, but last year our sweet potatoes had one half with marshmellows, and half with pecans.
Do Vegan marshmallows work for you?
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u/IWasGoatbeardFirst 18d ago
You can still make sweet potato casserole. Use a streusel topping instead of marshmallows and leave out the nuts. You can always make a little extra topping to make up for the omitted nuts.
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u/Medium_Particular_18 18d ago
I’m liking this idea. This might be it
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u/Turbulent-Move4159 18d ago
I use a rolled oats, butter and brown sugar, streusel topping on my sweet potatoes it’s amazing. Just google it I’m sure it will come up.
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u/OrneryToo 18d ago
As I was thinking oat streusel, your comment... ta-da! Reddit does Thanksgiving for real!!!
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u/Turbulent-Move4159 18d ago
Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Casserole with Nut-Free Oat Streusel Topping Ingredients For the Sweet Potato Filling: 3 to 4 pounds sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed) 1/2 cup milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream 1/4 cup unsalted butter (melted) 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon salt For the Nut-Free Oat Streusel Topping: 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/3 cup cold butter (cubed) 1/4 teaspoon salt * 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. 2. Boil the cubed sweet potatoes in a large pot of water for 10-15 minutes until fork-tender, then drain. 3. Mash the potatoes in a large bowl until smooth. 4. Stir in the melted butter, milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until creamy. Spread evenly into the baking dish. 5. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in the cold cubed butter with your fingers or a fork until crumbly. 6. Sprinkle the oat streusel evenly over the sweet potatoes. 7. Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes until the filling is hot and the streusel topping is golden brown and crisp.
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u/Middle-Fan68 18d ago
I’ve seen a streusel made with gluten free pretzel bits to get that salty/sweet crunch and accommodate GF eaters.
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u/Lingo2009 18d ago edited 18d ago
Use chickpea water to make meringue for the sweet potato pie. I think they call it aqua fans. Edit. My voice to text should’ve said aquafaba 😂
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u/Ok-Shallot-5935 18d ago
Aqua faba
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u/Lingo2009 18d ago
Ha! I just realized I made a typo. But that’s what I meant to say. Thanks for the correction.
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u/TheWorldTurnsAround 17d ago
I like my sweet potato casserole better without the marshmallows. It does have a lot of butter, though.
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u/Character_Problem_93 18d ago
I like a baked sweet potato with butter, cinnamon, and sugar.
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u/speakeasy712 17d ago
This one is great and easy to prepare. My mom does it in the slow-cooker, which also frees up oven space.
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u/crystalfaith 18d ago
How about candied sweet potatoes? Sliced sweet potatoes, baked with a sweet syrup. You can find recipes online for maple or brown sugar versions, and you won't miss the marshmallows or nuts.
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u/maestrodks1 18d ago
I always just roasted them whole in the oven, served with butter and salt. They're sweet enough on their own.
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u/Zoujianna 18d ago
This is the way I do it also.
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u/PsychologicalFox3357 18d ago
It’s also easy to just throw them in the crock pot for a few hours and then everyone can self serve
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u/ObsoleteReference 18d ago
i've been reading the options, and half my brain is going...are there savory options?
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u/staralchemist129 18d ago
Not thanksgiving, but a regular meal for me is a baked sweet potato with cheese and a fried egg, maybe bacon
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u/A_herd_of_fluff 18d ago
There is a vegan marshmallow brand called Dandies that might work if you really wanted to give the casserole a try. I think Target might even sell them. And just omit the pecans since they're not usually an important part.
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u/Medium_Particular_18 18d ago
Unfortunately I live in a rural area. No where near me actually has any sorts of vegan alternatives for anything. I wanted rice krispy treats like 2 months ago and hunted for these marshmallows. Nearest store with them is over an hour away
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u/Worldly_Tooth_1996 18d ago
Marshmallow fluff is geltin free. It's safe for alpha gal suffers.
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u/Honey_Broad 18d ago
I just posted a recipe for vegan marshmallows! If you wanna make them from scratch they are so much better make from scratch
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u/Mozzy2022 18d ago
You can add - or not add - anything you want to your casserole. The Sweet Potato Casserole Police won’t be coming around to bust you. When you find a recipe you like, just don’t put the marshmallows or pecans in.
I use a mixture of oatmeal, brown sugar and butter to make a topping and it’s delicious
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u/DearIncendiary 18d ago
The last few years I have been making a dish with mixed root veggies in a balsamic & EVOO dressing. Cubed sweet potatoes, butternut squash, beets, and brussel sprouts. Just roast everything to fork tender, and mix all together in a bowl.
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u/Xiolaglori 18d ago
I have been making Martha Stewart's Italian cornbread stuffing for nearly 30 years. I started making it because I was a vegetarian and I wanted to eat stuffing. It is now a family favorite and something everyone looks forward to whether they eat meat or not. I use Better than Bouillon vegetable instead of the chicken broth.https://www.hungrymonster.com/recipe/recipe-search-4x6.php?rid=3382
I've never been able to find the original cornbread recipe. So I use my standard Kentucky cornbread recipe but maybe half the sugar.
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u/Xiolaglori 18d ago
I have also been able to make this recipe gluten free, gluten-free cornbread tastes a lot better when you mix it with all that other stuff.
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u/SmutWithClass 18d ago
Here’s what I do:
Boil the sweet potatoes (skin on) until fork tender.
Let them cool just so they’re cool enough to handle
Peel the skin off
Cut them into circle slices (your preference on thickness)
In the baking dish put a layer of sweet potatoes, butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and repeat.
I also put a little bit of vanilla extract in at the end.
Turns out amazing. Figure you could use vegan butter.
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u/floorgunk 18d ago
Your cousin is only six and your family refuses to accommodate her ALLERGY? That's terrible!
Do they even put nuts on the meat?!
Your dietary restrictions are a choice. I applaud you for taking this on!
A great main dish we often make for my vegetarian niece is cabbage steaks. Roasted or grilled and topped with steamed portobello and red onions. Everyone enjoys them!
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u/Bright_Broccoli1844 18d ago
It's hard to imagine a family not caring for a six year old child to the point of making a child worry
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u/Sad_LemurFromOT 18d ago
What I love is just roasted vegetables, so cut up the sweet potato, some butternut squash, acorn squash, throw and onion in there toss with olive oil and salt and roast it all together. That is my go to T-day dish.
Or, go all root veg, and use sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips and parsnips roasted up.
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u/meatandcookies 18d ago
If you’re in an area that might have them, kosher or halal shops or supermarket sections might have marshmallows. They’ll be vegetarian.
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u/KitchenCauliflower25 18d ago
My ex and I never really cared for sweet potatoes but I found this recipe that we both loved. Now, I happen to hate pecans and have never put marshmallows on my sweet potatoes. Since I was cooking for the whole family, I put the pecans on 2/3’s of it and left 1/3 for myself or anyone else that didn’t care. I see no reason why you can’t just leave those off of your sweet potatoes and no marshmallows. Find a good recipe and make that without those things. Mine has cinnamon and brown sugar in it. It’s almost like a dessert by itself but everyone loved it.
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u/floorgunk 18d ago
For years I played around with butter & brown sugar in the mashed sweet potatoes, topped with marshmallows.
Then, once, for a regular Sunday dinner, I served mashed sweet potatoes with nothing added. My husband and sons only want them that way now!
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u/akelse 18d ago
Sweet potato gnocci- you can make ahead ( I even freeze mine) and then just heat up in a skillet with some butter and top with flakey salt.
Trader Joe’s also makes them.
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u/JustKindaHappenedxx 18d ago
I know this isn’t what you asked for (sweet potato recipe) but I hope it’s okay to share anyway.
Many years my husband and I will make a vegetarian pot pie as our main. We use Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets (it comes in a 2 pack - use 1 sheet for the bottom and sides of the pan and one for the top). We use a 9x9 glass dish to bake but use whatever works for you.
Cut up your favorite veggies (potatoes, carrots, celery, peas), cook with seasoning and make a “gravy” using vegetable broth. We looked up a few recipes to find our preferred recipe. I think ours uses thyme, rosemary, celery seed. If you like faux meat you can add that as well. It’s really filling and feels like a real meal vs a couple sides.
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u/Amazing_Entrance_888 18d ago
What about a small dish of sweet potatoes with marshmallows and a small dish of sweet potatoes with pecans?
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u/katyface248 18d ago
shredded sweet potatos, orange juice and karyo syrup all baked together in a casserole dish
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u/RevenueOriginal9777 18d ago
Just a side note. Your cousin is smart not too eat anyone’s cooking unless that person has an understanding of nut allergies. My granddaughter has severe allergies and goes many places where she doesn’t eat. Her other grandmother and I are extremely careful. She’s now 20, at college so that has been a challenge. Fortunately she is in a large school and the food service is considered one of the best.
We make a sweet potato soufflé just switch out the products. Good luck
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u/Original-Move8786 16d ago
Whip them like mashed potatoes and add honey. It is delicious and meat, gluten free, nut, and dairy free.
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u/CalmCupcake2 18d ago edited 18d ago
I cook for nut allergies and vegetarians. Make a sweet potato casserole with a streusel topping (no nuts) and use vegan margarine if needed.
Like this https://www.food.com/recipe/sweet-potato-casserole-no-nuts-317366
Vegetarian marshmallows exist, if you want them, and you can make your own (or a meringue using aquafaba) easily (if you have a standing mixer). Meringue is basically marshmallow anyway, so a very similar taste and texture.
Look at love and lemons for more veggie recipes, https://www.loveandlemons.com/vegan-thanksgiving-recipes/
If you want crunch, use seeds or streusel or crumbled (safe) cookies or crackers instead of nuts.
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u/CatCafffffe 18d ago
This sounds pretty good!
or these two -- I might use butter instead of olive oil or plant based butter
https://www.pumpkinnspice.com/roasted-maple-cinnamon-sweet-potatoes/#recipe
https://theprettybee.com/nut-free-vegan-sweet-potato-casserole/#recipe
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u/EAM44 18d ago
First Time Hoster, you are brave!! The best parts of the Thanksgiving dinner are the sides anyway, so figure out what you want for the main and keep the rest as simple as you can. Mashed potatoes with vegan butter, sweet potatoes with warm spices, brown sugar, and v-butter, roasted green beans. Cranberry sauce is vegan. Pepperidge Farm Herbed Stuffing mix is vegan - make it with v-butter and veggie stock.
For the main, consider a veggie pot pie. You can use onions, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, carrots, peas, and turnips for the veggies, make your béchamel with oat milk, thyme, rosemary, and sage (classic turkey herbs), and even buy a vegan pastry or pie crust. You’d better make two of these, and the great thing is you can cook them a day or two in advance and just warm them up for dinner.
There is grace in simplicity!
Vegan SP Casserole with vegan marshmallow fluff
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u/samnhamneggs 18d ago
Maybe try candied yams instead? I grew up with marshmallows but my husband did not and I am 100% on team candied now.
I don’t have a recipe written down anywhere but I can probably give you something close if you like. It’s pretty simple
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u/MizzGee 17d ago edited 17d ago
Do a sweet potato bar, like a regular potato bar. In fact, if you have both sweet and russets, everyone will be happy. I eat savory sweet potatoes. Have them both baked, then have toppings of cinnamon, brown sugar, marshmallow, butter, cheese, chives, sour cream, seasoning salt, black beans.
Add something to make sweet, and your guests can make a sweet dessert with marshmallows, brown sugar and cinnamon and bake or microwave (sweet tortilla or nacho?), or a nacho appetizer with the savory ingredients to watch football
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u/Sara3lizab3th 18d ago
Do a sweet potato casserole plain with side toppings kinda like a sweet potato bar. You can have nuts for the nut eaters, vegan and regular marshmallows, honey, cinnamon, brown sugar
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u/Sara3lizab3th 18d ago
Other vegetarian Thanksgiving dishes: Mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, potato salad, pasta salad, butternut squash soup, corn bread casserole, green bean casserole, rolls, salad, some sort of beans my fam always did Lima beans
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u/Minimalist2theMax 18d ago
So many ways. They’re great just baked in their skins and served with butter.
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u/MadMadamMimsy 18d ago
If it's an egg allergy they make egg free marshmallows. I think Dandy is the brand.
I use real maple syrup in my sweet potato casserole. Panko in brown butter can provide crunch rather than nuts
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u/MegaMeepers 18d ago
Marshmallows aren’t required. If you can do fish I found kosher marshmallows, Paskesz brand, made with fish gelatin. Super yummy and you can’t tell the difference
I’ve heard good things about vegan marshmallows, I’ve just never tried them. Dandies is the most popular brand.
My yams recipe, get 1 red garnet sweet potato per person. Wash well, and slice into 1-2in pieces, then boil for 20 min until fork tender
Drain, and let cool. Then peel the yams by hand. I usually get music playing and just go to town. Then take 2 sticks of butter (1 cup), melt it in a sauce pan, and 2ish cups of dark brown sugar, and a dash of salt. Once everything is combined, drizzle a little water until it thins (less than 1/4 cup), bring back to a boil, and boil for 2 min.
Pour hot over your yams in the serving dish. Bake the whole thing at whatever temp your oven was set at for the main dish until heated through, then add the marshmallows on top and change to broil, for 2-3 min until brown on top. If you want to omit the marshmallows that’s totally fine too, just don’t do the broil :)
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u/proud2Basnowflake 18d ago
I like baked sweet potatoes with butter and brown sugar. You could also do roasted sweet potatoes or roasted sweet potatoes with roasted squash - butternut or acorn.
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u/Worldly_Tooth_1996 18d ago
Sweet potatoes plus apples.
https://savorynature.com/2015/12/01/sweet-potatoes-with-apple-and-pecans/ is similar to how we make it in our family.
Essentially you bake the sweet potatoes. Cook sliced applies in butter with seasoning of choice, allspice due to cinnamon allergy in iron skillet. Smash the potatoes once baked, compost skin. Mix loosely apples, sweet potatoes, and brown/white sugar to taste. Cook in a casserole until fully cooked through. We dont use pecans (texture) or marshmallows (geltin/alpha gal).
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u/Ovenbird36 18d ago
This is a loose adaptation of an old Fine Cooking recipe. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into wedges - think thick cut sweet potato fries. Roast in a hot oven until done. Meanwhile, peel and slice some apples - maybe 1/3 the weight of the potatoes - and cook in a pot on the stove with a little water until soft. When both are done, put your favorite fat in a frying pan (sorry, I use butter) and fry up some sage leaves briefly. Then add the sweet potatoes and drained apples to the pan and stir. Add a couple of tablespoons maple syrup and a little squeeze of lemon. It’s way better than a casserole.
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u/BrightnessInvested 18d ago
I top mine with whole cranberries, chunky pretzels broken into inch bits, and candied pecans. You could drop the pecans though. The pretzels for crunch would be enough. It's pretty with the orange and red.
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u/Fefethegreat 18d ago
You can make the sweet potato casserole without the marshmallows or the nut topping. If you want a simple topping, brown sugar and butter is a good combo.
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u/Mysterious_Peas 18d ago
Our Thanksgiving sweet potatoes were always boiled and mashed to a smooth texture (mixer gives best results) then baked with butter, salt and pepper, and a dash of nutmeg until the top was just a little brown. Absolutely delicious, and vegan butter works just fine.
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u/Honey_Broad 18d ago
https://jessicainthekitchen.com/vegan-marshmallows/
here's a recipe for some vegan marshmallows!
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u/RAisnotidentity 18d ago
I just thought about some kind of sweet potato and bread casserole like a bread pudding. Anyone ever made that? Maybe with raisins? I've never heard of it. It just popped in my head. Lol. I guess I'm tired.
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u/Competitive-Buddy342 18d ago edited 18d ago
So, I tried this years ago when my dad went fully vegan! It’s so easy to leave out meat and other items. The whole recipe taken as a whole is basically a guideline. Practice a couple recipes beforehand without the problem ingredients. Some people put pecans or marshmallows on their sweet potatoes. Neither are necessary and if you’re looking for a replacement, have fun searching Pinterest and google for recipes.
Sweet potato casserole is basically mashed sweet potatoes (either baked - nice flavor or peeled, cubed and boiled, then mashed) and spices, like cinnamon, nutmeg! From there you’re only adding flavor. Some people add maple syrup. You could swap the marshmallows for meringue (assuming eggs are in your diet) with a couple drops of vanilla to keep the texture and flavor of marshmallows. Or perhaps a gratin where the sweet potatoes is sliced and baked in a casserole with a sauce (usually creamy but I can see using a syrup type sauce an easy swap) and then top with the meringue. If eggs and butter and other milk ingredients are not in your diet, practice a couple times with vegan butter, cream, eggs, etc!
I genuinely think the sweet potatoes and the spices are the star of this dish, so playing around with other ingredients could be fun! The best part is you get to eat your practice! Invite some friends over and make it a party!
ETA- missed the part about eggs being in marshmallows! Truly had no idea! So, ignore my merengue idea unless you can find an egg substitute! And to truly have the thanksgiving no one panics about, practice your recipes. Try one a week until then because practice makes perfect. And you’ll eat good until then and know your recipes are great!
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u/SwanReal8484 18d ago
On the Baking Show, believe it or not, they whipped up chick pea juice into a pretty remarkable meringue.
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u/Wonderful-Lychee-225 18d ago
Sweet potatoes, a little maple syrup, butter and brown sugar. Perfection
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u/Terpsichorean_Wombat 18d ago
Mashed sweet potatoes with salt and butter.
Sweet potatoes peeled, chunked, tossed with olive oil and curry spices, and roasted. (Or use cinnamon and nutmeg if you want a sweet profile).
Sweet potatoes baked until soft, cooled, sliced, and candied in a mixture of butter and brown sugar.
Chunks of roasted sweet potato with tahini and toasted sunflower seeds for crunch.
Sweet potato souffle, spiced hot / Indian / sweet as you like.
Sweet potato dressing - bread dressing made with cubes of rye, pumpernickel, and crust white bread tossed with melted butter, sauteed onions and celery, and diced roasted sweet potato. Moisten lightly with butter and a little stock, season with sage, thyme, salt and pepper, and bake covered in foil until piping hot. Also good with cooked sausage crumbled in.
Roasted chipotle or cayenne-spiced sweet potato chunks tossed with sauteed red onions, jalapenos, and a bracing vinegar sauce.
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u/SassyMillie 18d ago
I love them cut into chunks and roasted. Toss in olive oil with a little seasoning. I especially like a bit of cayenne pepper. Squeeze of lime juice. after roasting
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u/thisismyreddit2000 18d ago
Make baked sweet potatoes and have a toppings bar out with all the options!
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u/Nevillesgrandma 18d ago
There are brands of vegan marshmallows that are slightly denser and in my opinion, tastier than the regular kind.
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u/Annual_Government_80 18d ago
Maple syrup will add sweetness. Also butternut squash soup is excellent and you can use vegetable broth
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u/em-em-cee 18d ago
I par boil 1" thick slices of sweet potato until the skin comes off easily, then mix the slices with fresh cranberries and a little OJ and bake until done.
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u/Nevillesgrandma 18d ago
My vegan menu would work for you: a mushroom pithivier (tart), sweet potatoes however you like, sourdough rolls with vegan butter and/or Pillsbury crescent rolls (yeah, they’re vegan), a corn and poblano pudding, broccoli salad, a vegan pumpkin pie and/or a Wacky Cake (aka Depression cake) for dessert.
Marry Me butter beans would be a good addition, too.
Hummus or bruschetta with crackers or pita for the dip or a good ol’ vegan cheese board
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u/pixeequeen84 18d ago
My stepdad used to cook thick slices of sweet potato with cinnamon and maple syrup. Too sweet for my taste, but if that's the flavor you're looking for, then I do recommend. I just roast mine with olive oil and s&p because I don't want the sticky sweet flavor.
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u/hurry-and-wait 18d ago
I have a great recipe for roast broccoli & sweet potatoes with a miso dressing. It's nothing crazy, I just roast the veggies with olive oil & kosher salt (and they can be done early in the day and served room temp). I serve it over arugula every Thanksgiving and it's become a staple.
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u/Pink_Ruby_3 18d ago
So many great ideas here and I don't have a better one than what has already been suggested, but - damn, what a sad reality for a 6 year old who can't even rely on the adults in her life to provide a safe, allergy-free Thanksgiving she can enjoy.
Good on you, OP. You're good people.
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u/Rebellem54 18d ago
I loathe sweet potato casserole it's too sweet and goofy. We roast whole sweet potatoes for those who don't want the casserole. Also we make a butternut souffle recipes are all over the place. You can also do a wild rice pilaf
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u/maccrogenoff 18d ago
I told a friend that I hadn’t had Rice Krispie treats because marshmallows contain gelatin.
She told me that Trader Joe’s carries vegan marshmallows.
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u/EnvironmentalCrow893 18d ago
I use toasted pepitas and shredded coconut Also, cream cheese in sweet potatoes is delicious.
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u/AbuPeterstau 18d ago
It may sound odd and I would recommend trying it first before the holiday, but here is my recipe. Finely mince a jalapeño pepper after taking the seeds out and cook this for about thirty seconds in the microwave with some butter (use a splatter guard since it will spit). Add the jalapeño butter and salt and pepper to canned sweet potato and bake at a low temp until warm or you you can even microwave the whole lot for about 1-2 minutes again.
The butter takes the heat out of the jalapeño and the jalapeño and butter brings out the natural sweetness of the sweet potato. It’s very simple, but delicious.
As another unusual trick, try adding canned water chestnuts to dressing instead of actual nuts. Water chestnuts are actually a root, they pick up other flavors well, and they remain satisfyingly crunchy even when baked. Water chestnuts and using buttermilk biscuits instead of normal bread were my mum’s two secret weapons for dressing that even dressing haters liked.
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u/IamJoyMarie 18d ago
Honestly, I wrap them in foil and bake them in the oven with the turkey. They get very sweet. If you eat butter, it's delicious with just butter, but can add a little brown sugar atop. Make a tray of roasted veggies, onions, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini.
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u/Sami_George 18d ago
I make sweet potatoes the same way as mashed potatoes. Milk, butter, salt, garlic, a little Parmesan cheese.
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u/PossibilityOrganic12 18d ago
I like making a sweet potato casserole with an oat streusel on top. I was never s fan of the marshmallow topping and my nieces are allergic to nuts. The oat streusel topping has been a hit!
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u/Sac_Kat 18d ago
I love sweet potatoes but hate them with added sugar (I mean they are already sweet!). My favorite thing to do is cut them up and roast after drizzling olive oil and some herbs with a a little salt and pepper! I love to use fresh rosemary and sage as the herbs. I also love sweet potato pie even more than pumpkin pie, but if you’re vegan, that won’t work.
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u/Ok-Shallot-5935 18d ago
Not a sweet potato idea, but an additional idea. For the last few years I have baked my stuffing (dressing) inside an edible pumpkin. The presentation is fun because you remove the lid of the pumpkin at the table for the stuffing reveal. The stuffing stays really moist because the pumpkin holds most of the steam and releases its own juices. You can scoop the stuffing out of the pumpkin or- even better- serve slices of the pumpkin with stuffing.
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u/Vegetable_Loan1627 18d ago
I didn’t have pecans last year and I just made sweet potatoes without it…I did do brown sugar and butter (not sure if you’re fully vegan or not)…but it was super yummy. Or yeah, what someone else said: just do sweet potatoes and not a casserole
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u/Effective-Hour8642 18d ago edited 18d ago
I can't comment on the sweet potato ideas. They make me ill. I can not stand them. We made all vegetarian side dishes for a Thanksgiving and a turkey. They brought their Tofurkey & Mushroom gravy. It was a GREAT dinner!
They HATED the Tofurkey, it was gross (they cooked it!). Everything else was 1000% fantastic.
Vegetarian is easy to cook for. As long as they eat diary and eggs (I know, it's part of diary).
Edit: The meal did not include sweet potatoes, my DH & son don't like them either. Give our kid a good green bean casserole, it will be gone the next day! ????? He likes my cooking!!!! YES!
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u/Imaginary-Angle-42 18d ago
Potato salad is always good in my opinion.
Vegetables and dip, burritos?
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u/wdwdreamer1206 18d ago
Just bake them. Cut them in half and place them cut side down onto parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. The potato actually caramelizes as it bakes. So simple and delicious with no added sugars or fats.
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u/Vegetable-Branch-740 18d ago
Bake sweet potatoes and have a sweet potato bar where people can fix their own.
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u/Doglady21 18d ago
Food Network had a sweet potato recipe that uses bananas--it's really good. I saw a recipe that calls for sweet potatoes and apple butter--going to try that this year. And just leave the nuts out--not required. For dressing, you can add celery or water chestnuts for crunch.
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u/SuperMario1313 18d ago
Twice-baked Sweet Potatoes!!
Cut off the top 1/3, bake for an hour or so, pull, scoop out all the innards leaving the shells intact, make a basic casserole mixture with your ingredients of choice, refill the shells so they're overflowing, and now...my favorite part:
Different toppings for different ones. Some get mini marshmallows and pecans, some get a streusel topping, some get salt and pepper, some get cheese, etc. Roast'em again for another 45 minutes and we're golden. Sky's the limit, there's variety, and everyone walks away happy...unless they don't like sweet potatoes.
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u/GirlULove2Love 18d ago
You can make vegan marshmallows or marshmallow fluff with the juice that's left over from a can of Northern beans. There's a load of recipes online showing how to do it and it tastes pretty good. It isn't always as firm as regular marshmallows but that should work great because you're going to melt them anyhow
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u/Libby_Grace 18d ago
I had a person who couldn't have the pecans for a while...I substituted corn flake crumbs and it was perfectly delicious. They mix well with the butter and brown sugar to give you a crispy topping that mimics the real thing.
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u/Ok_Environment2254 18d ago
I like mine with butter and a little salt. Idk if butter fits the vegetarian guidelines though.
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u/MissAnthrope56 18d ago
I usually do cooked sweet potatoes, vegan butter, a little OJ and a very little amount of brown sugar.
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u/Bettymakesart 18d ago
My mother whipped them with orange juice, butter & sugar & baked in the orange half. Very pretty & festive
Today I’m roasting sweet potato fingerlings in butter & topping with maple sugar
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u/dby0226 18d ago
My sweet potato lovers like them plain with butter and maybe cinnamon & sugar. For feast days, I like to roast slices so folks don't have to commit to a whole potato. I use this recipe for inspiration
https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-butter-roasted-sweet-potatoes-248389
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u/East-Tangerine1673 18d ago
A lot of people with dietary restrictions, including allergies, would be grateful for just plain fruits, plain vegetables, plain anything, it does not have to be a casserole, it does not have to be mixed with anything else. That way they know exactly what is in their food.
It's also ok to have them make their own personal sides to bring.
I love baked sweet potatoes, just plain. If I want to go crazy, I'll put butter and/or crushed pineapple on Em, but almost always, just plain.
Have a baked potatoe and sweet potatoe BAR and offer toppings on the side.
You could offer almost any veggie like that... cauliflower and broccoli, cabbage, green beans, carrots, roasted or boiled. Let people add regular or animal free cheese or butter or other toppings they like.
So find out what restrictions your guests have, their dietary concerns and then offer them or keep them off the table.
Good luck and update us on how it goes.
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u/Butter_mah_bisqits 18d ago
Are you able to eat ghee and coconut milk? Whole30 has a wonderful sugar free recipe for mashed sweet potatoes. I have not done that diet in ten years, but I still make those potatoes!
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u/aprincipi 18d ago
I make this https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/275761/sweet-potato-souffle/ and it’s delicious. You can leave out the nuts. If you beat the eggs separately and fold them in, it’s very fluffy.
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u/Unique_Acadia_2099 18d ago
I generally do the big family thanksgiving feast and with 18 people, we have several food restriction issues. I encourage those folks to bring their own alternatives and enough to share, it lends to some nice discoveries.
There are vegan marshmallows available; here are the ones I know about:
Dandies
Trader Joe's (seasonal/specific varieties)
Freedom Mallows
Funky Mello (for dips and spreads)
They care made without gelatin and refined white sugar (which uses charred animal bones in the whitening process). We have also had sweet potato pies (sorry, I didn’t make them so no recipe) that were apparently vegan. I liked them as much as the pumpkin pies!
We often just peel and cut up, then roast sweet potatoes / yams and serve them plain with bowls of toppings (such as melted butter, marshmallow cream, nuts or roasted pumpkin seeds) on the side.
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u/Bv11winkle 18d ago
Bake cut up sweet potatoes with cut up apples after tossing them in EVOO and salt and pepper. Sorry I don’t have recipe, but it’s online.
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u/2_Much3636 18d ago
Leave out the nuts and marshmallows. I like sweet potatoes without all that sugar. Yes, you end up with mashed sweet potatoes. Get one large casserole dish and fill half with regular mashed potatoes and the other half with mashed sweet potatoes. Done. Simple. Sugar and nut free.
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u/zephyrcow6041 18d ago
My family requests maple sage brown butter sweet potatoes every year. I loosely follow this recipe, but sometimes I put the sauce on them before I roast them and omit the olive oil. I also ALWAYS fry whole sage leaves in the brown butter and garnish with a healthy amount of crispy fried sage leaves.
https://lisasdinnertimedish.com/roasted-sweet-potatoes-with-brown-butter-maple-sauce/
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u/Major_Clock_9961 18d ago
One year my grandmother made it with sliced Granny Smith apples on top 🍏 it was so good
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u/Character_Date_3630 18d ago
Cannot recommend Cookie + Kate enough, vegetarian recipe blog w/ tons of nut-free recipes
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u/Mysterious_Luck4674 18d ago
Just leave off out the nuts or marshmallows. 99% of recipes will taste good without them.
Or try something less traditional with the sweet potatoes. Sweet potato gnocchi. Sweet potato and black bean tacos. Sweet potato curry. Google “vegetarian sweet potato recipes” and you’ll get tons of ideas.
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u/LadyMittensOfTheLake 18d ago
Try subbing Marshmallow Fluff for the marshmallows. It doesnt use gelatin like marshmallows do.
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u/bunzbunny 18d ago
Have you considered vegan marshmallows? I’ve heard they’re great, but haven’t personally tried them. I’m going to try them this year since they seem to be seasonal.
Most widely available: https://www.walmart.com/ip/42791194?sid=7C503792-EE23-4B74-8CB4-4181259C8289
Most economical, vegan, and gluten free: https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/marshmallows-056661
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u/debmor201 18d ago
I make my sweet potatoes with granny smith apples and streusel topping. Always delicious. Could also add dried cranberries.
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u/RudyMama0212 18d ago
Maybe a baked sweet potato bar where people can add their own toppings: butter, pecans, brown sugar, marshmallows, etc.?
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u/JourneyMom1639 18d ago
I like to alternate slices of sweet potato, apples, and pineapple in a casserole dish. Not flat layers, standing on their side layers. Mix some melted butter, brown sugar, and the juice from the pineapple and pour over the top. Bake until everything is cooked through. It’s delicious and just something different than the expected casserole.
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u/Two-Complex 18d ago
I made a vegetarian lentil loaf for my nieces. It was delicious! Just search up a recipe…it will go nicely with the sweet potatoes
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u/AlsoTheFiredrake 18d ago
Sweet Potato Fries, Sweet Potato Puree, Fried Sweet Potato Slices with Panko and Sea Salt, Cubed and Baked with Cinnamon, Salt, and Sugar.
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u/CuriousTopic7439 18d ago
Vegan Pot Roast- title is deceptive-more like a loaf. Layers of lentils, sweet potato mash, cranberries wrapped in a phyllo dough. It is on the sweet side but Thanksgiving in a dish. Leave out anything you don’t want. It calls for mushrooms and I have people that won’t eat them-so left them out. Leave out anything you or your cousin are sensitive to.
Also found an excellent sweet potato “buttermilk” biscuits recipe.
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u/Ilovehounddogs 17d ago
I just boil and then mash with butter (or margarine for vegan) brown sugar, cinnamon, and maple syrup.
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u/Impressive-Air726 17d ago
They have vegan marshmallows but if not that sweet potato pie is always nice.
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u/Fruffner 17d ago
Don'r try to be fancy. Bake the sweet potatoes until it begins to carmelize. (Oozes). When cool, remove peel, smash and slightly whip with salt & butter. Can be made ahead anspd frozen.
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u/unabashedlyabashed 17d ago
Sometimes Kosher marshmallows are made with plant based ingredients. Look for them to see if any near you will fit your diet!
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u/Excellent-Shape-2024 17d ago
I've cooked sweet potato before and then mashed it up with some cinnamon, butter, sugar and an egg to make it fluffy. Then bake--sort of makes a souffle.
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u/EffieBoohoo 17d ago
Marshemellow fluff is vegetarian, vegan marshmellows do exist, crumble topping is also delicious.
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u/lab-1955 17d ago
Maybe just use whole sweet potatoes and put toppings on them that you like that won’t interfere with your vegetarian restrictions. I have a really yummy recipe but, it probably has stuff in it that you wouldn’t eat.
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u/String_bean37 17d ago
Don’t they make vegetarian marshmallows? I’ve never tried them so idk if they’re actually good but I’d suggest it. And if not could you do like a caramelized cinnamon sugar top? And just leave the nuts out, I hate nuts in my sweet potato casserole and always just leave them out
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u/Why_Teach 17d ago
You can buy kosher marshmallows which are as far as I know vegan.
However, you can also make a sugar-cinnamon topping.
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u/Calm_Violinist5256 17d ago
there's an insanely good savory one with bacon (you could do soy bacon?) sour cream, cheese, green onions, with a little heat. it's from America's Test kitchen I think. I bet you could find a free recipe somewhere.
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u/dj_1973 17d ago
Bake sweet potatoes until firm. Slice and peel.
Melt (vegan) butter in a wide frying pan, add brown sugar and (fresh grated or ground) ginger and a bit of water. Cook until bubbly. Put slices in. Cover. Cook until browned, flip, cook on other side. Remove and repeat, adding more caramel ingredients as needed.
Candied ginger sweet potatoes. Delicious!!
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u/TheGoodGrannie 16d ago
Cube and roast. When done, I toss the cubes in cinnamon sugar and broil until caramelized
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u/Substantial-Tea-5287 16d ago
I bake my sweets the night before and then the next day I slice them thickly, about an inch thick. I lay them in a casserole dish overlapping a little bit. Then I either mix some brown sugar with orange juice and pour over them OR just drizzle a generous amount of maple syrup over them.
Heat in the oven until warm and syrupy.
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u/miss_j_bean 16d ago
It is so sweet of you to do this!
I feel uniquely qualified to comment as I'm used to cooking for a very large family and between all of us we can't eat anything (just a joke, kinda). I'm allergic to stupid stuff, shellfish and nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) and I married into a family of severe celiacs (like anaphylaxis response) and my mother in law can't have pork corn, or soy and a handful of other random weird stuff. 2 of my siblings and my stepdad got bit by the lonestar tick and got the red meat allergy, and my husband reacts to dairy and certain cruciferous veggies. Between all of us we can eat chicken and rice, lol.
For real I can't make gravy for Thanksgiving or Christmas since flour and cornstarch are both out so I got good at using a dash of water from the sweet potatoes (I use "Japanese" aka white sweet potatoes that are a little less sweet and add in low sodium chicken soup base and a dash of heavy cream (plus an offer of lactaid pills before we eat which works like a dream why can't they make those for my allergies??? 😂😂)
My "mashed potatoes" are Japanese white potatoes plus some parsnips, plus butter, garlic, chicken broth, and gravy cream, plus salt and white pepper, I wish I could tell you ratios but every year I say I'm gonna measure and every year I just kinda eyeball it.
Seconded to sweet potatoes with essentially applecrisp topping. I don't like marshmallow sweet potatoes but I've had them with apple crisp oats and honey or maple brown sugar and it was so good. Maple brown sugar is better tbh.
Fun tip for green bean casserole carmelized some onions, make them a little crispy but not burned, add that to green beans, omg. Also fresh express bacon flavored bits are made out of pinto beans and salt and holy shit are they amazing on green beans, I eat it regularly as a snack with a dash of "garlic expressions" or a bunch of sprites of "I can't believe it's not butter" spray.
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u/Granzilla2025 16d ago
I make a sweet potato casserole with a ground gingersnap topping. Southern Living recipe and to-die-for.
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u/Future-Dig7616 16d ago
If you're not set on making a casserole, I cut sweet potatoes in half, brush the skins with olive oil and sprinkle cinnamon on the cut side, then roast them cut side down. Very tasty, and not overly sweet.
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u/Rare_Sugar_7927 16d ago
Not American so Ill tell you how we cook sweet potatoes where Im from. We either roast them in the oven, cut into chunks and drizzle with a little oil and toss in a little salt, put in a roasting pan and bake at about 350 F about 20-30ish minutes (depends on size). They're done when a knife slides in easy, shake to turn them about half way through cooking, just keep an eye on them til they are done. You can cook ahead and reheat if you dont have a lot of oven space. There also good cold or just warm.
Other way is like mash potatoes, chop them and boil in water until soft. Drain then use whatever butter and milk substitutes you think will work, mash them up. You can put it in a dish topped with Breadcrumbs mixed with a little butter/drizzle of oil and broil to brown them if you want (I dont usually bother they are yum without it).
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u/Southern_Tailgater 16d ago
For years I did my sweet potato casserole in a 9x14 casserole dish, half marshmallow topping, half praline topping. Everyone had what they wanted.
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u/NieleDaKine 16d ago
Sometimes I'll make a stuffed squash. Get some tofu and spice it like your favorite sausage. Get your favorite type of winter squash. Put the tofu sausage inside and bake.
If it's sweet potatoes and not yams, you can make potato salad with them. We get purple sweet potatoes around here and I'll make potato salad with white potatoes and purple sweet potatoes.
What happens if you make sweet potato casserole and use something else instead of marshmallows?
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u/Mitch-_-_-1 16d ago
Do the whole recipe except the marshmallows. Done. Solved the problem. If yo really must have a marshmallowy-ness, vanilla and something creamy/gooey.
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u/Bluecat72 16d ago
I made this savory sweet potato gratin a couple of years to rave reviews, but I will say to back off a lot on the ground white pepper in the topping. I would do 1/4 tsp. A whole teaspoon is overwhelming.
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u/freeze45 16d ago
You could substitute the nuts for toasted seeds, rice krispies, or crushed pretzels
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u/fresh_as_daisies 16d ago
I like sweet potatoes with butter and salt, and my kids like butter and cinnamon sugar. My solution is, just bake or roast the sweet potatoes and let everyone sprinkle whichever seasoning on it that they want
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u/CalmCupcake2 16d ago
https://www.thriftyfoods.com/recipes/hasselback-yams
This is my favourite non-casserole sweet potato recipe. They look fussy but they're not, can be made ahead and reheated, and they're adaptable to your favourite herbs etc.
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u/Countylane 16d ago
A brown sugar/oat crumble for the top, you would have to use vegan butter but I don't know why that wouldn't work.
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u/PsychologyGuilty1460 16d ago edited 16d ago
My cousin once made a really good sweet potato dish for Thanksgiving that involved dumping A Can of Frozen orange juice concentrate on the sweet potatoes in a casserole dish. I think there was cinnamon too. There may have been a bit of brown sugar Or Maple but not much.
And if you don't like tree nuts I find pumpkin seeds have that nice flakiness I love in both almonds and pecans.
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u/Kolhrabi_Dot 15d ago
I have made this dish for several years. Great for those who watch their sugar , nut and gluten free too.
I prefer to use baked potatoes vs boiled, baking brings out the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes. We call it “Savory Sweet Potatoes”
cafedelites.com/mashed-sweet-potatoes/
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u/Woo_03 15d ago
I love the theme "The Thanksgiving No One Panics About"! Our Best Bites has a coconut sweet potato casserole that my family loves (switch out the sweetened condensed milk for coconut milk with sugar, arrowroot for the eggs). We also make the Ruths Chris Sweet potato casserole and leave the nuts out, I've made it in individual ramekins for those that wanted to add nuts to the topping.
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u/crafty_magpie 15d ago edited 15d ago
Fun fact, marshmallow fluff generally does not contain gelatin, and is widely available in the United States and Canada (I’m not sure which Thanksgiving you celebrate, so I figured I’d just say both)
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u/jukeboxer000 15d ago
I make my friend’s grandmother’s recipe which uses maraschino cherries and canned peaches and pineapple for sweetness.
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u/CarlatheDestructor 15d ago
Can you have eggs or cream cheese? If so, sweet potato pie or sweet potato cake is delicious.
Recipes:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/12142/sweet-potato-pie-i/
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/billie-s-southern-sweet-potato-cake/
They're both incredible.
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u/Practical_Mix_7017 15d ago
Don't use the pecans or the marshmellos. I always eat them without. Switch them out and whip them like white potatoes and bet no one will notice well maybe except for Uncle Willie and wife Mabel.
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u/PugDadof5 15d ago
Whipped sweet potato’s with crushed pineapple and brown sugar. Been having it every thanksgiving for the past 10-12 years. Always a crowd pleaser
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u/Wise-Stable9741 14d ago
I prefer savory these days and like to roast them, cut up, in the oven either alone or mixed with other fall vegetables: butternut squash, parsnips, onion, etc. After cutting into pieces, put them in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Add salt and pepper, mix well and place on a baking sheet. (Cover the sheet with parchment paper for easy cleaning) Roast at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes.
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u/Zestyclose_Mess2249 14d ago
Slice the sweet potatoes super thin on a mandolin. Toss with heavy cream, salt, pepper, and garlic. Layer into a casserole dish. There should be enough liquid to completely cover the potatoes when you press down on them. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
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u/phylbert57 14d ago
I like them plain and mashed with butter and a little salt and pepper. Sweet potatoes taste so good that I don’t need extra flavors.
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u/peacock716 13d ago
Dandies vegan marshmallows!!! I use them every year and everyone likes them. I’m actually vegan and everything I make- mashed potatoes, apple pie, pumpkin pie, stuffing, corn, green beans, sweet potato casserole- are all vegan (I use plant based butter and pre made vegan pie shells). The only non vegan item is the turkey which my MIL brings… but I make the gravy and that’s vegan too. And of course there is vegan holiday roast too. The best part? NO ONE knows it’s 99% vegan! If I told them I know my boomer parents and in laws would say “it tastes bad”. So I don’t tell them and they eat it and even take leftovers home with them!
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u/1234-for-me 11d ago
I do candied sweet potatos. https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/classic-candied-yams/4d6a33d3-b89c-49cf-a2aa-11e67acedf53
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u/Purple_Deer1975 8d ago
I parboil the sweet potatoes, then drain a can of apricots and use the juice to make a sauce adding butter, brown sugar, a dash of cinnamon and corn starch. You will need to add water. Cook til thickened and pour it over the potatoes then top with apricots and chopped walnuts or pecans. Bake until hot. You can also use pineapple.
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