Vegetarian Recipes
Sweet Potato Casserole
https://www.loveandlemons.com/sweet-potato-casserole/


Without question, this is the best sweet potato casserole recipe I’ve had! A nutty pecan topping covers a creamy ginger-spiced layer of sweet potatoes.
Growing up, I only had sweet potatoes once a year at Thanksgiving, where they were layered into a sweet potato casserole loaded with mini marshmallows. For years, I thought I didn’t like sweet potatoes. But if you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you know that I actually love sweet potatoes. What I don’t like are marshmallows. In my opinion, sweet potatoes are sweet enough on their own, so why make them sweeter, especially in a dinner side dish?
Since sweet potatoes are one of my favorite fall veggies, I’ve always wanted to make a vegan sweet potato casserole recipe that I’d enjoy at Thanksgiving. This seemed like the perfect time to take on the challenge. And guess what? I liked it so much that I ate the leftovers for breakfast!
Whatever your opinion on traditional sweet potato casserole, you have to try this recipe. I make a simple, creamy filling that really lets the sweet potatoes shine. Then, instead of covering it with sugar, butter, and marshmallows, I sprinkle it with a savory pecan topping. The toasty, nutty topping offers a delicious crunchy contrast to the velvety sweet potato mixture, and cozy herbs make it perfect for fall. Best of all, you can find the ingredients at ALDI, so this is an affordable holiday recipe too!
Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe Ingredients
I’ve been impressed by the quality of the fresh produce at ALDI for some time (just look at these veggie fajitas!), but as I developed this recipe, their pantry staples really blew me away. I punch up the creamy sweet potato filling with their Simply Nature Organic Ground Ginger, and dried thyme adds the perfect savory touch to the nutty topping. And speaking of that topping, basics like Southern Grove Raw Walnuts, Southern Grove Pecans, and Specially Selected 100% Pure Maple Syrup are super affordable without skimping on quality.
Aside from the pantry ingredients I listed above, here’s what you’ll need to make this sweet potato casserole recipe:
- Sweet potatoes – of course! I blend them with a splash of almond milk to make the filling nice and smooth.
- Old fashioned oats – Along with the nuts, they give the crumble topping plenty of hearty texture.
- Fresh rosemary and sage – If I’m cooking with sweet potatoes in the fall, chances are, I’m using rosemary and sage as well. They’re the perfect autumn flavor combination.
- Garlic – Along with the herbs, garlic is key for giving this sweet potato casserole its delicious savory taste.
Just grab some olive oil, salt, and pepper, and you’re good to go!
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole
This easy sweet potato casserole recipe has 4 basic steps:
1. First, roast the sweet potatoes.
2. While the sweet potatoes are baking, make the pecan topping. Pulse the nuts, oats, herbs, garlic, maple syrup, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a food processor until just combined. The mixture should clump a bit, but it should still have lots of texture.
3. Then, blend up the filling. Instead of using a potato masher to mash the sweet potatoes, I use a food processor to get them super smooth. Peel the cooked sweet potatoes, and blend the soft flesh with almond milk, olive oil, ground ginger, and salt.
4. Layer and bake! Spread the creamy sweet potato mixture at the bottom of a greased casserole dish. Sprinkle it with the crumble topping, and add a few whole pecans and sage leaves for garnish. Then, bake at 425 until the topping is nicely browned and crisp, and enjoy!
Sweet Potato Casserole Tips
- Bake your sweet potatoes until they’re super tender. You want the filling of this casserole to be luscious and creamy, without any chunks. Make sure that a fork can easily slide through the potatoes when you take them out of the oven. This way, they’ll blend into a perfectly smooth puree.
- Save some whole nuts for garnish! The best bites of this casserole combine creamy sweet potato with big, toasty nuts. When you blend up the crumble, reserve a few whole nuts to dot on top. You’ll thank yourself later.
- Make it ahead. Like all great Thanksgiving recipes, this healthy sweet potato casserole is easy to prep ahead of time. You can do almost everything a day or two before your feast: blend up the sweet potato filling, pulse together the crumble topping, and store them in separate containers in the fridge. Right before serving, sprinkle the crumble over the filling, and bake! (If you bake the entire casserole ahead of time, the topping will lose its crispness in the fridge.)
More Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes
If you’re looking for more Thanksgiving dinner ideas, check out any of these delicious recipes:
If you want to make your holiday season affordable and easy, head to ALDI for all the essentials! And if you’re new to Instacart, use the code ALDILemons19 to get $10 off your first three orders of $35 or more.
Sweet Potato Casserole
Total time
Author: Jeanine Donofrio
Recipe type: vegan side dish
- 5 large sweet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon Simply Nature Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, more for drizzling
- 1¼ cup Friendly Farms Unsweetened Almondmilk, more if necessary
- 1 teaspoon Simply Nature Organic Ground Ginger
- ½ teaspoon Stonemill Sea Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Stonemill Black Pepper
- ½ cup fresh sage leaves
- ⅓ cup Millville Old Fashioned Oats
- ¼ cup Southern Grove Pecans, more for garnish
- ¼ cup Southern Grove Walnuts, more for garnish
- ½ garlic clove
- 2 teaspoons Specially Selected 100% Pure Maple Syrup
- 1 tablespoon Simply Nature Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- ¼ teaspoon Simply Nature Organic Thyme Leaves
- ¼ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon Stonemill Sea Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Stonemill Black Pepper
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and brush an 8×11-inch baking dish, or similar, with olive oil.
- Use a fork to poke a few holes into the sweet potatoes. Place on the baking sheet and roast until very tender, about 60 minutes.
- Make the crumble topping: In a food processor, place the oats, pecans, walnuts, garlic, maple syrup, olive oil, thyme, rosemary, and salt and pulse until just combined. Remove and set aside.
- Scoop the cooked sweet potato flesh out of the skins and place in a food processor. Add the olive oil, almond milk, ginger, salt, and several grinds of pepper and process to combine. Spread the mixture into the baking dish.
- Sprinkle with the crumble topping, additional nuts, and sage. Drizzle with olive oil and bake 20 minutes or until the topping is browned and crisp.
Vegetarian Recipes
Lemon Ricotta Pasta


Here’s a quickie recipe for those nights when you just need something fast and delicious. This Lemon Ricotta Pasta is super fast, light, and fresh, which makes it perfect for an easy weeknight dinner during the summer. The bright lemon flavor perfectly compliments the light and creamy ricotta, and the little pops of sweetness from the peas make every bite a little more interesting. Simple, fresh, and easy.
Originally posted 3-4-2011, updated 6-8-2022.
Do I Have to Use Fresh Lemon?
This is one of those recipes where you really do want to use a fresh lemon instead of bottled juice. The zest from the lemon adds a ton of bright, summery lemon flavor to the pasta without making the sauce too sour. We add just a little of the juice to balance the creaminess of the ricotta, but the zest is where you’re getting all that gorgeous sunny lemon flavor!
Not All Ricotta is Created Equal
I find there is quite a bit of variation in the quality of ricotta from brand to brand. Some are smooth, mild, and sweet like fresh milk, while others are bland and grainy. My preferred brand is Galbani, but they didn’t have any at the store when I went, so I got the generic Kroger brand. It was definitely a bit grainy, but the pasta was still quite delicious despite that!
Also, make sure to get whole milk ricotta. Low-fat ricotta just doesn’t hit the same in this recipe.
What Else Can I Add?
This simple pasta is a great jumping-off point for making a more elaborate pasta, if that’s what you’re in the mood for. Try adding some sliced chicken breast, fresh basil, or fresh spinach. Garlic butter shrimp would also go great with this pasta!
What to Serve with Lemon Ricotta Pasta
This pasta is so light and fresh that I suggest keeping any side dishes really simple, light, and fresh as well. I would go with a super simple side salad, or maybe some roasted asparagus and tomatoes.


Lemon Ricotta Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lemon $0.89
- 8 oz. pasta* $0.67
- 1 cup frozen peas $0.50
- 1 clove garlic, minced $0.08
- 1 Tbsp butter $0.11
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta $1.60
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan $0.36
- 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste) $0.02
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste) $0.02
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper (or to taste) $0.02
Instructions
-
Zest and juice the lemon. You’ll need about ½ tsp zest and 1 Tbsp lemon juice.
-
Cook the pasta according to the package directions (boil for 7-10 minutes, or until tender). Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the starchy water from the pot.
-
Place the frozen peas in the colander before draining the pasta so the pasta will thaw the peas as it drains.
-
Add the butter and minced garlic to a large skillet and sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic is fragrant.
-
Add the drained pasta and peas, and about ½ cup of the starchy pasta cooking water to the skillet with the butter and garlic. Stir to combine, then turn off the heat.
-
Add the ricotta, Parmesan, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon lemon zest to the skillet. Stir until everything is well combined, the residual heat from the skillet and pasta have warmed the ricotta, and the ricotta has formed a creamy sauce. Add more of the warm reserved pasta water if needed.
-
Season the pasta with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pasta – Step By Step Photos
Zest and juice one lemon. You’ll need about ½ tsp of zest and 1 Tbsp juice.
Cook 8oz. pasta according to the package directions (boil for 7-10 minutes, or until tender). Reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
Add 1 cup of frozen peas to a colander, then pour the boiled pasta over top to thaw the peas as you drain the pasta.
Add 1 Tbsp butter and 1 clove garlic to a large skillet. Sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic becomes very fragrant.
Add the still-hot pasta and peas to the skillet along with about ½ cup of the hot reserved pasta water. Stir to combine, then turn off the heat.
Add 1 cup whole milk ricotta, ¼ cup grated Parmesan, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, and ½ tsp lemon zest to the pasta. Stir until the ingredients are combined, the residual heat from the pasta and skillet have warmed the ricotta, and the ricotta has turned into a creamy sauce.
Add more of the reserved pasta water if the mixture is too thick or too dry. Season the pasta with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste.
Enjoy the lemon ricotta pasta while still warm!
The post Lemon Ricotta Pasta appeared first on Budget Bytes.
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