Sweet Potatoes With Pecans and Parmesan

In a weak moment of curious consumerism, I once subscribed to the online tips from the folks at Real Simple magazine. I found that the tips did anything but simplify my life, always consisting of multiple approaches to the "problem" of either acquiring new items that I didn't realize I lacked, or finding ways to better organize stuff that wasn't really needed in the first place! But as a sucker for a list promising "15 All-time Favorite Fall Casseroles" (or something like that), I happily stumbled across the dish that was the hit of the vegan Thanksgiving gathering I recently attended.

This particular recipe is not vegan, but I "simply" substituted vegan parmesan and was not disappointed! A variety of vegan parmesan recipes are scattered throughout the food blogosphere. I blanched 1/2 c. almonds, sliced them, then pulsed them in a food processor with 2-3 T. nutritional yeast, 1/2-3/4 t. salt and some lemon zest. Thanks Veganomicon for that!

Veganized or not, do try this recipe- it is "simply" delicious! ( And thanks to Real Simple for finally being a little useful. Guess I won't cancel quite yet. :-)

Hands-on Time: 15m

Total Time: 1hr 10m

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the baking dish
• 2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1⁄4-inch-thick rounds
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375° F. Oil a shallow 2 ½- to 3-quart baking dish.

2. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with the Parmesan, 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper; transfer to the prepared baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake until tender, 45 to 50 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the pecans, sugar, thyme, cayenne, the remaining tablespoon of oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper.

4. Remove the foil from the baking dish, sprinkle the pecan mixture over the potatoes, and continue to bake, uncovered, until the pecans are toasted, 10 to 12 minutes.

Tip

This dish is delicious with a variety of nuts. If you don’t like pecans, try almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, or a mixed-nut combination.

Nutritional Information

Calories 297; Fat 16g; Sat