Sweet Potato Spoon Bread

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Spoonbread -- a pudding-like cornmeal casserole that hails from the early days of the American south -- is an economical accompaniment to any holiday meal. Key to spoonbread success is beating egg whites until nice and fluffy. So be sure to start with room-temperature egg whites; they'll provide about 25 percent more loft and volume than cold egg whites will.

Sweet Potato Spoon Bread
Photo: Peter Frank Edwards
Prep Time:
25 mins
Bake Time:
45 mins
Bake Time:
35 mins
Stand Time:
10 mins
Total Time:
1 hrs 55 mins
Servings:
8

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoon (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

  • 2 sweet potatoes (about 1 lb.)

  • 2 ½ cup milk

  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme

  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar

  • 2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 cup finely ground white or yellow cornmeal

  • 4 eggs, separated

  • 2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Generously grease a 2-quart soufflé or casserole dish with about 1 tablespoon of the butter; set aside.

  2. Wrap potatoes in foil. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until soft to the touch. Remove from oven; discard foil. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard peels. In a large bowl, mash potatoes.

  3. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. In a large saucepan, bring milk, thyme, brown sugar, salt, and pepper to a low boil over medium heat. In a slow, steady stream, whisk cornmeal into milk mixture. Cook, whisking constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes, until mixture is thick and pulls away from bottom of pan. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Add potatoes, egg yolks, remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and baking powder to cornmeal mixture; stir to thoroughly combine.

  4. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Leaving obvious swirls of egg white, gently fold egg whites into the potato-cornmeal mixture.

  5. Spoon batter into prepared dish. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Edges will be firm and the center a bit soft. Remove from oven. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Tips

This recipe can also be made in a 9X13 baking dish, then baked for 30 to 35 minutes, until internal temperature registers 165°F with an instant-read thermometer.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

234 Calories
10g Fat
28g Carbs
8g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 234
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 127mg 42%
Sodium 576mg 25%
Total Carbohydrate 28g 10%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 1.2mg 6%
Calcium 201.9mg 16%
Iron 1.4mg 8%
Potassium 265mg 6%
Folate, total 20.2mcg
Vitamin B-12 0.7mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.1mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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