Holiday Sweet Potato Casserole with Sautéed Pears and Coconut Crumble

5 from 1 vote

Holiday Sweet Potato Casserole with Sautéed Pears and Coconut Crumble

Creamy Spiced Sweet Potatoes are topped with a layer of sautéed Pears and finished with a Crispy Streusel with Fresh Coconut, Pistachios and Macadamia Nuts. A Delicious savory Sweet Potato Pear Crumble that is crave-worthy.

Prep Time1 5

Cook Time15

Total Time1 20

Course: Side Dish, Sweet Potato side dish, Thanksgiving Side Dish, Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Sweet Potato Casserole with Pears and Coconut Streusel, Sweet Potato Pear Crumble, Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Casserole

Servings: servings

Author: Karen Sheer a zest for life

Equipment

1 soufflé dish or casserole pan

Ingredients

6 large sweet potatoes

Coconut Milk Mixture (for Puréed Sweet Potatoes)

1 cup coconut milk not "lite"
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 medium bay leaves
1 medium cinnamon stick (optional)
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Pears:

2 large Bartlett pears I use one green, one red
1 1/2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Coconut Streusel Topping:

1/4 cup virgin coconut oil cold and firm, not liquid
1/4 cup gluten free flour blend (or regulat flour)
1/4 cup light brown sugar
6 tablespoons fresh coconut meat coarsely chopped 1/2" pieces
2 tablespoons shelled pistachio nuts chopped small pieces
2 tablespoons macadamia nuts chopped small pieces

Instructions

Note from Karen:

There are 4 components to this recipe. All can be made ahead of time, and put together when baking the casserole.

Bake Sweet Potatoes:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry potatoes. Prink them all over with the tines of a fork, add to a baking tray. Bake until softened and cooked through, about 45 minutes (depending on size.)

Coconut Milk Mixture (for Puréed Sweet Potatoes):

Make this while the sweet potatoes bake. Add all seven ingredients to a medium sized heavy pot. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer - cook for 5 minutes. remove from heat, set aside.

Pureé Sweet Potatoes:

Let sweet potatoes cool slightly. Scoop out the potatoes from the skin with a large spoon and add to the bowl of a food processor.
Pureé the sweet potatoes for 30 seconds, scrape the bowl. Add the Coconut Milk Mixture to the bowl - staining out the solids. Pureé until very smooth, about 30 additional seconds.
Grease a souffle dish with coconut oil. Add the Sweet Potato Pureé, smooth the top.

Saute Pears:

Cut pears in half. Core them and cut each into 4 pieces lengthwise. Cut into 1/3" slices. Add coconut oil to a 10" pickproof pan, raise heat to medium. When warm, add the pears, cinnamon and maple syrup, sauté for 5 minutes until caramelized and most - but not all syrup is dissolved.

Coconut Streusel Topping:

Add the cold coconut oil, flour, light brown sugar, and coarsely chopped fresh coconut to a food processor. Pulse until the coconut is chopped in small bits. Add to a bowl and pinch together.
Add chopped pistachio and macadamia nuts, pinch together. Set aside.

Put together and Bake the Sweet Potato Casserole:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To the dish of the sweet potatoes, add an even layer of pears. Pinch the Coconut Streusel into 3/4" pieces and cover the pears leaving some space in between.
Bake the casserole for 20 minutes until the streusel is golden and crisp, and sweet potatoes warmed through.

Notes

Souffle Dish / Casserole Dish:
I use a ceramic 8"- 2 quart capacity soufflé dish, or you can use a 9" x 13" baking pan.

This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.

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