Turn Your Sweet Potato Casserole Into Soufflé With One Extra Step

Sweet potato casserole is a fall and winter favorite that you can take in both sweet and savory directions. But did you know you can also upgrade sweet potato casserole by transforming its texture? Sweet potato casseroles bring significant heft to the soft and creamy nature of sweet potato or yam pulp with the addition of cream and other dairy products. However, if you whisk in a few beaten eggs, you can turn your simple sweet potato casserole into a stunning soufflé.

Whipping eggs into your sweet potato casserole recipe creates a fluffy, ultra-creamy texture. Similar to a baked good, start by creaming the sugar and dairy, subsequently whisking the beaten eggs to the mix. Then, place the egg mixture into a large mixing bowl with boiled and drained sweet potatoes to combine. For optimal mixing, use a hand mixer, or you can add your ingredients to a food processor. Another method you could use to create the lightest possible consistency for a sweet potato soufflé is by separating and beating your whites and yolks separately. A common technique for soufflés and mousses, folding in whipped egg yolks is the best way to introduce air into your mixture so it puffs up in the oven. This will involve three extra steps: whipping the egg yolks with your casserole ingredients, whipping the egg whites, then folding your whites into the sweet potatoes.

We have plenty of sweet potato casseroles you can transform into a soufflé that's sweet or savory. For example, you can add two eggs to our fresh yam casserole with a brown sugar and pecan topping. You could also lighten the sweet potato base in this recipe for sweet potato casserole with bacon by whisking eggs into the mashed sweet potatoes with an electric hand mixer. It'll make for a creamier, less dense foundation to top with cheese and slices of cooked bacon.

A simple shortcut you can take that'll compensate for the extra step of adding the eggs is using a canned substitute for raw sweet potatoes. You'll save prep time by not having to cut and boil the sweet potatoes by simply adding a can of sweet yams to a mixing bowl to blend with the eggs and casserole ingredients. Since canned yams come in a sugary syrup, you might want to rinse them before adding the rest of your ingredients to ensure your casserole isn't overly sweet. Eggs offer a major textural upgrade, smoothing out the graininess or stringiness of sweet potato pulp into a creamy and fluffy consistency. That said, an ultra creamy soufflé could use a bit of crunch for an even more decadent textural contrast. A toasted nut or cornflake topping would offer the perfect crunchy finish.