Combining a typically savory taste with sweet flavors is not for everyone.
The buttercream on carrot cake can be sickeningly sweet to the unexpecting taster, but, according to Brides, carrot cake is one of the most popular wedding cake flavors. Similarly, the combination of sugar and marshmallows in sweet potato casserole deserves to be cherished at every Thanksgiving dinner.
The usual reason sweet potato casserole receives (unwarranted) hate is because it’s labeled “too sweet.” However, is it really too sweet or are haters just expecting a saltier dish? I think the issue lies with expectations. Sweet potato casserole is typically regarded as a side dish, so it is grouped with savory foods like green bean casserole, mac-n-cheese and its solely savory cousin, mashed potatoes.
This grouping sets the sweet potato casserole, and its tasters, up for failure. Obviously, a dish that’s named sweet potato and covered in marshmallows is sweet. When expecting a saccharine dish rather than a salty one, sweet potato casserole satisfies taste buds with a delightfully sugared sweet potato base and caramelized marshmallow topcoat.
Some people may also argue that casseroles are supposed to be savory, and so sweet potato casseroles are just “weird” or “don’t make sense.”
First, as defined by Oxford, a “casserole” is a stew or side dish that is slowly cooked in an oven, and sweet potato casseroles are baked for at least 20 minutes. Second, plenty of casseroles are sweet. French toast casserole? Recipe here. Cinnamon roll casserole? Recipe here.
More appreciation should be given to dishes that break the mold and challenge expectations. These dishes fail not because their flavor is lacking (because it isn’t) or because they are arduous to make (because they aren’t), but because the masses of Thanksgiving goers are too close-minded to appreciate a new flavor palette.
Sweet potato casseroles add balance to a plate heaped high with tangy, sodium-rich sides. With the polished potatoes and melted marshmallows, sweet potato casserole is the crowning touch to every Thanksgiving plate. Customizable, this casserole can be enjoyed with pecans, brown sugar crumble and the trademark golden marshmallow crust.
Photo by David Trinks on Unsplash.