Orange-Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole with Macadamia Nut and Brown Sugar Topping

I tore this recipe out of Parents Magazine to save for Thanksgiving, but when a dinner recipe this week that called for sweet potatoes fell through, I thought I'd try it out. Spoiler alert: IT'S AMAZING. I changed a few things and ended up doing a completely different topping because I didn't have some of the ingredients. And since I was running late getting it on the table, it became dessert and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is quite possibly the best thing you'll eat this fall. You can quote me on that.

Before I list out the recipe, here's a close up of the deliciousness:

I think it was genius to use orange juice/zest because it completely cut out that slightly bitter undertone that sweet potatoes can sometimes have, and it added sweetness, which cut out the need for a ton of added sugar. Without further ado...

Active Time: 30 Minutes | Total Time: 2 hours | Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients:
3 lbs sweet potatoes (3-5, depending on size)
1 TBSP finely grated orange zest
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (1-2 oranges)
1/4 cup dark-brown sugar
3 TBSP melted unsalted butter, divided
2 eggs, beaten
2 TBSP maple syrup (can sub honey)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup crushed or ground macadamia nuts
1-2 TBSP light or dark brown sugar

Recipe:
1. (You can cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave if you're in a time crunch, but I prefer to bake them, as I think they taste much better, and it's what I did for this recipe.) Wash potatoes, prick them generously with a fork, and bake them at 400 on a foil lined baking sheet for an hour. Let cool for 5 minutes, then cut down the center and scoop out the potato flesh into a medium/large bowl. Mash well (or blend if you have a good blender and want it super creamy).

2. Add the orange zest and juice, dark-brown sugar, butter, eggs, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to sweet-potato flesh. Mix until smooth. Smooth mixture evenly into prepared dish. Cover and chill until baking time or overnight.

3. If the sweet-potato mixture is chilled overnight, allow it to stand at room temperature for 1 hour before baking. Finely crush/grind/chop the macadamia nuts and sprinkle them over the top of the dish along with the 1-2 TBSP of brown sugar. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for about 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve warm with dinner or for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.