Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 1 hr 20 mins Rest time: 1 hr Total time: 2 hrs 40 mins
Serves: 8+ people
This “Sweet Potato Casserole” is made with kabocha squash instead of sweet potato and other animal-based foods like pork rinds, ghee, milk, eggs, vanilla, and maple syrup.
What you need to make Sweet Potato Casserole (without the Sweet Potato)
Ingredients:
Base:
- Kabocha squash
- Grass-fed ghee (or butter)
- Milk (or cream)
- Maple syrup (or raw honey (ASHLEYR for 10% off); Note: I recommend local or Manuka)
- Eggs (ASHLEY20 for 20% off)
- Nutmeg (optional)
- Vanilla
Topping:
- Pork rinds
- Dates
- Grass-fed ghee (or butter)
- Maple syrup (or raw honey (ASHLEYR for 10% off); Note: I recommend local or Manuka)
- Sea salt (ASHLEYR for 15% off)
Marshmallows:
- Gelatin
- Raw honey (ASHLEYR for 10% off); Note: I recommend local or Manuka)
- Water
- Sea salt (ASHLEYR for 15% off)
Equipment:
- Baking dish (9×13 recommended)
- Blender
- Mixing bowl
- Cooking pot
- Vegetable peeler
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Hand mixer
- Small cooking pan
(for the full recipe, scroll to the bottom)
Substitutions
If you want, you can use sweet potatoes in place of the kabocha squash.
How to make Sweet Potato Casserole (without the Sweet Potato)
If a visual will help, watch the Instagram Reel for this recipe.
Make your marshmallows.
I followed Heart & Soil’s recipe for animal-based marshmallows.
Pour 1/2 cup cold water into a small bowl and sprinkle in the gelatin (ASHLEYR for 10% off).
Mix well and set aside to bloom. In a few minutes, the mixture should be like a thick jelly paste.
In your small cooking pan, add the honey (ASHLEYR for 10% off), sea salt (ASHLEYR for 15% off), and the other 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Note: Heart & Soil says to not allow the mixture to get over 240 degrees, but I wasn’t strict with this.
Once the honey-salt-water mixture is done simmering, add it to a mixing bowl along with the bloomed gelatin.
Beat on high with a hand mixer until it is the consistency of marshmallow fluff, about 8-10 minutes or so.
Spread the marshmallow fluff out in an even layer on top of a piece of parchment paper on your baking sheet.
Place in the fridge for 2-3 hours to set, then cut into small cubes for mini marshmallows to be used later.
Boil and mash the kabocha squash.
With your vegetable peeler, skin your kabocha squash. Scoop out the seeds and chop the meat into cubes. It doesn’t matter what size you cut the pieces into as they will be boiled. Just don’t cut them too large as this will help the pieces boil faster.
Place enough water in your cooking pot that will cover the squash.
Bring the water to a boil. Once at a boil, add the squash pieces.
Boil until the squash is soft enough to mash, usually about 15-20 minutes or so.
Once the squash is cooked through, drain the water and mash the squash.
Set the mashed squash aside and allow it to cool.
Make the base.
Melt the ghee (amount listed under “base” ingredients) on your stovetop.
In your mixing bowl, add the mashed squash, melted ghee, milk, maple syrup, eggs, nutmeg, vanilla, and sea salt (ASHLEYR for 15% off) (amount listed under “base” ingredients).
Mix well until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Set aside.
Make the topping.
In your blender, crush the pork rinds to a fine powder. Set the pork rind powder aside.
Chop the dates into small pieces.
Melt the ghee (amount listed under “topping” ingredients) on your stovetop.
In another mixing bowl, add the pork rind powder, chopped dates, melted ghee, maple syrup, and sea salt (ASHLEYR for 15% off) (amount listed under “topping” ingredients).
Mix well until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Set aside.
Put it all together.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In your baking dish, add the base. Use a spoon or spatula to smooth out the surface and make it even.
Add the topping over the base, using your fingers to break it apart into little pieces, similar to a crumble.
Bake the casserole.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Once done, remove the casserole from the oven.
Top the casserole with your marshmallows.
Set the oven to broil and allow the marshmallows to melt and brown for about 60-90 seconds or so. Watch very closely, and remove as soon as the marshmallows start to brown.
Cool and serve.
Allow the casserole to cool for 10-15 minutes.
Note: I thought this casserole was best warm and fresh, but my husband preferred it at room temperature, so to each their own with temperature preference.
If there are leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Tips to make the best Sweet Potato Casserole (without the Sweet Potato)
- For the marshmallows, Heart & Soil says to not allow the mixture to get over 240 degrees, but I wasn’t strict with this.
- I thought this casserole was best warm and fresh, but my husband preferred it at room temperature, so to each their own with temperature preference.
Other favorite dinner ideas:
Cobb ‘Salad’ with Duck Fat Ranch Dressing
Sweet Potato Casserole (without the Sweet Potato)
Sweet Potato Casserole (without the Sweet Potato)
Equipment
- Baking dish (9x13 recommended)
- Baking sheet (if making marshmallows)
Ingredients
For the base:
- 3 lb kabocha squash
- 4 tbsp ghee (or butter)
- 1/2 cup milk (or cream)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional)
- 1 tsp sea salt (ASHLEYR for 15% off)
For the topping:
- 5 oz pork rinds (pre-ground)
- 1 cup chopped dates
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp sea salt (ASHLEYR for 15% off)
For the marshmallows:
Instructions
- If you’re interested solely in the recipe, skip this bullet point and keep on reading. For those interested in sourcing nutrient-dense food, low-toxic household products, and discounts on brands that may support your AB journey, you may find value in my product guides. Head over to this page if you’d like to check them out. All are free (and always will be).
If a visual will help, watch the Instagram Reel for this recipe.
Make your marshmallows.
- I followed Heart & Soil's recipe for animal-based marshmallows.
- Pour 1/2 cup cold water into a small bowl and sprinkle in the gelatin (ASHLEYR for 10% off).
- Mix well and set aside to bloom. In a few minutes, the mixture should be like a thick jelly paste.
- Note: Heart & Soil says to not allow the mixture to get over 240 degrees, but I wasn't strict with this.
- Once the honey-salt-water mixture is done simmering, add it to a mixing bowl along with the bloomed gelatin.
- Beat on high with a hand mixer until it is the consistency of marshmallow fluff, about 8-10 minutes or so.
- Spread the marshmallow fluff out in an even layer on top of a piece of parchment paper on your baking sheet.
- Place in the fridge for 2-3 hours to set, then cut into small cubes for mini marshmallows to be used later.
Boil and mash the kabocha squash.
- With your vegetable peeler, skin your kabocha squash. Scoop out the seeds and chop the meat into cubes. It doesn't matter what size you cut the pieces into as they will be boiled. Just don't cut them too large as this will help the pieces boil faster.
- Place enough water in your cooking pot that will cover the squash.
- Bring the water to a boil. Once at a boil, add the squash pieces.
- Boil until the squash is soft enough to mash, usually about 15-20 minutes or so.
- Once the squash is cooked through, drain the water and mash the squash.
- Set the mashed squash aside and allow it to cool.
Make the base.
- Melt the ghee (amount listed under "base" ingredients) on your stovetop.
- Mix well until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Set aside.
Make the topping.
- In your blender, crush the pork rinds to a fine powder. Set the pork rind powder aside.
- Chop the dates into small pieces.
- Melt the ghee (amount listed under "topping" ingredients) on your stovetop.
- Mix well until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Set aside.
Put it all together.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- In your baking dish, add the base. Use a spoon or spatula to smooth out the surface and make it even.
- Add the topping over the base, using your fingers to break it apart into little pieces, similar to a crumble.
Bake the casserole.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Once done, remove the casserole from the oven.
- Top the casserole with your marshmallows.
- Set the oven to broil and allow the marshmallows to melt and brown for about 60-90 seconds or so. Watch very closely, and remove as soon as the marshmallows start to brown.
Cool and serve.
- Allow the casserole to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Note: I thought this casserole was best warm and fresh, but my husband preferred it at room temperature, so to each their own with temperature preference.
- If there are leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Other favorite dinner ideas:
Cobb ‘Salad’ with Duck Fat Ranch Dressing
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Ashley Rothstein develops tasty, whole food, animal-based recipes that include a moderate amount of “minimally toxic” plant foods. To fix her own health issues, she bounced around between the carnivore, keto, and paleo diets for a few years. After experiencing and studying each diet philosophy, she learned she feels her best by merging the three and following an animal-based diet. As a glut at heart, she likes to channel her creativity and create meals that are healthy but also satisfy her inner gluttonous spirits.
I am so excited to find your site! I see you use a lot of kabocha squash. I having a hard time finding that in our area. Is there another squash that would perform the same? Thanks!
Author
There is no other squash that is as dense and dry as kabocha, but acorn is a close second. Butternut and delicata will work too, but they are are pretty moist so I prefer to use kabocha and/or acorn.