Upgrade Sweet Potato Casserole With An Ingredient You'd Normally Throw Away

Sweet potato casserole is typically reserved for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, but that doesn't mean you can't whip up the dish any other time of year. Some people like marshmallows on top of the dish, while others opt for pecans to add crunch. Most everyone, including likely your own family, has their own recipes and ingredients they swear by for the sweet-and-savory casserole. But to switch it up for an upcoming dinner, we have an unlikely ingredient to consider that probably makes it to the trash can more often than not: orange zest.

As you might know, orange zest is an ingredient that works well in desserts like bread pudding for the same reasons it will work deliciously in sweet potato casserole. Orange zest adds bright, citrus-forward flavors to the dish. This will help balance the richness of ingredients like sweet potatoes and butter in addition to the sweetness from the brown or white sugars. Its color will also blend right in with the sweet potatoes that make the base of the dish. For health benefits, just a tablespoon of orange zest offers part of your daily dose of vitamin C.

If you've never zested an orange, it's quite easy but you'll want the right tools to make it happen. The best option is a microplane or citrus zester so you can get the zest off the orange peel. It's easiest to use a whole orange, rather than one that's cut or juiced already. Wash the orange, but make sure to dry it thoroughly so the zest doesn't stick together. The most important part is to rotate the orange as you zest, and don't go too deep into the white part as it's more bitter.

To upgrade your casserole, it only takes the zest of one medium orange for dishes that make around eight servings. You could also squeeze a little of the orange juice into the casserole mixture to avoid wasting it if there's no other use for the rest of the fruit. Simply mix in the orange zest with the mashed or pureed sweet potatoes along with the other ingredients like brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Try the ingredient to upgrade our fresh yam casserole recipe topped with pecans or with this sweet potato casserole with bacon recipe for a more savory take.