"Chopped" judge and chef Amanda Freitag, who has a cooking series titled "Easy AF" on her Instagram and website, shares her recipe for an easy and elevated version of sweet potato casserole. The meringue topping isn't too sweet and looks amazing while still giving that beloved burnt marshmallow vibe. Bonus: the dish doesn't take up any oven space.
Note: You need a kitchen torch for the meringue.
For more Thanksgiving sides by Amanda, check out her Creamy Root Vegetable Puree and Green Beans with Toasted Almonds and Crispy Shallots.
For the sweet potatoes, place the potatoes in a large saucepot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn down the heat to a simmer. After 15 minutes, check the potatoes for doneness; they should be fork tender.
Drain the sweet potatoes and add them back to the pan. Add the milk, butter, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. With a hand blender or potato masher, mash until smooth. Spoon into a serving dish and keep warm.
For the meringue, combine the two sugars and the cream of tartar in a small bowl.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, whisk the egg whites until they become frothy. With the machine running at medium-high speed, add the sugar mixture one tablespoon at a time.
When the egg whites reach the stiff peak stage, turn off the machine. Dollop the meringue on top of the sweet potatoes, forming some "points" with the spoon. Ignite a kitchen torch and brown the meringue until golden. Serve immediately.