Sweet potato Casserole Oatmeal

Growing up, I used to hate Thanksgiving foods. I really disliked the taste of turkey (probably a predictor to my vegetarian future), and didn’t care for stuffing and all that jazz.  I would basically eat a plate full of mashed potatoes and bread. A few years ago, I was asked to make a dish for my boyfriend’s Thanksgiving celebration. My now husband’s aunt, known as Auntie, requested Sweet Potato Casserole.  I have to admit, I wasn’t that excited, because all I could recall about sweet potatoes was a sugary marshmallow mush. I happened upon an AMAZING recipe for Sweet Potato Casserole from Oh She Glows, and it became my FAVORITE Thanksgiving food and I’ve made it every Thanksgiving since! As I was brainstorming creative breakfast make ahead recipes I thought, why not try to recreate that dish for breakfast?  I combined creamy and perfectly spiced mashed sweet potatoes with steel cut oatmeal and topped it all with roasted pecans! It was a true recipe WIN! If you like the flavors of Sweet Potato Casserole, you’ll be sure to love this recipe!! 

Ingredients (makes 4-5 servings)

1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes diced in 1 inch cubes
1 cup of steel cut oats
4 cups of almond or oat milk
1 cup of chopped pecans
2 T butter
½ tsp vanilla
1 -2 T maple syrup (I used 2)
½ tsp cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg 

Directions

1. Add diced sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Boil for 15-20 minutes or until soft.  
2. While sweet potatoes are cooking, preheat oven to 350.  
3. Add the steel cut oats along with the 4 cups of non dairy milk in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for another 20-25 minutes stirring occasionally so the oats do not stick to the bottom of the pan. 
4. Roast the chopped pecans in the oven, on a baking sheet until fragrant, about 8-10 minutes. 
5. Drain the sweet potatoes and return to the pot to mash along with the butter, vanilla, maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg. 
6. Once oats are finished cooking, combine the sweet potato mash with the oatmeal and top with roasted pecans! Makes 5-6 delish Make Ahead bowls!!