Cuban-American fusion recipe
Sweet Potato Casserole with Guava and Coconut Crust
Baked sweet potato mash with guava swirls and a golden coconut topping. A sweet Thanksgiving side dish with no pie crust.
- Preparation20 min
- Cooking55 min
- Total time1 h 25 min
- Servings1 20 × 25 cm dish, 8 side-dish servings
- DifficultyEasy
This casserole combines the sweet potato used in Cuban cooking with the style of sweet Thanksgiving side dishes. Beneath the golden coconut topping is a smooth mash with guava swirls running through it.
It is not a pie and has no pastry base: it is prepared directly in a baking dish and served by the spoonful alongside roast turkey or pork. The guava provides most of the sweetness, so there is no need to sweeten the mash much.
Ingredients
Check off the ingredients you have.
For the base
For the topping
Method
- Put the sweet potato in a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook for 15–20 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork. Drain very well and let the steam evaporate for 2 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F) and grease a dish about 20 × 25 cm. Mash the hot sweet potato with the 40 g butter, milk, salt and cinnamon. The mash should be thick and creamy, not runny.
- Heat the guava paste with the 60 ml water over low heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring until it forms a thick paste.
- Spread the mash in the dish. Dot with spoonfuls of guava and draw a knife lightly through the surface to form swirls, without mixing it in completely.
- Mix the coconut, oats, brown sugar and melted butter. Scatter over the surface without pressing down.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the edges are bubbling and the topping is golden. If the coconut browns too early, cover loosely with foil.
- Let rest for 10 minutes before serving by the spoonful, showing the guava swirls beneath the crust.
