Sliced Sweet Potato Casserole
In this Sliced Sweet Potato Casserole, sweet potato slices are baked in a spiced orange maple glaze and sprinkled with juicy, bright pomegranate arils. It’s a gorgeous, colorful Thanksgiving side dish that is a little bit more on the healthier side without sacrificing flavor.
This recipe was originally published November 15, 2017. It has been updated from the archives with new photos and additional information.
Creating this Sliced Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
I made this sliced sweet potato casserole recipe in 2015 for Thanksgiving. I was just recently was reminded of it as I was going through past Thanksgiving recipes in effort to figure out what we are going to make this year.
When I look back on that Thanksgiving I remember how much I felt like my cup had been filled. It was still a new thing for me to sometimes not have my kids for Thanksgiving as, at the time, a single mom.
The previous year (6 years ago), I had no kids home and I was invited over to have Thanksgiving with some people I knew, but not well. I was the only divorced adult in attendance, as well as the only adult in attendance with no kids. I felt really alone and awkward.
Fast forward to the next year. I had my kids home with me and my house full of wonderful neighbor friends, most of them new friends that I had met during the last year.
I can still remember the week of prep work that my friend Bekah and I put into the meal.
Need help with your Thanksgiving menu? Check out this post: Thanksgiving Recipe and Planning Guide!
Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes
We did a lot of experimenting with new recipes during 2015, including this take on baked sweet potato slices.
We were hoping to find a new way to serve sweet potatoes that was really delicious and with a gorgeous presentation, but a tad healthier than your traditional mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top.
It had snowed that day and it was like the most picture perfect Thanksgiving Day. The food all turned out amazing, even the new recipes that we had experimented with, like these Baked Sweet Potatoes with Pomegranate, and everyone honestly LOVED everything.
I admit, it always feels a little good to hear people say things like: “this is the best Thanksgiving meal I’ve had,” or “I’ve never had turkey (or stuffing or green beans or whatever!) that were this good before!” all while everyone is chatting, Christmas tunes are playing in the background.
Plus, everyone was having a genuinely great time. Oh, and the kids weren’t acting crazy at all.
After spending the previous year basically alone for the holiday, I could not have asked for a better, and more heartwarming turn around the next year. It was the perfect way to get me out of the whole single parent holiday slump.
Those single parenting holiday seasons are gone now, but I am so thankful that my last year living that life was such a full and joyous holiday season. None of my neighbors allowed me to feel alone or forgotten through it all.
For those who are going to be experiencing a less than typical holiday this year, who won’t get to be with loved ones as hoped – I see you. I know how hard that can be.
Sliced Sweet Potato Casserole Ingredients
To make the baked sweet potato slices in the oven, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Butter
- Orange Juice
- Pomegranate Juice
- Maple Syrup
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Cloves
- Cornstarch
- Sweet Potatoes
- Pomegranate Arils
For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions to make this sliced sweet potato bake , scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.
How to Make Sliced Sweet Potato Casserole
This sliced sweet potato casserole recipe is relatively simple to prepare. If you’ve ever wondered how to bake sweet potato slices, here’s my take on it:
- Peel and slice sweet potatoes.
- Arrange all of the sliced sweet potatoes in a casserole dish. I like to line them up rather than laying them horizontally because the glaze coats each slice better and it makes for a pretty presentation when served.
- Then, you’ll make a quick and easy glaze for the sweet potatoes using the orange juice, pomegranate juice, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cornstarch.
- Pour the glaze over the sweet potatoes.
- Then, sprinkle the top with pomegranate arils and bake until the sweet potatoes are tender and the sauce is thick.
The above is simply a quick summary of these Thanksgiving sweet potatoes. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.
Make Ahead Tips
Most of the time, I prefer baking recipes like these baked sweet potato slices the day I plan to serve them, but you can absolutely prepare elements of the recipe in advance to make your Thanksgiving Day much simpler.
Here is what I recommend:
- Peel and slice the sweet potatoes up to 2 days ahead. Make sure to dry them well and store them in an airtight container or bag in the refrigerator.
- Prepare the glaze ahead of time and store in the refrigerator.
- If you can find the already seeded pomegranate arils, I definitely recommend using those because it just makes the whole process a little bit easier, otherwise, remove the pomegranate arils from the whole fruit and store them in a Tupperware in the fridge. Ideally, no more than 2 days in advance.
And then, for the most part, this recipe for sliced sweet potato casserole will just be assembled and baked on Thanksgiving Day.
Recipe Tips
- If you need to keep this recipe dairy-free, you’re likely fine to use a non-dairy butter. (There’s only a tablespoon used anyways!)
- You’ll need to use pure maple syrup for this recipe, not pancake syrup.
- Be sure to cut the sweet potatoes to an even thickness so that they bake at the same rate. I recommend using a mandoline slicer for best results.
What to Serve with Sliced Sweet Potato Casserole
This recipe for baked sweet potato slices pairs nicely with all of your Thanksgiving favorites! Here are a few Thanksgiving mains and sides to serve alongside the sliced sweet potato casserole:
- Apple Cider Roasted Acorn Squash
- Cranberry Orange Relish
- Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
- Greens Beans with Bacon and Mushrooms
- Slow Cooker Ham
- Quinoa Stuffing
Be sure to check out the whole Thanksgiving Recipes Archive right here or the Thanksgiving Menu Planner if you need help building the rest of your menu.
Try this Recipe at Home!
Looking for a new recipe for Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes, give this sliced sweet potato casserole a try!
Were they the best Thanksgiving sweet potatoes you’ve had? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought of this great recipe.
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More Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Recipes
If you’re looking for easy sweet potato recipes for your Thanksgiving Menu this year, here are a few other favorite recipes.
Cubed sweet potatoes tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper are roasted and then tossed generously with fresh garlic and sage. Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Garlic and Sage make a great side for your Thanksgiving meal.
Maple Chipotle Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts the kind of vegetable side dish that has everyone asking for seconds! The veggies are coated in a blend of butter, maple syrup and ground chipotle pepper. After roasting, both the sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and sweet spicy all over.
Mini Sweet Potato Tarts with a Gingersnap Pecan Crust are divine if you are looking for individual serving desserts to make, plus it only makes 3 tarts so it is perfect if you need desserts for a smaller gathering.
These Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls have a beautiful golden, orange color that brightens up the dinner table. Sweet Potato Dinner rolls are versatile too. Not only are they great for dinner, but my kids loved these rolls in place of regular bread for cinnamon sugar toast for breakfast.
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Sliced Sweet Potato Casserole
In this Sliced Sweet Potato Casserole, sweet potato slices are baked in a spiced orange maple glaze and sprinkled with juicy, bright pomegranate arils. It's a gorgeous, colorful Thanksgiving side dish that is a little bit more on the healthier side without sacrificing flavor.
Ingredients
- 4 large Sweet Potatoes
- 1 ½ tablespoons Melted Butter, divided
- ½ cup Orange Juice, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons Pomegranate Juice, room temperature
- zest of 1 Orange
- 6 tablespoons Real Maple Syrup, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¾ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon Cloves
- 2 teaspoons Cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Grease an oval casserole dish with half of the butter, reserving the rest for the next step.
Prepping the Sliced Sweet Potatoes
- Wash, dry, and peel the sweet potatoes.
- Then, slice into ¼ inch thick rounds using a mandoline slicer. Set aside.
Making the Sauce for the Sweet Potatoes
- In a 2 cup glass measuring cup, combine the remaining tablespoon butter, orange juice, pomegranate juice, orange zest, maple syrup, vanilla extract, kosher salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cornstarch.
- Whisk until mixture is combined and completely smooth without any lumps. Then, set aside.
Assembling the Sliced Sweet Potatoes
- Arrange a stack of sweet potatoes upright at an angle along the top of the baking dish. Then, repeat with another portion of the sweet potatoes forming a second row. Repeat, continuing to layer and creating new rows until all of the sweet potatoes are used.
- Pour the prepared orange juice mixture over top.
Cooking the Sliced Sweet Potatoes
- Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.
- Remove from the oven and carefully discard the foil. Continue baking for another 15 - 20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the potatoes are tender.
- Sprinkle the pomegranate arils on top. Then, let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
This recipe can be prepped up to the baking step the day before if needed.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 103Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 186mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 3gSugar: 13gProtein: 1g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
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