Sweet Potato Orange and Pasilla Pepper Casserole

This classic sweet potato casserole brings you the best of the worlds with a slight hint of spice and a delicate flavor of the Pasilla pepper, and the sweet and traditional flavors we all like.

This is the perfect dish to serve with pork and turkey.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

4 dried pasilla peppers

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of orange zest

3/4 cup of fresh orange juice

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon of Mexican cinnamon

A pinch of nutmeg

Directioins:

Preheat oven to 375°.

Wash, pill and cut the sweet potatoes and place them in a Dutch oven, cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes or until very tender. Drain; cool slightly.

Place potatoes in a large bowl and set to the side.

Clean the Pasilla peppers taking the seeds and steams off, soak them in boiling hot water for 10 minutes, drain and cut julianne style, in a pan place the olive oil and butter and bring to a medium heat. Add the peppers for just few minutes being careful not to burn them or brown the butter. Add the orange juice, brown sugar and zest and bring to a light boil reserving some of the juice to dilute the corn starch and create a slurry, you will add the corn starch slurry after it comes to a boil to thick up the sauce.

Bring the sauce to a low heat and cook for few minutes and add the salt cinnamon and nutmeg.

Spay a casserole dish and place the cooked sweet potatoes in the casserole and pour the glaze over it topping it with the roasted pepitas. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes.