You can have your favorite Thanksgiving side for breakfast! This Sweet Potato Casserole Steel Cut Oatmeal is packed with flavor just like the casserole!
Here’s a tip: don’t put a sugar crazed child in charge of the sweet potato casserole streusel topping – unless you only want about a quarter of the final product to actually end up on the dish!
If you’ve been around these parts before, there are two things you’ve probably noticed – 1) I have little control when it comes to certain foods. 2) I’m not always the best cook or baker.ย
As I’ve already eluded, these facts apply to my all time favorite dish!! (& let’s be honest – the reason I love it so much is because it really is a dessert disguised as a side dish.)
Somehow, in my very early years, I was put in charge of this orange hued beauty. My mom handed me the recipe from an old church cookbook and let me go at it. (But she did help chop up the pecans!!)ย
I was confident I would make the best casserole. . . but I made several rookie mistakes before mastering this coveted dish.
Mistake 1: The recipe says to beat the potatoes to remove strings. So, I used a handheld mixer, let the strings accumulate around the whisks, and then I wiped the whisks down – and added the strings back to the creamy potato mixture!!!!
Who does that?!?! The casserole was still delicious even though there was the occasional stringy bite. Luckily, everyone was too nice to say anything about it!
Mistake 2: The original recipe calls for 2 eggs. When my dad first went vegan, I tried subbing the eggs with ground flaxseed. Let me just say, don’t try this at home. For starters, I don’t like the taste of flaxseed and it was very prominent throughout.
Also, when making something vegan you don’t want anyone to suspect that it is vegan. Having flecks of flaxseed throughout totally defeated that purpose. It was obvious to our nonvegan guests that something was off. Next I tried applesauce – not bad, but really not necessary. For this dish, eggs can simply be omitted.
Since I crave this dish year round, I started thinking of new ways to incorporate these flavors. Thus this Sweet Potato Casserole Steel Cut Oatmeal was born. & it really does taste like the casserole!!
To make this oatmeal, I toasted the oats briefly, then simmered the mixture together until thick and creamy. The cook time is a little long, but it’s so worth it.
Then I added brown sugar for an authentic casserole taste, but you can swap in your favorite sweetener if you’d prefer. Also, for an extra special add-in, I stirred in Beardy Boys’ Pecan Smash Pecan Butter. It really helped give the oats that essential pecan flavor. However, you could sub another nut butter for added protein or just omit it entirely.
What’s your favorite Thanksgiving side dish?
Ingredients
- 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 cup steel cut oats
- 1 cup unsweetened cashew milk
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup mashed roasted sweet potato
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp nut butter, optional - Try Beardy Boys' Pecan Smash Pecan Butter
- Pecans
- Cranberries
- Granola
- Sliced Banana
Instructions
- Melt coconut oil over medium heat in medium sized pan. Once melted, add oats and stir until toasted and fragrant. Add milk, water and sweet potato. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer oats for 50-60 min, or until desired consistency is reached. Stir oats often, making sure oats do not stick to bottom of pan. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar, salt, vanilla extract and pecan butter. Allow to sit a few minutes.
- Serve oats with desired toppings.
Disclosure: I received free Pecan Butterย from Beardy Boysย in exchange for developing a recipe. As always, all opinions and recipes are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support The Emotional Baker!
Sounds like you finally perfected the casserole though, Megan! And I agree with you, I LOVE dishes that are disguised as desserts. Only the best! And this is such a great idea that you took your love for sweet potato casserole and put it into oatmeal. So creative! The brown sugar adds the perfect touch, too. So pretty!
Thanks so much, Gayle! I was so happy this recipe turned out ๐
I totally nibble all the toppings on just about everything! I need to restrain myself. this dish looks spectacular. This looks like my kind of breakfast…full of healthy deliciousness.
Toppings can be so dangerous! That’s why I have to weigh mine out!! Otherwise, I’d go overboard for sure. Thanks Kathy ๐
Well this creamy dreamy oatmeal form sounds mighty fine to me!
Exactly! Thanks Rebecca ๐
Such a creative fall idea. I love it!
Thanks Karen ๐
Wow! This looks amazing!! And dessert disguised as a side dish? Brilliant ๐ Love all those toppings on there….I’m all about that, lol ๐ Happy Monday!
Toppings are the best ๐ Thanks Dawn!
Bahahahahahahaha! OMG, I LOVE that you added the strings back into the dish! Classic! I can’t tell you how many crazy things I did in the kitchen way back when. I love hearing other people’s kitchen shenanigans.. makes me feel a tad bit more normal. ๐ This oatmeal looks absolutely delicious, girlfriend!! SUCH a genius flavor!! I could definitely eat these for breakfast on the regular! Cheers! <3
It would be great as an everyday breakfast! & I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s done crazy things in the kitchen ๐ Thanks Cheyanne!
Wow,I’m in the mood for sweet potato casserole oatmeal.Maybe for Thanksgiving breakfast
It would be a good preview for the real dish! Thanks John ๐
Wow, what an awesome breakfast idea Megan! All my favorite things from my Thanksgiving sweet potato dish in this beauty of a delicious breakfast! Thanks for sharing! Have a great week!
Thanks so much, Mary Ann!
This is just too creative! What a great idea. I never would have thought of a sweet potato mixed with steel cut oats. Brilliant!
Thanks Amanda! I had pumpkin oatmeal & I thought what about sweet potato?!?! It makes a delicious breakfast ๐
Sweet potato casserole for breakfast!!? Yes please. Thanks for sharing your youthful adventures in casserole making. We’ve all had those moments! Too funny.
You bet! Thanks Annie ๐
I love how you used some quintessential Thanksgiving ingredients in this breakfast idea! I’ve never tried using sweet potato in oatmeal before.
It’s delicious! Thanks Nicole ๐
Your stringy casserole is hilarious! I’m glad you kept trying and came up with this amazing oatmeal version!
Thanks Rachelle! You can’t give up on SPC!
When I hear about other folks’ kitchen adventures it always makes me smile in solidarity! Meantime, looks like I have found my holiday season breakfast (and sometimes supper!) – yum.
This would be good for every meal ๐ Thanks Kate!
This sweet potato and oatmeal casserole looks delicious Megan! Such a wonderful fall recipe! Great pics too!! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Anu ๐
I love the looks of this oaty dish! I have never been the biggest fan of sweet potato casserole (I know, who am I?!) but I know it can be a difficult one to master. Ours usually has a thick layer of marshmallows that the kids usually eat off of the top before it ever goes in the oven. I think I’d prefer your oatmeal to the real thing!
Our dish doesn’t have marshmallows, so maybe you’d like our version?!?! Either way, I think you’d like this oatmeal ๐ Thanks Jessica!
It’s like you read my mind. I’ve grown really tired of eggs lately for breakfast and this recipes looks like the perfect dish to mix things up!
I like to switch my breakfast up every now and then. This would be perfect to spice things up ๐ Thanks Nicole!
I really chuckled at the potato strings being added back into the casserole ๐ . These oats really look delicious and are perfect for this time of year! Take care.
Thanks Stacey! What was I thinking ?!?!
Haha too cute about the strings! And this oatmeal is so creative! What a fun flavor!
Thanks Kelly! I was really pleased it turned out ๐
Wow – I never would have guessed this was vegan! And bravo for all your mistakes… it sounds like they made the dishes better. ๐
I think so ๐ Thanks Eva!
I’ve only recently grown to love sweet potato casserole, but my favorite way to have it is with pecans on top – so this oatmeal seems like the perfect fall type breakfast! I bet the cranraisins and bananas are so delicious on top too!
Pecans are the best! & the other toppings are delicious, too ๐ Thanks Aimee!
What a fun, hearty breakfast! Your toppings look wonderful, too.
P.S. My daughter adores your cookies—she and I are the ginger lovers. Such a yummy treat!!
Yay! I’m so happy she likes them ๐ Thanks Liz!
Sounds like it was a good thing you were put in charge of Sweet potato Casserole at such a young age – because look at this creation! I so love SPC and enjoying it year round in this Steel Cut Oatmeal is the streusel topping on the casserole! P.S. I too am a huge fan of side dishes that are really desserts in disguise ๐
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, Megan!
ha ha! Thanks so much, Shashi!
Yummm these look fantastic. I cannot wait to try this. ๐
I hope you love it! Thanks Puja ๐