Sometimes, you just have to have fun with your food, my kids have taught me that. Sometimes it is necessary to wear more food than you actually eat, blow bubbles in your non-dairy milk and giggle uncontrollably.  That’s the stuff that fond memories at the dinner table are made of. I love lunch time with Kash, we do all of the above. We sing, we wear super hero masks while eating,  and I may even make a few monkey noises to ensure that his giggle box turns completely over. This is part of the lunch that we shared yesterday while making lots of animal noises and funny faces.  I thought that I may have to bribe him to eat the sweet potatoes with the toasted marshmallows, but turned out that he liked the sweet potatoes better than the marshmallows. *She shoots, she scores! Crowd goes wild! 

This dish is the perfect mix of sweet and savory. The textures are great with the sweet potatoes having a slightly crisp exterior and a perfectly tender interior along with the crunchy bite of the toasted pecans. This recipe would make a great side dish to any meal, makes a great lunch all by itself, and I am pretty sure it would be pretty phenomenal with a huge scoop of your favorite ice cream or vegan whipped topping. With a 15-20 minute prep and cook time combined this dish is sure to quickly make its way into my list of go-to dishes.

Sweet Potato Casserole Hash
Serves 2
1 large sweet potato, scrubbed and peeled, diced into very small cubes
2 Tbsp. Earth Balance, Ghee, or unsalted butter
1 large pinch of salt
1/4 cup raw pecans, chopped into similar size pieces as the potatoes
1 1/2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2-3 jumbo marshmallows *Looking for gf/vegan marshmallows? Click here!

Melt the Earth Balance in a large cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. When completely melted and starting to sizzle add the cubes of sweet potato and a generous pinch of salt. Toss to coat and allow to cook covered for 5-7 minutes, occasionally flipping to ensure that all sides are getting crisp and are caramelizing. Remove the lid and add the pecans about 3/4 of the way through the cook time.  Continue to shake the pan and move the pieces around with the back of a spoon so that all of the pecans and sweet potatoes are getting nice and toasty. When the potatoes are about 1-2 minutes from being cooked through add the brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir well to incorporate and cook until the sugar melts. *All together my sweet potatoes cooked for about 12 minutes. Cook time will depending on how large your pieces are & what type of skillet you use.

Remove from heat and place the hash in a small skillet or ramekin and place marshmallows on top. Place under broiler in oven to melt and char slightly or hit with a small kitchen torch for a few seconds until the marshmallows are melty and toasted. *Yes, I know that melty is not a word!

We are happy to have shared this post at the Gluten-Free Friday’s link up party hosted by Vegetarian Mama, Eat.Live.Make, and Gluten Freed R.D.!  Hop on over to find more great gf recipes.