Ditch the Cloying Casserole for Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Tahini and Za’atar

Classic American Sweet Potato Casserole is a Thanksgiving staple. It’s also sweet enough to be a dessert. With added sugar and a final layer of toasted marshmallows, this can be a cloying dish that obscures the natural flavor of the sweet potatoes.

In this recipe from our cookbook “Milk Street 365: The Versatile Cookbook for Every Day of the Year,” we use two Middle Eastern pantry staples to enhance the flavor of sweet potatoes. First, we coat the potato wedges with nutty tahini, cornstarch, and za’atar, a seed and spice blend known for its balance of tangy, savory, earthy, and herbaceous notes.

The cornstarch helps bind the fatty tahini and gives the sweet potatoes a crisp exterior. We roast the wedges until they are golden and tender. For the final sauce, more tahini and za’atar are mixed into creamy yogurt, with lime juice for a refreshing flavor. For toppings, you have many options, including bright ground sumac, sweet and spicy Aleppo pepper, chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, or a combination of all three.

Roasted sweet potatoes with tahini and zaatar

Start to finish: 50 minutes (20 active minutes)

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

⅓ cup plus 3 tablespoons tahini, divided

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon za’atar, divided

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

2 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1- to 1½-inch wedges

¾ cup natural whole milk yogurt

1 teaspoon grated lime zest OR lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons lime juice OR lemon juice

Instructions:

Heat oven to 450°F with rack in lower middle position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together ⅓ cup tahini and oil; Cancel.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, 1 tablespoon za’atar, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add the sweet potatoes and toss to coat. Pour in the tahini mixture and rub the mixture over the potatoes; reserve the small bowl. Spread in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Roast until the bottoms of the potatoes are lightly browned, about 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheet about halfway through cooking. Remove from oven and, using a thin metal spatula, flip each corner. Roast until golden and a toothpick inserted into the potatoes meets no resistance, about 15 more minutes, turning the wedges again and rotating the foil halfway through cooking.

Meanwhile, in the reserved bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lime zest and juice, remaining 3 tablespoons tahini, remaining teaspoon za’atar, and ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper. Transfer the potatoes to a plate. Serve with the yogurt-lime sauce.

Optional garnish: ground sumac OR Aleppo pepper OR chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley OR a combination

EDITOR’S NOTE: For more recipes, visit Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street at 177milkstreet.com/ap