#99_Sweet Potato Alfredo Casserole

I sent this picture today to a friend without
any description of it to get her reaction,
then she e-mailed me back and said
"what is the name of this cake?"

It might pass for a cake, but it is not. It is a casserole.
Sweet Potato Alfredo Casserole!
It is an old family recipe that I tweaked to be able
to use sweet potatoes
because I'm entering it to a recipe contest
using potatoes as main ingredient.

This is my third entry (maybe the last one) to the
North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission
where Manang of kusinanimanang
invited me to join. Thanks again, Manang!
It has been fun.

Super easy to make, this casserole is composed of 3 layers:

1st layer: the meat

2 lbs. ground beef
1 medium size onion, chopped

2nd layer: the sauce with veggies

1 jar Alfredo Pasta sauce

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/2 tub of sour cream

1 bag of frozen vegetable (any kind, although
I used the Vegetable & Asparagus stir fry blend)

1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or whatever you have)

3rd layer: mashed sweet potato with sour cream

3 lbs. sweet potatoes
1/2 tub of sour cream

1st layer: Meat

Brown ground beef with the chopped onions in a skillet over
medium high heat until the meat are no longer pink.
Put browned meat in a colander to drain off fat.
Spread this mixture in a deep baking dish, about 3 inches high.

Mashed Sweet Potato

Unlike regular potatoes, the sweet potatoes don't need too many
other ingredients such as milk, spices, butter, etc.

All you need to do is boil sweet potatoes until they are fork tender.
Peel and mash the sweet potatoes and stir in the sour cream.
Mix well until smooth. Set aside.

The Sauce

Combine Alfredo pasta sauce, mushroom soup
and the other half of sour cream together
then mix in frozen veggies, and the cheese.
Season with ground pepper.
You don't need to thaw out the frozen veggies.
If you prefer to use fresh veggies,
you might want to blanch them first before
mixing them in with the sauce.

2nd Layer: Sauce/Veggies

Spread the sauce/veggies mixture on top of the meat layer.

3rd Layer: Sweet Mashed Potato

Spread the mashed sweet potato with sour cream
on top of the sauce/veggies.
At this point you can sprinkle some
sliced almonds or pecans (optional)
and pop it in a pre-heated 350 degrees oven
and bake it for 1 hour
and you'll have a nice casserole for dinner.

or...

Pass some mashed sweet potatoes through a piper.
(I used tip #1 M).

(I made a few of these in little dishes to look like they are pot pies).

To achieve the two-toned effect,
after baking the casserole in the oven for an hour,
put it under the broiler for a few minutes
until some of the ridges of the potatoes are browned.
Keep a good eye on it though because it will burn easily.

This dish is a complete meal in itself
and it is very good in every bite!

Open wide!!!

NOTES:

1) In place of ground beef, you can substitute cooked chicken but use condensed cream of chicken soup.
2) My friend and neighbor, Cora, asked me if she can use tuna fish instead of meat as she doesn't care much for meats. I said "I'm pretty sure you can," because I have a similar recipe that has been in the family using tuna and condensed soups and veggies.
So here's an idea from Cora if you want to give it a try, in place of meat, you can use 4 cans of tuna fish (6 0z. ea), drained well
or 2 cans of salmon (14.75 oz. each) drained well, and condensed cream of mushroom soup.

4-14-09
The winning recipes (click here) have been announced by the Sweet Potato Commission, unfortunately none of yours truly's entries won any prize. I actually don't feel bad because I learned some new things doing the recipes.