Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

This “cheesy” sweet potato casserole is serious comfort food made with real food ingredients! This recipe is vegan, paleo, and AIP-friendly.

sweet potato casserole in a casserole dish

“Cheesy” Sweet Potato Casserole

Cheesy potatoes are nothing short of absolutely delicious. Cheesy fries, cheesy regular potatoes… it’s all just always really yummy. I used to be obsessed with cheese fries, and have always wanted to make something similar that’s nightshade & dairy-free. Cheesy potatoes seem like one of those things that you just can’t have if you don’t eat cheese or nightshades, but this casserole is a game changer!

This cheesy potato casserole is paleo, vegan, AIP-friendly, and made without any nightshades or dairy. It’s made with a butternut squash based “cheese” sauce and topped off with a crispy plantain topping for good measure 😉

The Ingredients for the “Cheesy” Sweet Potato Casserole

  • White sweet potato. I prefer Hannah sweet potatoes for this recipe, but you can also use Japanese sweet potato.
  • Butternut squash and cauliflower. These are the veggies needed for the “cheese” sauce.
  • Coconut milk & broth. These are the liquid ingredients for the “cheese” sauce.
  • Plantain chips. Crushed plantain chips add a crispy and delicious topping! This is optional, but it really adds to the dish.

How to make “Cheesy” Sweet Potato Casserole

  • Make the cheese sauce: Whisk the coconut milk, broth, apple cider vinegar, nutritional yeast (adjust to taste), garlic powder, turmeric, salt, tapioca starch together in a bowl and set aside. Saute the onion until translucent.  Add the butternut squash and cauliflower and saute for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the liquid mixture and stir well to combine. Bring to a low simmer. Allow to simmer on low, stirring often for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are softened. Allow the cheese sauce to slightly cool before blending with a high-speed blender until smooth. Set aside.
  • Boil the potatoes: Bring a large pot of water to a medium boil and carefully add the chopped sweet potato. Boil for 8-10 minutes or until lightly tender. Strain and allow to cool slightly.
  • Combine & bake: Add the sweet potatoes to the casserole dish, and pour the cheese sauce over. Stir well to coat and combine. Cover the casserole dish Transfer the baking dish to the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes covered.

cheesy sweet potato casserole on plate

Can you use orange sweet potato instead?

You can, but it’ll be a little bit sweeter than using white sweet potato.

Can you make this recipe coconut free?

You can try to use another plant-based milk, though I haven’t tried anything other than coconut milk in this specific recipe. In the past, I’ve found almond milk to be a bit too thin to make sauces like this creamy, but it likely will still work if you don’t tolerate coconut.

Could you add real cheese too?

Sure! If you can tolerate real cheese you can add a bit of real cheese like shredded cheddar into the cheese sauce mix.

cheesy sweet potato casserole in baking dish

You’ll also love…

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

“Cheesy” Sweet Potato Casserole (Paleo, Vegan, AIP)

  • Author: Michelle
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Print Recipe

Description

This “cheesy” sweet potato casserole is serious comfort food made with real food ingredients! This recipe is vegan, paleo, and AIP-friendly.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/2 cups full-fat canned coconut milk
  • 1/3 cup broth (chicken or vegetable broth)
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 3–4 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp tapioca starch
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cups butternut squash, cubed
  • 3/4 cup cauliflower florets
  • 9 cups of white sweet potato, peeled and chopped (about 4 medium sweet potatoes)
  • 4 oz plantain chips, crushed
  • 1 tbsp parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly grease a 8×8″ casserole dish.
  2. To make the cheese sauce, whisk the coconut milk, broth, apple cider vinegar, nutritional yeast (adjust to taste), garlic powder, turmeric, salt, tapioca starch together in a bowl and set aside.
  3.  In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onion until translucent.
  4.  Add the butternut squash and cauliflower and saute for 2-3 minutes.
  5.  Pour in the liquid mixture and stir well to combine. Bring to a low simmer. Allow to simmer on low, stirring often for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are softened.
  6. Allow the cheese sauce to slightly cool before blending with a high-speed blender until smooth. Set aside.
  7. Bring a large pot of water to a medium boil and carefully add the chopped sweet potato. Boil for 8-10 minutes or until lightly tender. Strain and allow to cool slightly.
  8. Add the sweet potatoes to the casserole dish, and pour the cheese sauce over. Stir well to coat and combine. Cover the casserole dish
  9. Transfer the baking dish to the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes covered.
  10. Remove from the oven and top with crushed plantain chips and parsley.

Notes

All nutritional information are estimations and will vary. Estimations do not include optional ingredients.

  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 60
  • Category: Sides
  • Method: Baked

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 470
  • Fat: 22.6g
  • Carbohydrates: 63g
  • Fiber: 8.7g
  • Protein: 7.2g

Keywords: cheesy potato