BVC Eats: Cold-weather apple and sweet potato casserole

This is one of those rich, buttery, sweet, cold-weather recipes we forgive ourselves for eating because it’s cold. And maybe the holidays. And it’s vegetables, right?

AUTUMN APPLE AND SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

Preheat oven to 350.

Peel and slice equal amounts apples and sweet potatoes. Microwave the sliced sweet potatoes on high until they’re half-cooked, about a minute per sweet potato used. This prevents the casserole from taking hours to bake and coming out dry.

Layer the apples and sweet potatoes in a buttered casserole with these things between layers:

Butter pats—no more than one stick total
Dark brown sugar—no more than one cup total

Some people would make a a fancy spiral pattern with the apple and sweet potato slices, or alternate potato-apple-potato-apple on each layer. Not me. I’m too lazy.

Mix together 1 cup of coconut rum and one can of rich coconut milk for every two sweet potatoes and two apples. Use high-fat coconut milk—not the low-fat version!

Pour the rum and coconut milk over your potatoes and apples. The liquid should almost cover the ingredients.

Crumble more brown sugar and butter on top because, brown sugar and butter.

Cover and bake until it’s all soft, 45 minutes to an hour.

If you have excess fluid in the casserole upon serving, or leftover casserole, you can make an awesome “hot buttered rum smoothie” by heating and blending the liquid and leftover apples and potatoes with more rum. Serve it hot in a mug. Guaranteed to warm cold cockles.