Gather around NUT-Cracker casserole this holiday season with warm helpings of a Chickapea pasta family favorite. This delicious casserole is topped with a nutty, savory crumble to perfectly compliment the sweet potato and pasta filling of the dish. This recipe is gluten-free, vegan and soon to become a season staple. 

Nutcracker Sweet Potato Casserole

• Prep Time:  15 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Course: Dinner
• Cuisine: American
• Servings:  12 slices

Pecan Topping Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 ½ cup pecan halves
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice mix
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1 Tbsp water
• ¼ tsp vanilla

Pecan Topping Instructions:

1. Add brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, sea salt, water, and vanilla into a sauce pan over medium heat
2. Cook the sugar mixture until it bubbles (roughly 4 minutes)
3. Stir in the pecans cooking until coated, (for roughly an additional 3 minutes), stirring constantly
4. Prepare a flat surface with parchment paper
5. Transfer each pecan to the parchment paper to cool
6. Once the pecans have cooled, break them apart and store them in an airtight container at room temperature

Casserole ingredients:

• 2lbs sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 4 Tbsp vegan butter
• 1/3 cup oat milk, unsweetened
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 Package Chickapea Penne
• 2 Tbsp salt, (for cooking pasta)
• 1 Package Hippie snacks cauliflower crisp, original flavour, crushed
• Optional: 1 cup vegan marshmallows

Casserole Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F
2. Add the sweet potatoes to a large pot of water
3. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat and cook the potatoes until tender (roughly 20 minutes)
4. Mash the cooked potatoes
5. Coat the inside of a casserole dish with a tsp of vegan butter
6. Mix the remaining vegan butter, oat milk, brown sugar, and ½ tsp salt into the mashed sweet potato
7. Cook the Chickapea penne, (heat 16 cups of water and 2 Tbsp of salt in a large pot over high heat until boiling. Add pasta to the water, decrease heat to maintain a gentle boil.  Stir and cook pasta for 6 minutes) 
8. Drain pasta and rinse with warm water
9. Mix the cooked penne noodles into the sweet potato and layer into the bottom of the prepared casserole dish
10. Crumble the cauliflower crackers over the potato
11. Layer the pecans over the crackers and potato mixture
12. Bake for 25-30 minutes
13. Serve hot and enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

• Dandies vegan marshmallows are suggested as an optional topping for this dish
• Make the components ahead to reduce the time spent on the dish when it is being served
• Hippie snacks original Cauliflower crackers were used in this recipe
• Earth balance vegan butter was used in the recipe
• This recipe can be reheated after being stored covered in the refrigerator for up to two days
• If making ahead, keep the crackers and pecan topping off of the casserole and add just before cooking