Dairy Free Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

                                                      

Though the lay community may long have thought it impossible, behold I present to you dairy free (sweet) potatoes. 

Creamy, cheesy, delicious, and free of any milk products.

Introduction: 

The dairy free community has long been deprived of the popular comfort food comprised of thinly sliced potatoes, creamy sauce, and cheese topping. This disparity has adverse consequences- well, at least for me. However, the development of more and more dairy free or plant-based versions of common dairy items yields tremendous scalloped opportunities. Therefore, we aimed to assess the effectiveness at adapting this recipe for scalloped potatoes with dairy free ingredients. 

Method:

Procedure (recipe source):

Note: A sweet potato recipe was selected based on a convenience sample of sweet potatoes in the author's home, as well as taste. 

Modifications:

First, I halved the recipe since this was only feeding two people, and it was cuter that way. 

Second, I used a "cheddar" dairy free cheese because that is what I had at home. However, I do not notice that much of a difference between the styles or flavors of dairy free cheese. It did add to a very vibrant orange hue. 

Third, I did not have the fresh herbs listed so I used dried. However, I do not recommend adding them directly to the milk! That would make it green, and that might not be the aesthetic you are going for, and you might have to fish it out as soon as you realize it and start again. 

Equipment (dairy-free ingredients):

Milk: 

https://oatsome.com/product/oatsome-organic-oat-milk-barista/ 

Since this recipe called for heavy cream, I wanted to be sure to use a dairy free milk beverage alternative that was richer than than typical. Luckily, this creamy oat milk worked really well in the quiche I posted last week, and when I made this recipe a few days later it was also a wonderful fit. I typically use almond milk as a milk substitute, and have recently been liking oat milk in my coffee. These typically work well for substituting for milk. However, when you need something to "set" a bit more or have a richer texture and taste, look for options that are labeled "extra creamy" or "barista" which indicate that they might be thicker and have a higher fat content. 

Cheese: https://daiyafoods.com/our-foods/shreds/cheddar/

Daiya is available at many grocery stores including Kroger and Target. It has been on the market for a while, has multiple flavors and options (e.g. slices, shreds), and melts relatively well. I have found others that melt better, but the taste is sometimes less appealing. Daiya is also expanding into other dairy free products, like boxed mac & cheese, frozen pizza, salad dressing, and more. 

Is a highly scientific taste and meltability test between all the dairy free cheeses on the market in order? 

Results:

Delicious! Creamy! Cheesy! Sweet and savory! 

Reheated well the next day!

  

Discussion:

Our findings demonstrate that sometimes, adaptations for dairy free recipes are easier than one might think. Limitations include that you did not all come over to try some and yield a larger sample size of ratings. Future research should continue to investigate dairy free cheesy potato goodness. Poutine? A return to baked goods? Please let me know what you might want to see next!