Sweet Potato Spoonbread

From Southern Living’s December 2013 issue and provided by Durham, North Carolina, Chef Sara Foster 

A delicious substitute for stuffing or sweet potato casserole at your next holiday gathering, this spoonbread has a surprising depth of flavor, perfect texture and is sure to become a favorite side dish year-round.

2 1/2 cups milk
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme
2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
Pinch of ground red pepper
1 cup plain yellow cornmeal
6 Tbsp. butter
3 medium-sized sweet potatoes, baked, peeled and mashed
5 large eggs, separated
2 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring first five ingredients to a simmer in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Whisk cornmeal into milk mixture in a slow, steady stream. Cook, whisking constantly, 2-3 minutes or until mixture thickens and pulls away from bottom of pan. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Cool for 10 minutes.

Place potatoes in a large bowl, and stir in cornmeal mixture. Add egg yolks and baking powder, stirring until well blended. Beat egg whites at hight speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; fold into potato mixture. Spoon batter into a well-buttered 3-quart baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and puffy. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack before serving.

Note: Sweet potatoes can be baked and mashed ahead of time.