The classic American-style sweet potato casserole is a Thanksgiving staple. It's also sweet enough to be dessert. With added sugar and a finishing layer of broiled marshmallows, it can be a cloying dish that obscures the natural flavor of sweet potatoes.
In this recipe from our cookbook “ Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year,” we use two Middle Eastern pantry staples to boost the flavor of sweet potatoes. First, we coat the potato wedges with nutty tahini, cornstarch and za’atar, a seed and spice blend known for its balance of tangy, savory, earthy and herbal notes.
