The casserole dish is heavy in the hands—glazed ceramic, cream-colored with a brown rim, the kind that was a wedding gift in 1972 and outlasted the marriage. It lives on the top shelf, behind the everyday bowls. It comes down for occasions. When you lift it down, it feels serious.

Sweet potatoes are peeled and sliced thin. They go in raw. They cook through in the oven, becoming tender and slightly caramelized where they touch the sides of the dish. The color is what gave this dish its name. That particular orange-gold that showed up on kitchen appliances and living room carpets.

Chickpeas, drained from a can, are rinsed and left in the colander while you prepare everything else. The kale gets stripped from its ribs and chopped, then massaged with your hands until the leaves soften and darken.

The sauce comes together in a bowl: tahini whisked with lemon juice until it seizes up and looks broken, then gradually thinned with warm water until it becomes silk. Nutritional yeast for depth, garlic for bite. It should taste rich and creamy, like something that can make vegetables into a meal.

Layer everything in the dish. Sweet potatoes on the bottom, overlapping slightly. Chickpeas scattered over. Kale pressed down. Sauce poured over all. Whole wheat breadcrumbs—made from stale bread pulsed in a blender—go on top, mixed with a little olive oil so they’ll brown.

Foil on, into the oven. After thirty-five minutes, the foil comes off. Another fifteen or twenty, and the edges bubble, the topping crisps, the sweet potatoes yield easily to a fork.

Harvest Gold Casserole

Makes 8 servings
Time: 25 minutes active, 1 hour total

Ingredients

  • 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick
  • 2 cans (15 oz / 425 g each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 large bunch kale, stems removed, leaves chopped
  • ⅓ cup tahini
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • ⅔ cup warm water
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly oil a 9×13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.

  2. Place chopped kale in a large bowl. Massage with your hands until the leaves soften and darken, about 2 minutes.

  3. For the sauce, whisk tahini and lemon juice in a bowl until thick. Gradually whisk in warm water until smooth. Stir in nutritional yeast, garlic, salt, and pepper.

  4. Layer sweet potato slices in the prepared dish, overlapping slightly. Scatter chickpeas evenly over the potatoes. Spread kale over the chickpeas, pressing down gently.

  5. Pour the tahini sauce over the vegetables, spreading to cover as evenly as possible.

  6. In a small bowl, toss breadcrumbs with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle over the top.

  7. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15–20 minutes more, until sweet potatoes are tender and the top is golden and crisp.

  8. Let stand 10 minutes before serving so the layers settle.

The casserole can be assembled a day ahead and refrigerated. Add about 10 minutes to the covered bake time if starting cold.

A serving spoon hovers above the surface, steam curling from the dish.