Sweet Potato Casserole
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Take your sweet potato casserole up a notch by replacing the traditional marshmallow topping with a crunchy brown sugar and pecan streusel.
When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, I think most of us would say, “Don’t get fancy on me, just make the standards really special.” That’s why this down-home sweet potato casserole is always a big hit. It’s an old Southern specialty that graces almost every holiday table. Instead of the traditional marshmallow topping (yes, a classic, but let’s be honest, a gourmet dish marshmallows do not make), I cover the sweet potatoes with a crunchy brown sugar-pecan streusel. It absolutely makes the dish. Like many Thanksgiving sweet potato sides, it’s almost sweet enough to be dessert. In my house, it’s “that dish”— the one everyone reaches their fork into long after the meal is done.
“My mom and I used your recipe for Thanksgiving and loved it so much that we are making it again for Christmas. Thank you for such an easy, delicious dish that we will enjoy for years to come!”
What You’ll Need To Make Sweet Potato Casserole
- Sweet potatoes – Note that most supermarkets use the names “sweet potato” and “yam” interchangeably. This can be confusing since yams aren’t sweet potatoes at all, but rather thick white tubers with dark brown skin. Chances are you won’t find real yams at the grocery store, so if you see “yams,” you’re probably looking at sweet potatoes.
- Unsalted butter – Adds richness and flavor to both the sweet potato base and the streusel topping.
- Salt – Enhances the flavor of the sweet potatoes and balances the sweetness.
- Light brown sugar – Sweetens the base and adds a warm, molasses flavor to both the sweet potatoes and the crunchy streusel topping.
- Ground nutmeg – Adds a hint of warmth and spice to the sweet potatoes, complementing their natural flavor.
- Eggs – Help bind the sweet potato mixture and give the casserole structure.
- Flour – The base of the streusel topping together, creating a crumbly texture.
- Ground cinnamon – Adds a warm, spiced flavor to the streusel topping.
- Pecans – Incorporated in the streusel topping to lend a crunchy, nutty contrast to the soft, sweet potato base.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the sweet potatoes and cook until soft and tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and let cool.
In the meantime, make the topping: Melt the butter in a medium bowl the microwave. (Alternatively, melt the butter in a small pan or over low heat and transfer to a medium bowl.)
Add the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
Mix until well combined. It should look a little clumpy.
Add the chopped nuts, and stir to combine.
Place the cooked and drained sweet potatoes in a large bowl.
Mash with a potato masher or large fork until very smooth.
Add the melted butter, salt, and brown sugar and nutmeg.
Mix well, then add the eggs.
Stir to combine. It’s okay if it is not completely smooth.
Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a 2-quart baking dish and spread evenly.
Sprinkle the topping evenly over the sweet potato mixture.
Bake for about 40 minutes, uncovered, or until the topping is nicely browned. Let cool slightly before serving.
If you’d like to break up the preparation of this dish a bit, feel free to make and refrigerate the streusel a few days ahead. Or, if you really want to get a head start, assemble and refrigerate the whole casserole up to two days ahead of time. Bake right before serving for best results.
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Sweet Potato Casserole
Take your sweet potato casserole up a notch by replacing the traditional marshmallow topping with a crunchy brown sugar and pecan streusel.
Ingredients
For the Sweet Potato Mixture
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 large), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
For the Streusel Topping
- ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil (no need to salt). Add the sweet potatoes and cook until soft and very tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and let cool.
- Meanwhile, make the topping: Melt the butter in a medium bowl in the microwave. (Alternatively, melt it in a small pan over low heat and transfer to a medium bowl.) Add the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon and mix until well combined. It should look a little clumpy. Stir in the chopped nuts and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mash the cooked and drained sweet potatoes with a potato masher or large fork until very smooth. Add the melted butter, salt, sugar, and nutmeg and mix well. Mix in the eggs. It's okay if there are some lumps. Set aside.
- Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a 2-quart baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the sweet potato mixture and bake, uncovered, for about 40 minutes, or until the topping is nicely browned. Let cool slightly before serving.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The assembled casserole can be refrigerated for 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months. If frozen, allow a few extra minutes in the oven to bake.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 489
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 70 g
- Sugar: 35 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Sodium: 348 mg
- Cholesterol: 77 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hi Jen
I doubled this recipie but I forgot to double the eggs. The dish is for tomorrow evening so I put it in the fridge uncooked but fully assembled in the hopes you could advise if I should scoop off the topping and add 2 more eggs. I’m not sure if the dish will be ruined without the proper amount of eggs.
Your cookbook is wonderful!
Thanks in advance!
Nicole
Hi Nicole, Honestly, I’d leave it alone – it will still be delish!
Thank you very much for rescuing me; the dish was fabulous without doubling the eggs! So many of my guests asked for the recipe, a sure sign of something more than “just good”!
Nicole
Is it possible to reheat this dish in a microwave? Or simply oven only?
Thanks!
Hi Jessica, If you want to reheat it in the microwave, that would be fine – I’d just suggest popping it in the oven for a few minutes after that to crisp up the topping.
Made this for the first time for Thanksgiving. I did a marshmallow topping instead of your topping due to a nut allergy and it was delicious. Your recipe uses a lot less sugar than the recipe I had used for years. I am happily converted!
Made the sweet potato pecan crisp for thanksgiving, wow, my family and guests absolutely loved this dish!!!
Thank you once again for a wonderful dish, your site is now my go to site first for all of recipe searches, cant wait to see your new cookbook!!
Made this sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit. Everyone loved the flavors. I left out the cinnamon in the topping because we had a guest allergic to cinnamon. It was delicious and will be a new staple to our Thanksgiving meal every year. Thanks for a great recipe Jen!
This has become our go-to holiday sweet potato recipe. It is absolutely delicious, plus it can be made ahead of time which is an enormous plus. I initially thought it sounded as if it would be too sweet, but the ratio of topping to sweet potatoes is actually perfect. The topping does of course add some sweetness, but not in an overwhelming or cloying way, and the contrasting texture is really wonderful. I’ve also discovered a quick out-of-the-fridge spoonful at midnight is the most decadent snack!
Whenever I make this sweet potato pecan crisp, there’s always 1 person that’s asks me if I ordered this pan of goodness from Ruth Chris Steakhouse. It’s just that good.
There are two things that I modify with his recipie:
1. I bake (no boil) my potatos. When you poke holes in the potatoes and bake them, they cook up perfectly without losing any of the nutrients and sweetness in a pot of boiling water. You don’t have to worry about peeling a baked potato either. Just split it open and scoop. Then I always taste my potato’s before adding the sugar. If you’re lucky enough to find Alabama Red Sweets (which are grown in red clay) you can cut back on the amount of sugar you add. This type of potato is naturally super sweet.
2. Sweeet potatos have strings. Some have more than others, but they all have strings. I personally can’t stand a stringy sweet potato dish or pie. I’ve been reading online about how cooks whip the potatoes in the food processor to deal with strings, but that does not eliminate the strings, that only splits them up and blends them in the potato’s . The only way to eliminate all sweet potato strings is to use a Food Mill. Not a single string will make it past a quick run through an old fashioned food mill. There is no substitute!
We’ve made the ubiquitous Reba McEntire sweet potato casserole for years and loved it. We saw this one, and decided that it was worth a try.
Well, it’s the same as the Reba–in the same sense that Sizzler is the same as Peter Luger’s, or a Yugo is the same as a Ferrari!
It’s fresher-tasting, not as sickly sweet, and the topping is crispier. In fact, two days later (we made it the day before Thanksgiving to be sure we would like it), it’s just as fresh and the topping is still crispy. The Reba tended to turn to mush after a day or so.
If you like the Reba, try this one instead!
My only variation from Jen’s recipe was to use a ricer instead of mashing by hand. This saved some time (and my hands), and we liked the perfectly smooth texture.
Doubled the recipe for Thanksgiving and it was a hit! I added cinnamon to the base and also a spoonful of apple butter for extra depth of flavor, along with marshmallows over the topping (per family tradition). Very yummy and the crumb topping makes the dish.
Can I make this recipe the day ahead or does it get mushy?
Hi Joni, It’s perfectly fine to make it a day ahead; just reheat it until crisp on top before serving. Enjoy!