Description
A classic Sweet Potato Casserole featuring creamy mashed sweet potatoes topped with a crunchy pecan streusel, baked to golden perfection. Perfect as a comforting side dish for holiday meals or cozy dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Potato Mixture
- 4 lbs sweet potatoes
- 1/2 cup (110g) packed light-brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup milk (anything but skim)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Topping
- 1/2 cup (70g) all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
- 1/2 cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped or broken pecans
- 1/4 cup (57g) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Sweet Potatoes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Pierce each sweet potato twice on two sides to allow steam to escape during baking.
- Bake Sweet Potatoes: Place the sweet potatoes on the prepared baking sheet and bake until cooked through and soft, about 75 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Peel and Mash Sweet Potatoes: Peel the sweet potatoes; the skin should pull off easily. Transfer the peeled sweet potatoes to a large mixing bowl and mash thoroughly using a potato masher or press through a potato ricer until smooth.
- Mix Sweet Potato Base: Let the mashed potatoes cool for 5 to 10 minutes to prevent the eggs from cooking prematurely. Add brown sugar, melted butter, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, salt, and pepper to the mashed potatoes. Use an electric hand mixer to blend all ingredients until well combined.
- Assemble Casserole: Pour the sweet potato mixture into a greased 12 by 8-inch casserole dish and spread evenly.
- Prepare Topping: In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Break up any brown sugar clumps with your fingertips. Pour melted butter into the mixture and stir until everything is evenly moistened; it may seem dry at first but keep tossing until combined.
- Add Topping and Bake: Sprinkle the topping evenly over the sweet potato base. Bake in the preheated 350-degree oven until heated through and the topping is golden, about 40 minutes. During the last 10 minutes, tent with foil if the topping is browning too quickly.
- Serve: Remove from the oven and serve the casserole warm.
Notes
- This recipe yields about 5 cups of mashed sweet potatoes.
- Using milk other than skim adds richness to the casserole.
- To prevent the topping from burning, cover with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking if it’s browning too fast.
- For easier peeling, bake potatoes long enough until tender and skins slip off easily.
- Use fresh pecans for the best crunch and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 160 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
