Description
A classic Sweet Potato Casserole recipe featuring tender, mashed sweet potatoes blended with butter, brown sugar, milk, eggs, and vanilla, topped with a crunchy pecan streusel. This comforting dish is perfect for holiday dinners or any cozy gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 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
- Salt and 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 Oven and Prepare Sweet Potatoes: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Pierce each sweet potato twice on two sides. Place them on the baking sheet and bake until cooked through and soft, about 75 minutes.
- Reduce Oven Temperature: Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the casserole later.
- Peel and Mash Sweet Potatoes: Peel the sweet potatoes; the skin should come off easily. Transfer the peeled potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Mash them thoroughly with a potato masher or press through a potato ricer until smooth.
- Cool and Mix Ingredients: Let the mashed potatoes cool for 5 to 10 minutes to prevent the eggs from cooking when added. Then add brown sugar, melted butter, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, salt (about 1/2 tsp), and pepper (about 1/4 tsp) to the bowl.
- Combine Mixture: Use an electric hand mixer to blend all ingredients together until well combined and smooth.
- Prepare Casserole Dish: Grease a 12 by 8-inch casserole dish. Pour the mashed sweet potato mixture into the dish and spread it into an even layer. Set aside while preparing the topping.
- Make the Topping: In a separate medium bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped pecans. Break up any clumps of brown sugar with your fingertips.
- Add Butter to Topping: Pour melted butter into the topping mixture and stir until the mixture is evenly moistened, tossing continuously as it may seem dry at first.
- Apply Topping and Bake: Sprinkle the pecan flour mixture evenly over the sweet potato layer in the casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until heated through and topping is golden and crisp, about 40 minutes. During the last 10 minutes, tent the casserole loosely with foil to prevent excessive browning.
- Serve: Remove from the oven and serve the sweet potato casserole warm.
Notes
- 4 lbs of sweet potatoes yield about 5 cups mashed.
- Use whole milk or 2% milk instead of skim for best texture and flavor.
- Letting the potato mash cool slightly before adding eggs prevents scrambling.
- Tenting with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking prevents topping from burning while still allowing it to crisp up.
- You can substitute pecans with walnuts if preferred.
- This casserole can be prepared a day ahead and reheated before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
