Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
Silky sweet potato casserole with a crunchy brown sugar pecan topping. Roasting the potatoes instead of boiling them makes it richer and never watery.
17% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 20 min
- Cooking
- 1 hr 30 min
- Resting
- 10 min
- Serves
- 10
- Calories
- 400
- Protein
- 6 g
- Per serving
- $1.01
Why this recipe works
Sweet potato casserole sits between side dish and dessert on the Thanksgiving table. This one goes lighter on the sugar in the filling and saves the sweetness for the pecan topping, so it doesn't taste like candy next to the turkey.
- Roasting whole sweet potatoes concentrates their sweetness and avoids the waterlogged filling that boiling gives.
- Two eggs make the filling set lightly, more like a soufflé than mashed potatoes, so it slices cleanly.
- Flour and melted butter bind the pecan streusel into crunchy clusters that don't slide off.
Ingredients
For the filling
For the topping
You will need
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Foil
- Large mixing bowl
- Potato masher or hand mixer
- 9x13-inch baking dish
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Roast the potatoes
Heat the oven to 400°F. Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork, set on a foil-lined sheet and roast until completely soft and oozing, 50 to 60 minutes.
Make the filling
Lower the oven to 350°F and butter the baking dish. When cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh into a bowl and mash until smooth. Beat in the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Spread in the dish.
Make the topping
Stir the pecans, brown sugar, flour, melted butter and salt together until clumpy, then scatter evenly over the filling.
Bake
Bake until the filling is set at the edges and the topping is golden and crisp, 30 to 35 minutes. Rest 10 minutes before serving.
Cook's notes
- Roast the sweet potatoes up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate the flesh. It saves an hour on the day.
- For a marshmallow version, skip the pecan topping and cover the top with 3 cups mini marshmallows for the last 10 minutes of baking.
- To make ahead, assemble without the topping, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Add the topping and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
Nutrition per serving
400 calories
$1.01 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 6% of calories | 6 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 53% of calories | 55 g |
| Fat | 41% of calories | 19 g |
| Fiber | 6 g | |
| Sodium | 270 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
Should you boil or bake sweet potatoes for casserole?
Bake them. Roasting concentrates the flavor and keeps the filling from turning watery. Boiling is faster but makes a looser, blander casserole.
Can you use canned yams for sweet potato casserole?
Yes. Drain two 29-ounce cans well and skip the brown sugar in the filling, since canned yams are packed in syrup.
What goes on top of sweet potato casserole?
Either a pecan streusel like this one or mini marshmallows. Some cooks use both: pecans first, then marshmallows for the last 10 minutes.
