Description
A classic Sweet Potato Casserole featuring creamy mashed sweet potatoes topped with a crunchy pecan and brown sugar topping, perfect for holiday gatherings or comforting family meals.
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
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper (1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper suggested)
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 Potatoes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Pierce each sweet potato twice on two sides.
- Bake Potatoes: Place pierced sweet potatoes on the baking sheet and bake until cooked through and soft, about 75 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Peel and Mash: Peel the sweet potatoes (the peel should pull right off) and transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Mash well using a potato masher or press through a potato ricer. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes to prevent cooking the eggs in the mixture.
- Combine Ingredients: Add brown sugar, melted butter, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, salt, and pepper to the mashed potatoes. Use an electric hand mixer to blend everything until combined well.
- Prepare Casserole Dish: Pour the sweet potato mixture into a greased 12 by 8-inch casserole dish and spread into an even layer. Set aside.
- Make Topping: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped pecans using a fork, breaking up brown sugar clumps with your fingertips as needed. Pour melted butter into the mixture and stir until evenly moistened; it will appear dry at first, but keep mixing until combined.
- Add Topping and Bake: Sprinkle the topping evenly over the sweet potato layer in the casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until heated through, about 40 minutes. Tent with foil during the last 10 minutes if the topping browns too much.
- Serve: Remove from oven and serve warm.
Notes
- This recipe yields about 5 cups of mashed sweet potatoes from 4 lbs.
- Using anything but skim milk helps keep the casserole creamy.
- To prevent the topping from burning, tent with foil during the final 10 minutes of baking.
- The casserole dish size is approximately 12 by 8 inches to ensure proper depth and cooking.
- For a smoother texture, use a potato ricer instead of a masher.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
