Creamy mashed sweet potatoes with butter, sugar, vanilla, eggs, and cinnamon. Topped with a pecan topping made with butter, pecans, flour, and brown sugar. This yummy side dish will be your favorite for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any special occasion!
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Welcome to My Kitchen Serenity! The holidays are getting closer and I'm getting super excited about good food and good times with family and friends! Sweet potato casserole recipes have been around for a long, long time. There are many varieties from family to family. However, we happen to think this is the best recipe 🙂
Is it a side dish or is it a dessert? Well, it is a side dish, but it is pretty darn sweet! The crispy brown sugar topping reminds me of a pecan praline. For this reason, just a spoonful should be all you need 🙂 This casserole makes 9 servings, but with smaller portions, you could get a couple more out of it.
As mentioned above, there are SO many variations for this recipe. Some have marshmallows and some have raisins. Some have sweet potato slices and some have mashed sweet potatoes. Some use fresh ingredients and some use canned. So if you're undecided about which one to choose, I highly urge you to give this recipe a try!
What's the Difference Between Sweet Potatoes and Yams
So, these two are totally different root vegetables! First, the skins are quite different. Yams have a dark, bumpy, tough skin while sweet potatoes have reddish-orange, thin, smoother skin. The flesh differs as well. Sweet potatoes have a smooth, sweet flesh while yams have a more fibrous non-sweet flesh. For these reasons, I would not use yams for this recipe.
What's the Most Popular Side Dish at Thanksgiving
Here in the south, potatoes are the number 1 side dish! White or sweet potatoes are the most popular choice. Other classic sides include Cornbread Dressing, Green Bean Casserole, Corn, Macaroni and Cheese, Squash Casserole, and Rolls. Every family is different and all are fabulous. Sometimes, my family eats Jambalaya for our holiday meal. So, there's no right or wrong.
I just so happen to have several easy and delicious side dish recipes:
Ingredients for Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
please scroll down to the recipe card for detailed ingredients and helpful information
Sweet potatoes
Milk, Butter, Eggs
Vanilla, Sugar, Cinnamon
TOPPING:
Butter
Pecans
Light brown sugar, all-purpose flour
Instructions
please scroll down to the recipe card for complete, step-by-step directions
- Boil, drain, and mash sweet potatoes.
- Add remaining ingredients and pour into an 8 x 8 baking dish.
- Add topping and bake.
This recipe can easily be doubled. Use a 9 x 13 dish and bake as directed.
Make Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole
Make the casserole and the topping the day before you plan to eat it. Keep the topping in a separate container. Store both in the refrigerator. Right before you bake the casserole, add the topping and bake as directed.
Freezing Baked Sweet Potato Casserole
Allow leftovers to completely cool off. Place into an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, let the casserole thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then, reheat in the microwave.
Storing Leftovers in the Refrigerator
Store leftovers in airtight containers for up to 3 days. I like to use BPA-free glass containers with locking lids. Check out this 18-piece set of glass food storage containers with locking lids. Available now on Amazon.
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How to Transport Hot or Cold Casseroles
If you're going to take your casserole somewhere else, try this Lasagna Lugger Combo by Rachael Ray. It's not just for lasagna 🙂 The set comes with 2 sizes (13x9 and 9x9). Perfect for when you have 2 different size dishes to transport. Available now on Amazon.
Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
Equipment
- pot for boiling sweet potatoes
- potato masher
- large bowl
- whisk
- measuring cup(s)
- measure spoons
- 8 x 8 baking dish
- pastry blender (optional)
Ingredients
- 3 cups hot mashed sweet potatoes
- ½ cup butter
- ⅓ cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ to 1 cup white sugar ½ c for less sweet. 1 c for very sweet.
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
TOPPING
- ⅓ cup cold butter, cut into cubes
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup light brown sugar (packed in measuring cup) see notes
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Peel and slice sweet potatoes into chunks. Cover with water in a large pot. Boil for 10-15 minutes or until very tender.
- Pour off water. Add butter and mash potatoes. Transfer to a large bowl.
- In a large bowl, mix the hot mashed sweet potatoes with milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon. Stir well with a whisk and pour into 8x8 dish.
- Topping: Combine cold butter, brown sugar, and flour. Mix well with fork or pastry blender until crumbly. Stir in nuts. (a pie plate works well for this step).
- Sprinkle on top of sweet potatoes.
- Bake uncovered at 350F for 25-30 minutes or until set.
Notes
If you try this recipe, let me know. I'd love to hear from you!
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