Description
A classic Sweet Potato Casserole featuring creamy mashed sweet potatoes topped with a crunchy, buttery pecan streusel, perfect for holiday dinners 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 to taste
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: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Bake Sweet Potatoes: Pierce each sweet potato twice on two sides. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 75 minutes until cooked through and soft. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare Potatoes: Peel the sweet potatoes - the skin should pull off easily. Transfer peeled potatoes to a large mixing bowl.
- Mash Potatoes: Mash the sweet potatoes with a potato masher or press through a potato ricer until smooth. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes to prevent eggs from cooking in the mixture.
- Mix Sweet Potato Base: Add brown sugar, 1/2 cup melted butter, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste), and 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper. Use an electric hand mixer to blend the mixture until well combined.
- Prepare Casserole Dish: Grease a 12 by 8-inch casserole dish. Pour the sweet potato mixture into the dish and spread into an even layer. Set aside.
- Make Topping: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans with a fork, breaking up any brown sugar clumps as needed. Pour melted butter into the mixture and stir until evenly moistened, tossing well.
- Top Sweet Potato Mixture: Sprinkle the pecan topping evenly over the sweet potato layer in the casserole dish.
- Bake Casserole: Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 40 minutes until heated through. Tent with foil during the last 10 minutes to prevent excessive browning of the topping if necessary.
- Serve: Serve the casserole warm as a delightful side dish or comforting treat.
Notes
- This recipe yields about 5 cups of mashed sweet potatoes.
- Use milk other than skim for better creaminess; whole or 2% milk is recommended.
- Allow sweet potatoes to cool before mixing with eggs to avoid scrambling the eggs.
- Use fresh pecans for the best flavor and crunch.
- Tenting with foil during baking prevents over-browning of the topping.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 340 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 160 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
