Baked Sweet Potato Casserole
User Reviews
5
18 reviews
Excellent
Baked Sweet Potato Casserole
Report
This Baked Sweet Potato Casserole blends mashed sweet potatoes with butter, brown sugar, milk, vanilla, and lemon juice, bound by eggs, and topped with a spiced pecan streusel. The streusel features flour, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and chopped pecans mixed with melted butter for a crunchy, aromatic topping. Baking brings out the natural sweetness of the potatoes while adding texture contrast with the streusel layer.
Description
The recipe begins with cooking the sweet potatoes either by baking whole at 400°F until fork tender or boiling peeled chunks until soft. Once cooked, the sweet potatoes are mashed and combined with melted butter, milk, brown sugar, kosher salt, vanilla, lemon juice, and eggs to create a smooth sweet potato filling.
The topping is a streusel made from all-purpose flour, a mix of brown and granulated sugars, warm spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom, along with chopped pecans and melted salted butter. The streusel is spread evenly over the sweet potato mixture before baking the assembled casserole until the topping is golden and the filling is set.
This casserole works well as a side dish for meals and benefits from the balance of sweet and spiced flavors. The crunchy pecan topping provides a pleasing texture contrast to the creamy mashed sweet potatoes.
The casserole can be made ahead by preparing the mashed sweet potatoes and assembling the dish without topping. Store both components separately in the refrigerator, then add the streusel and bake when ready, allowing for convenient meal prep.
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Ingredients
For the sweet potato filling
- 3-4 sweet potato 2.5 pounds, about 5 cups mashed
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh
- 2 large egg
For the streusel
- 1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 cup pecans chopped
- 1/2 cup butter melted, salted
- 1/3 cup pecans to add halfway through, chopped
Instructions
- Start by cooking your sweet potatoes. You can bake or boil. (Baking is easier; boiling is faster.)
- To bake: I like the baking method best, I think it's easiest! Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Poke each sweet potato firmly with a fork, two pokes on each side. Place on a pan lined with tin foil. Pop them in the oven and roast at 400 for 45-60 minutes until completely tender. You should be able to stick a butter knife all the way through with very little resistance. The thicker your sweet potatoes, the longer it will take.
- To boil: Peel the sweet potatoes and chop into 1 or 2 inch pieces. Add to a large pot filled with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn down to a simmer. Let simmer for 25-30 minutes until fork tender. Drain very well using a colander.
- Make the sweet potato filling: In a large bowl, add sweet potatoes. You should have about 5 cups. Add 5 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup milk, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (add 1 and 1/4 teaspoon if using table salt), 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, and 2 large eggs.
- Mash it all together with a potato masher. If you like REALLY fluffy sweet potato casserole with zero lumps, use a hand mixer to beat it together for a couple minutes. (I prefer mine thoroughly mashed with a potato masher.)
- Spread the sweet potato mixture evenly into a 9x13 inch pan, smoothing out the top. (At this point you can refrigerate it ahead of time and bake up to two days later. See notes!)
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Make the streusel. In a medium bowl, add 1 and 1/2 cups flour (spooned and leveled), 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cardamom, and 1 cup chopped pecans. Whisk it all together.
- In a large bowl, melt 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter. Pour the dry streusel ingredients into the large bowl with the butter (then wipe out the medium bowl and stick it back in the cupboard.)
- Use a spatula to mix together the streusel. Make sure all the dry ingredients are moistened with butter.
- Use your fist to pick up handfuls of streusel. Squeeze it together and gently crumble it over the top of the sweet potatoes so that they stay in big chunks.
- Bake. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until the streusel looks dry and crumbly and slightly browned. Halfway through the bake time, at about the 15 or 20 minute mark, I like to sprinkle on an extra 1/3 cup chopped pecans. (If you add them in the beginning they will burn.) This is optional but I love the extra crunch and how pretty it is.
- Serve warm! See notes for how to make this ahead of time. You can make this earlier in the day on Thanksgiving. Bake it as directed, and then set it aside somewhere on the counter in your mess of a kitchen. (Don't refrigerate, or even bother covering) Then you can reheat it right before serving. About 15-20 minutes in a 350 degree oven will be enough to get it warmed through!
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge. It will keep for 3-5 days!
Notes
- You can bake whole sweet potatoes poked with a fork at 400°F for 45-60 minutes for roasting.
- Alternatively, boil peeled and chopped sweet potatoes for 25-30 minutes until tender.
- Make the casserole ahead by preparing mashed sweet potatoes and streusel separately; refrigerate before baking.
- When baking from chilled, the casserole may require about 35 minutes for the topping to brown and the filling to warm through.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1cup
Calories
448kcal
(22%)
Carbohydrates
59g
(20%)
Protein
6g
(12%)
Fat
22g
(34%)
Saturated Fat
9g
(45%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
3g
(18%)
Monounsaturated Fat
9g
(45%)
Trans Fat
1g
(50%)
Cholesterol
65mg
(22%)
Potassium
417mg
(9%)
Fiber
5g
(20%)
Sugar
31g
(62%)
Vitamin A
12511IU
(250%)
Vitamin C
3mg
(3%)
Calcium
83mg
(8%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 12Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 448 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1cup | |
| Calories | 448kcal | 22% |
| Carbohydrates | 59g | 20% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 22g | 34% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 65mg | 22% |
| Potassium | 417mg | 9% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 31g | 62% |
| Vitamin A | 12511IU | 250% |
| Vitamin C | 3mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 83mg | 8% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
18 reviews
Excellent
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