This Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping is easily put together the night before for a no fuss Thanksgiving day side dish.  The delectable brown sugar and pecan topping adds the perfect balance of soft and crispy textures.  Rows of marshmallows can be added for added sweetness and color.

I love a good sweet potato and could eat them just about any way whether it be as a french fry, hash or Thanksgiving side dish.  I love this version with the brown sugar topping and also, like mixing things up by adding a salted caramel and pretzel topping.  It is completely unexpected and yields the perfect balance of sweet and salty.

Feel free to amp up the sweetness anymore with this recipe by adding a few rows of marshmallows and broiling it for a few minutes before taking it out of the oven.  I just can’t decide whether to call this a dessert or side dish.  I’m going to go with side dish since the content does involve veggies.  That means it is completely healthy, right?

The most challenging part of this recipe is cutting into the sweet potatoes.  I recommend throwing them in the microwave for a minute or two to soften them up ever so slightly for easier cutting.  Ensure that you dice the potatoes into pieces that aren’t any thicker than around 1.5 inches to ensure the insides are cooked evenly through.  They should be soft enough to easily mash them by hand.

I like to add a pinch of cinnamon to my sweet potatoes and a splash of orange juice for a bit of citrus flavor.  A bit of nutmeg and ginger also goes wonderfully with them.  I prefer my pecans to be a bit finer and purchased pecan chips for this recipe.  You could also chop up larger pecan pieces if that is your preference.

If you are wanting to make things easier on Turkey Day, I recommend mixing up the sweet potatoes the day before.  Add them to your greased casserole dish and cover overnight.  Add the topping right before baking to ensure the texture gets nice and crispy.  Use your extra time to mix up a good cocktail such as an Apple Cider Moscato Sangria.

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Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

This Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping is easily put together the night before for a no fuss Thanksgiving day side dish.  The delectable brown sugar and pecan topping adds the perfect balance of creamy and crispy textures.

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12

Author: Holly

Ingredients

• 6 c. cubed sweet potatoes (around 4 large)
• 1/3 c. milk
• 1/4 c. orange juice
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs; beaten
• 1/3 c. butter; melted

Topping:

• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 c. flour
• 3/4 c. chopped pecans
• 6 tbsp. butter; softened
• 2 c. miniature marshmallows (optional)

Instructions

1. Peel and cube sweet potatoes.  Boil for around 12 minutes or until softened when poked with a fork.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mash sweet potatoes and stir in remaining ingredients.

3. Add to a greased 9x13 baking pan.

4. Prepare topping:  combine brown sugar and flour; cut in softened butter until the mixture resembles large crumbles.

5. Stir in the chopped pecans and sprinkle over the top of the sweet potatoes.  Bake for 30 minutes.

6. If adding marshmallows; broil for around 1-2 minutes until lightly golden at end of cooking time.