Sweet Potato Casserole With Pecans

I love sweet potato side dish recipes including hasselback sweet potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, sweet potato souffle and sweet potato casserole with marshmallows. I know that some people aren’t marshmallow fans, so I’ve developed a more adult version of the casserole with a sweet pecan topping. This is a must-make for Thanksgiving! Sweet potato casserole is a Thanksgiving recipe that cannot be skipped. There are so many ways to showcase sweet potatoes, but this sweet potato casserole recipe with pecans is one of my favorites. The crunchy, buttery topping is totally irresistible!

Sweet Potato Casserole Ingredients

To make this recipe, you will need sweet potatoes, butter, milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, egg, vanilla extract, all purpose flour and pecans.

How Do You Make Sweet Potato Casserole With Pecans?

Preheat the oven, then place foil on a baking sheet and coat the foil with cooking spray. Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork, then place them on the pan. Bake until the potatoes are very soft. Let the potatoes cool for a few minutes, then scoop out the insides and place them in a large bowl. Add melted butter, milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, egg and vanilla to the bowl. Use a potato masher or hand mixer to mash the potatoes with the other ingredients. To make the streusel, mix together brown sugar, flour, butter and pecans until coarse crumbs form. Transfer the mashed potatoes to a baking dish, then add the crumble topping. Bake until the topping is golden brown, then serve and enjoy.

Tips For The Perfect Dish

I prefer to roast my sweet potatoes, but you can also steam or boil your potatoes if you’d rather cook them that way. This casserole can be assembled up to one day before you plan to serve it. Store it covered in the refrigerator. You may need to add more bake time to compensate for starting with a cold casserole. Store the streusel separate from the potatoes, then add the streusel right before baking. If you prefer the texture of silky smooth sweet potatoes, try pureeing them in a food processor rather than mashing them by hand. You can bake your sweet potato casserole in a 9″ square pan or any other baking dish that has a capacity of about 2 quarts. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if you need to feed a crowd. When I’m feeding a large group, I double the ingredient amounts, then use a 9″x13″ pan and it works perfectly. Serve your casserole alongside other holiday favorites such as Christmas punch, Instant Pot turkey breast, roasted pumpkin, broccoli casserole, honey baked ham recipe and deep fried turkey. Offer a pumpkin pie cheesecake for dessert!

Flavor Variations

Miss the marshmallows? Sprinkle 1/2 cup of mini marshmallows over the top during the last 5 minutes of the baking process. No pecans on hand? Try using walnuts or almonds instead. For a heartier crumble topping, replace half of the flour with quick cooking oats. You can add some fruit to your sweet potato mash such as crushed pineapple, dried cranberries or sauteed apples for a different flavor. For more of a sweet and savory flavor, add 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt to the sweet potato filling and also to the topping.

Sweet potato casserole with pecans is the perfect Thanksgiving side dish. It’s great for potlucks, parties, or even just served alongside a roasted chicken on a weeknight. No matter how you serve it up, this casserole is sure to get rave reviews!