I had my first taste of sweet potato casserole when I attended college down in Pensacola, and let me tell you NO ONE makes a sweet potato casserole better than those southern mamas. Most of this recipe was given to me by one of my best friend’s mother (here’s looking at you Mama Foster). Now, this isn’t your typical sweet potato casserole with melted marshmallows on top. While that does taste good hot, I find that after a little bit the marshmallows start to harden as they cool – which means reheating. Plus, I just love the spices and crunchy pecan topping to contrast with the mashed sweet potatoes in this version.
My Dad is NOT a fan of sweet potatoes (and that’s putting it lightly), but even he has to admit this casserole is pretty good. The combination of warm sweet potatoes and the buttery pecan and spice crumble topping is just a perfect bite of autumn.
This recipe is easy to make and pretty much steals the show every Thanksgiving. You first have to boil the cubed potatoes until fork tender (you can easily pierce it with a fork). Once they are ready, drain the water out, and add the butter, sugar, etc. It’s all very similar to making regular mashed potatoes. The topping is where this dish shines. It’s the perfect combination of nutty, rich, and sweet. Just mix the topping ingredients together until the mixture becomes crumbly – but don’t mix too much farther than this because it may become doughy. Remember, you want crumbles not a doughy lump.
Anyways, there you have it. The perfect accompaniment dish for your Thanksgiving meal. You may even get some sweet potato haters like my Dad hooked on this delicious side dish. Happy cooking!
Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
Filling
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 3-4 large sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
Crumble Topping
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9" x 13" baking dish.
- Add the peeled and cubed sweet potatoes to a large pot water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and cool. Mash the sweet potatoes.
- Mix together all the filling ingredients (butter, mashed sweet potatoes, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, and beaten eggs) in a large bowl. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
- To make the topping, combine the flour, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, melted butter, and salt in a medium bowl and toss together with a fork until moist and the mixture clumps together. Stir in the pecans.
- Spread the mixture over the top of the sweet potato filling in an even layer. Bake until mostly set in the center and golden on top, about 25-30 minutes. Serve hot.
This looks AMAZING and I can’t wait to try it!!
Author
Thank you, Hannah! I hope you enjoy it:)