Description
This Southern Sweet Potato Casserole is a creamy, comforting holiday side dish featuring mashed sweet potatoes sweetened with sugar and vanilla, topped with a crunchy pecan and brown sugar crumb topping. Perfectly balanced between smooth and crunchy textures, it’s a classic Southern recipe that’s easy to prepare and sure to impress at any family gathering or festive occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Potato Mixture
- 5 or 6 large sweet potatoes, cooked
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Topping
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup butter, softened
Instructions
- Prepare Sweet Potatoes: Cook the sweet potatoes until soft by microwaving them wrapped in a damp paper towel for 8-15 minutes depending on size, or boil on the stovetop in water until fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Let cool, then cut in half and scoop out the pulp.
- Mix Sweet Potato Base: Place the cooked sweet potato pulp, granulated sugar, eggs, softened butter, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes until the mixture is fairly smooth.
- Assemble Base Layer: Spoon the sweet potato mixture into a greased 2-quart casserole dish, spreading evenly.
- Prepare Topping: In a small mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, chopped pecans, all-purpose flour, and softened butter. Mix with a fork until the mixture forms large crumbly topping pieces.
- Add Topping: Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the sweet potato mixture in the casserole dish.
- Bake: Bake the casserole in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 30 minutes until heated through and the topping is golden and set. If baking from refrigerated or frozen, add approximately 15 minutes to baking time; if frozen, thaw before baking.
Notes
- This casserole can be prepared ahead of time and reheated or frozen for convenience.
- The microwaving method for cooking sweet potatoes is quick and easy, but stovetop boiling works well too.
- Adding extra baking time is necessary if starting with cold or frozen sweet potatoes to ensure thorough heating.
- The pecan topping adds a delightful crunchy contrast to the creamy sweet potato base, making it a beloved Southern holiday classic.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12 of recipe (about 1/2 cup)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 85mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
