Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans

Sweet potato casserole with sweet potatoes on the side

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans – Grace your table with this holiday delight filled with creamy sweet potatoes and warm spices - ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Topped with irresistible sweet and buttery pecan streusel for a fantastic finish. A family-friendly side dish that doubles as a dessert, too!

Course Dessert/Snack, Side Dish

Cuisine Southern

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 50

Servings - 12

Calories 389kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

3 lbs (1.3kg) sweet potatoes, cleaned
¼ cup (60 ml) milk
2 large eggs, room temperature
¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons (25 g) brown sugar
½ teaspoon (1.3 g) ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g )dried ground ginger
½ teaspoon (1.5 g) nutmeg
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
salt, to taste

Sweet Potato Casserole Topping

4 oz (112 g) pecans, chopped
½ cup ( 68 g) flour
½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) butter, melted
salt, to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Wash sweet potatoes and remove any blemishes or dark spots. Pierce each sweet potato several times with a fork. Then wrap them individually with aluminum foil.
Bake at 400°F for about 50 – 60 minutes or more or until a fork easily presses into the center. Let it cool slightly.
Once sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle – remove skin or scoop out sweet potatoes. Place in a large bowl.
Mash sweet potatoes with a potato masher or fork until smooth.
Then add milk, eggs, heavy cream, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and salt to taste. Whisk the mixture until smooth.
Chop the pecans or pulse in a food processor.
In a medium bowl mix together pecans, flour, brown sugar, butter, and salt until moisten and the mixture clumps together.
Spread sweet potato mixture into prepared baking dish.
Finally, add the pecan mixture over the top of the sweet potatoes in an even layer.
Bake until the top is slightly brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Notes

Aside from baking, you can also boil the sweet potatoes in a dutch oven with enough water to cover the surface of the potatoes and bring them to a boil. Do a fork testing to check if it's tender.
Use a metal potato masher to do the mashing. This yields a smoother result without any lumps. You can also use a fork if you don't have a potato masher available.
If you find your sweet potato mixture a little runny, you can cook it on low heat on a stovetop until the excess liquid evaporates. Then transfer and spread the mixture into the baking dish.
To make ahead, prepare the sweet potato mixture and tightly cover it with plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You can also prepare the topping mixture ahead in a separate bowl, cover, and refrigerate.
When ready to serve, take out the sweet potato mixture about 30 minutes before baking, then add the toppings and bake as directed.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition