Does Sweet Potato Casserole qualify as a vegetable? (Does anybody really care?) If you have concerns about a vegetable dish that could pass as dessert, I hear you, and offer this version of the old favorite. It’s sweet but not shameless – not a marshmallow in sight, and even though the streusel topping is brown-sugar-y and buttery and sprinkled with toasted pecans, the filling is restrained. Barely sweetened, the flavor of the sweet potato enhanced but not masked.
The pecan streusel topping gets crispy and crunchy in the oven. Underneath, the sweet potato filling is soft and silky smooth. And such a brilliant, beautiful orange, it will light up the plate next to your Thanksgiving turkey.
Make this Sweet Potato Casserole in a dish that’s oven proof but pretty enough for the table. You definitely don’t want to disturb the topping by transferring the casserole from the baking dish to a serving bowl. I received the dish I used here as a wedding gift and I love it for this. The dish itself is clear glass, but when it comes out of the oven, it nestles into a silver sleeve that not only looks special but also gives you cool handles for picking up and passing at the table. If you don’t have something like this, and you’re not serving buffet-style, try parking the casserole near the center of the table (on a trivet) and enlisting the people sitting closest to it to serve their neighbors.
Making this ahead and what to do with leftovers:
- Cook the sweet potatoes, make the topping, and assemble the dish early in the day or even the day before, and store it covered in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature before baking, or if you’re baking it cold, add 10 minutes or so to the cooking time, and test the temperature in the center of the dish before serving to make sure it’s hot all the way through.
- Since Sweet Potato Casserole takes 35 minutes to bake, and a turkey needs to rest for at least that long before carving, this is the perfect Thanksgiving side. Slide it into the oven as soon as the turkey comes out and it will be hot and crispy-topped just in time for serving.
- If you’re a guest at someone else’s house (not this year, but next?) and you want to bring this dish, bake it at home up to 2 hours in advance and let it cool to room temperature. When you get to the host’s house, you can warm it up in his or her oven while the turkey rests. (Always check with your host in advance if you’re going to be bringing something that needs oven time. We all know how precious oven real estate is when making a holiday dinner.)
- Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave and – you may think I’m weird – they’re great for breakfast. The topping will soften in the microwave, but it will still taste great. Leftovers will keep for up to 5 days.
Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds sweet potatoes
- Kosher salt
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided, plus additional for the pan
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
Directions
- Step 1 Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Step 2 Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into large chunks (roughly 3 inches, no need to be exact but try to make all the pieces about the same size so they’ll cook uniformly). Put the sweet potatoes in a medium pot and fill it with cold water to just cover the sweet potatoes. Add a large pinch of kosher salt. Place the pot over high heat and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-high and cook the sweet potatoes at a gentle boil for 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces of sweet potato. They’re done when the sweet potatoes feel soft all the way through when pierced with a fork.
- Step 3 While the sweet potatoes are cooking, prepare the topping. Combine the brown sugar and flour in a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and rub the mixture together with your fingers until the butter is incorporated and the mixture forms into loose clumps. Toss in the pecans. Set the topping aside.
- Step 4 Generously butter a 1½ quart baking dish. Set it aside.
- Step 5 Put the remaining 4 tablespoons of softened butter in a large bowl. Drain the sweet potatoes into a colander, shake off any excess liquid, then dump them into the bowl with the butter. Beat on low speed with a hand-held mixer, until the sweet potatoes are broken down and the butter is melted and incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the sweet potatoes are smooth and lump-free.
- Step 6 Beat in the granulated sugar. Add the milk, vanilla, and kosher salt (½ teaspoon if using Diamond Crystal brand, or ¼ teaspoon of Morton’s). Beat until these ingredients are incorporated. Add the egg and beat until combined.
- Step 7 Spoon the sweet potato mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the topping over the sweet potatoes in an even layer.
- Step 8 Bake for 35 minutes.
