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Yummy Sweet Potato Casserole

This Yummy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping is our family’s favorite and most requested side dish during the holidays. It’s a classic recipe and super easy to make ahead.

Sweet Potato Casserole with Crunch Pecan Topping image with text overlay

Most years for Thanksgiving we have made the long trip (by car) from our home in Georgia to my husband’s family in Wisconsin to enjoy a week with them and of course, have Thanksgiving dinner.  It’s a most enjoyable time for all filled with laughs, memory-making moments, and delicious food.  

My wonderful Mother-in-law makes an out of this world Sweet Potato casserole that my pickiest daughter loves.  My Mother-in-law shared her recipe with me and it will be part of our meal this year as we aren’t able to go to their house. A few other of her recipes make appearance on our dinner time often, like her Chicken Divan casserole.

Can you this casserole ahead of time?

It’s an easy sweet potato casserole to make ahead of time and then just bake it while the turkey is resting. You can make the filling and topping, store each in its own container in the refrigerator, a day ahead of time. Then about 30 minutes before you’re ready to bake the casserole, pull it out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temp before baking. I like make sure the topping is still pretty chilled before adding it to the casserole so that it will not all just melt into the sweet potatoes. Bake as directed on recipe card.

pecan crumble topped sweet potato casserole

Ingredients

  • 13×9 inch baking dish (this one is perfect)
  • fresh sweet potatoes
  • white granulated sugar
  • eggs
  • salt
  • unsalted butter
  • milk
  • vanilla extract
  • light brown sugar
  • all-purpose flour
  • chopped pecans

How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

Step 1

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).  Grab a 13 x 9 inch casserole dish and lightly spray it with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Step 2

Peel, and cut the sweet potatoes in to even pieces, about an inch in size.

sweet potatoes on cutting board

Put sweet potato cubes in a large saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil and let cook over medium high heat until tender; drain and place potatoes in a large mixing bowl to mash. I use a handheld mixer to mash the sweet potatoes.

cut sweet potatoes in large pan of water

Step 3

Add to the sweet potatoes the white granulated sugar, eggs, salt, four tablespoons of softened butter, milk and vanilla. Mix until smooth.  Transfer to a 9×13 inch baking dish.

sweet potato mixture in baking dish ready for topping

Step 4

In medium bowl, mix the light brown sugar and flour. Cut in the three tablespoons of butter until the mixture is coarse crumbs. Stir in the pecans. 

pecan topping for sweet potato casserole

Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potato mixture.

casserole ready to bake

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly brown.

baked sweet potato casserole with pecan brown sugar topping

Tips, Tricks, and FAQs

  • Can I use canned sweet potatoes? No, using fresh sweet potatoes will provide the best results.
  • You can replace the pecans with walnuts, or even hazelnuts.
  • Swap out the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice to give it a little different flavor.
  • Use less sugar if you would like a more savory dish.
make ahead casserole for the holidays - sweet potato casserole

More Side Dishes to Enjoy:

make ahead casserole for the holidays - sweet potato casserole

Yummy Sweet Potato Casserole

This Yummy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping is our family's favorite and most requested side dish during the holidays. It's a classic recipe and super easy to make ahead.
5 from 2 votes
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Keyword: holidays, pecans, side dish, sweet potato, sweet potato casserole

Ingredients

  • 4 cups sweet potato peeled and cubed
  • 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Pecan Topping

  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).  Spray a 13×9 inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
  • Put sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with water to cover. Cook over medium high heat until tender; drain and mash.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk and vanilla. Mix until smooth. 
  • Transfer to a 9×13 inch baking dish.
  • In medium bowl, mix the sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse. Stir in the pecans. 
  • Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potato mixture.
  • Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly brown.

Notes

Tips, Tricks, and FAQs

  • Can I use canned sweet potatoes? No, using fresh sweet potatoes will provide the best results.
  • You can replace the pecans with walnuts, or even hazelnuts.
  • Swap out the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice to give it a little different flavor.
  • Use less sugar if you would like a more savory dish.

Nutritional Disclaimer

“Blogghetti” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

baked sweet potato casserole with pecan brown sugar topping
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12 Comments

  1. Yum! I’m all about planning ahead to make a holiday meal easier and this recipe is perfect. Thanks for all the tips to make it delicious.

  2. Have made this many tines, and it is a crowd favourite. I definitely use less sugar.

    Could it be made ahead and froze, with topping added once cooked?