Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe with Pecan Topping

Sweet Potato Casserole is a favorite family recipe that compliments any holiday menu. Sweet potatoes are a staple for the holidays, and man oh man, is Sweet Potato Casserole an absolute must for the holiday menu. This classic holiday favorite begins with roasted sweet potatoes topped with a buttery brown sugar pecan topping.

Sweet Potato Casserole practically screams Thanksgiving, alongside the turkey and gravy, of course. It’s a staple on every Thanksgiving dinner table, and Christmas too. It fits in great right next to a lovely cornucopia and is downright delicious. Plus, this Sweet Potato Casserole recipe is an easy peasy side dish recipe, and a great vegetarian option if you do happen to have a couple of herbivores at your table.

This Sweet Potato Casserole recipe version is topped with crunchy candied pecans. Oh my word! The topping is phenomenal and hard to resist, so it’s best to keep an eye out for those sneaky pecan pickers before dinnertime. We have a whole gang of pecan lovers in our family that this pecan topping is a temptation for, and rightly so. The pecan topping could be a dessert all by itself.

How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

Sweet Potato Casserole is a super easy recipe and can prepped ahead of time by a day or two, then baked before serving. If prepping ahead of time, I would keep the pecan topping separate, then add it just before baking.

As I said, prep is a cinch. This recipe starts with roasting the sweet potatoes. It’s quick and easy and so much better than canned sweet potatoes that have syrup added. Be sure to follow the free printable detailed recipe at the bottom of this post.

Ingredients for Sweet Potato Casserole

• sweet potatoes
• olive oil
• brown sugar
• eggs
• whole milk
• butter
• vanilla extract
• cinnamon
• salt

For the pecan topping:

• butter
• brown sugar
• cinnamon
• chopped pecans

Instructions for Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

1. Begin by preheating the oven to 400-degrees F. Butter a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (Baking parchment is something we use all the time. Seriously, there is hardly a day I don’t use it. I wouldn’t bake without it!)
2. Start with roasting the sweet potatoes. Cut the sweet potatoes in half, lengthwise. Coat sweet potatoes on all sides with olive oil and place cut side down on the parchment lined baking sheet. Roast at 400-degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until fork tender. Once the potatoes are out of the oven, carefully remove the skins. Careful, they are hot potatoes! Place the peeled sweet potatoes in a bowl and mash thoroughly. Set aside and move on to the rest of the casserole mixture. 
3. Reduce the oven temperature to 375-degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the brown sugar and eggs. Next, beat in the milk, melted butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt. Add the mashed sweet potatoes and mix it all up! Spread this mixture evenly in the buttered casserole dish.
4. Combine the topping ingredients in a separate bowl and spread this mixture evenly over the sweet potatoes. Bake for 30 minutes at 375-degrees F, serve warm, and enjoy! I know you will.

I’m telling you, even if you’re not a sweet potato fan, I think this Sweet Potato Casserole may just win you over. Try it and let me know.

More delicious casserole recipes to add to your holiday menus:

• Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole Recipe  
• Cauliflower Cheese Casserole Recipe 
• Cheese Broccoli Casserole Recipe 
• Overnight French Toast Casserole Recipe 

Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

Originally published November 13, 2017.