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My Version of Sweet Potato Casserole
I grew up eating and enjoying sweet potatoes. Often, Mom would bake them, and we would eat them with butter, maybe brown sugar, and nothing else. A sweet potato does not need many ingredients added to be delicious. Sweet potatoes are, yes, sweet, but also have a depth of flavor that is not always there with regular white potatoes.
Once in a while, we indulge in making sweet potatoes into a casserole. The trick is to make sure the sugar added does not overpower the sweet potatoes, and the spice adds just enough warmth but allows the flavor of the potatoes to come through.
This casserole is simple. Potatoes are cooked in pieces and added directly to a casserole dish. No mashing is required. Brown sugar, maple syrup, flour, and butter are sprinkled over the potatoes. Heavy cream is poured over the top, and there’s a quick pecan streusel. No mixing, mashing, or combining is needed. After baking, a caramel-like sauce coats the potatoes, and the streusel becomes crisp. A perfect casserole!
Sweet Potato Casserole Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes are easy to find, and while there are often questions about yams versus sweet potatoes, yams are not commonly found in the United States. They are drier and have less flavor. Choose orange sweet potatoes for the best flavor and sweetness.
- Brown sugar adds a depth of flavor with a hint of molasses and helps create a caramel-like sauce.
- All-purpose flour will help thicken the sauce and give some structure.
- Maple syrup balances the sweetness and adds flavor. All granulated sugar can be too sweet.
- Heavy cream gives the base to a rich caramel sauce. The heavy cream can take the hot oven without curdling and will bind with the other ingredients to form a cohesive sauce.
The full amount of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole
Step 1: Prepare the sweet potatoes – Peel the sweet potatoes, slice off the ends and discard, and slice into ½-inch thick pieces. Take each resulting slice and cut it again into four additional pieces. Place all of the sliced sweet potatoes in a large stockpot, and add water until the potatoes are completely covered. Add the salt and place the stockpot over medium heat on the stove. Once fully cooked and a knife inserted meets only slight resistance, drain the sweet potatoes.
Step 2: Prepare the glaze – Add the drained sweet potatoes to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Spread them out into an even layer. Separately, in a bowl, add the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, and salt. Mix these three ingredients together to break up the brown sugar. Sprinkle this mixture over the top of the sweet potatoes in the baking dish. Also, pour on the maple syrup and heavy cream, making sure to evenly distribute each sauce over the potatoes.
Step 3: Prepare the streusel topping – Chop the roasted pecans into small pieces. Once chopped, add the pecans to a bowl and add the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Mix all of the ingredients together. Cut the butter into small chunks and add it to the pecan mixture, working it together with thumb and forefinger until the mixture holds together when made into a fist. Then sprinkle the mixture on top of the sweet potatoes in the baking dish.
Step 4: Bake the sweet potato casserole – Place the sweet potato casserole in the 350°F oven and bake for 55-60 minutes. Once it is baked and browned, remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly before serving.
Recipe Tips
- When cooking the sweet potatoes, start with cold water in the stockpot. This will ensure that the sweet potatoes cook evenly. If you start with hot water, even heating does not occur.
- Since the sweet potatoes will be cooked in the oven once they’re added to the baking dish, you do not need to cook them as long as you would for mashed potatoes. When a knife meets only slight resistance when inserted in the middle of the sweet potato, the sweet potatoes are ready to be removed from the heat and drained.
- While you do not need to be particular when adding the flour mixture, maple syrup, and heavy cream, do make sure to be somewhat even with the distribution. While the casserole is baking, the glaze will form and move around the bottom of the baking dish, but it’s always a good idea to start out with an even mixture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, I love to leave peels on. This is a personal preference and will not affect the casserole or flavor; it will impact the texture.
Yes, this casserole can be assembled the day before and stored in the refrigerator. Before serving, bake as the recipe states, adding 10-15 minutes for the cold temperature of the casserole.
This is a sweet-style casserole, not as sweet as marshmallow-topped casseroles. To reduce the sweetness, brown sugar can be omitted, using only maple syrup.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
- Apple and sausage cornbread stuffing
- Stuffed acorn squash casserole
- Easy slow cooker stuffing
- Corn spoon bread
- Grandma Alice’s mashed potatoes
- Roasted carrots with dates and pistachios
- Spiced butternut squash with tahini sauce
- Herb and cheese popovers
- The best buttermilk biscuits
- Honey oat dinner rolls
- Butterhorns
Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?
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Easy Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
For the potatoes
- 5 lb sweet potatoes peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 3 ½ tbsp all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 cup heavy cream
For the pecan streusel
- 1 ½ cups chopped toasted pecans
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter cut into ½-inch cubes
Instructions
- Place the peeled and chopped potatoes in a large stockpot and fill with cold water and 1 tbsp salt, covering the potatoes by 1 inch. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat, reduce it to a simmer, and cover. Cook the potatoes until they are tender but not mushy, 15-20 minutes. You want a slight texture since they will cook in the oven.5 lb sweet potatoes
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them and place in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the potatoes with brown sugar, flour, and salt. Pour over the maple syrup and heavy cream.3 ½ tbsp all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup light brown sugar, 1 tsp kosher salt, ½ cup maple syrup, 1 cup heavy cream
- In a small bowl, combine the chopped pecans, brown sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix to combine. Work the pieces of the butter into the dry mixture until it resembles coarse sand. Sprinkle the streusel over the prepared potatoes.1 ½ cups chopped toasted pecans, 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, ¼ cup light brown sugar, ½ tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground nutmeg, 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- Bake in the preheated oven until the liquid is bubbling throughout the center and the streusel is browned, 55-60 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
Made exactly per recipe for Thanksgiving dinner for 13. Perfect! Everyone loved it!
Makes a full 9×13 casserole, and there was plenty for everyone with leftovers for “to go” boxes.
Definitely will be making again.