Who doesn’t love sweet potato casserole? We serve it as a vegetable side, but let’s be honest, it’s rich and sweet like dessert. I’ve been perfecting my sweet potato recipe for the past 34 years. It’s evolved into my family’s favorite and most requested holiday recipe. No matter how I wish to change the holiday menu, this sweet potato has cemented its spot at Thanksgiving.
This recipe is isn’t difficult to make and it’s very forgiving, but I have a few tips for a perfect sweet potato casserole every time:
1) ROAST, DON’T BOIL Roasting concentrates the flavors and sugars in the potato resulting in deeper flavor and richer color. Boiling cooks the potatoes, but leaves them too soggy and bland for me.
2) DON’T PUREE OR OVER MASH While you want a creamy mash texture, you don’t want baby food. Mash and mix just to combine with a potato masher or hand beaters, don’t use a food processor or mill.
3) DON’T OMIT THE EGG You need a binder to bring it all together. Additionally, the egg adds a luxurious richness without making it heavy.
4) LET IT REST The casserole comes out of the oven bubbling and piping hot. It needs to set and for the topping to dry up a bit. Just 10-20 minutes will do and I guarantee you it will still be hot when you dig in.
MAKING THE SWEET POTATO BASE
Roast the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet in the middle rack at 350°F until fork tender, about one hour. Remember to pierce each one or they could burst in the oven. Been there, done that! Test by inserting a fork or knife in the center. If the tester goes in and out without resistance, it’s done. If you have resistance, check back every 15 minutes until you don’t. Take them out of the oven and allow them to cool. Remove skin and coarsely mash together with butter, white sugar, brown sugar, kosher salt, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. If using a hand held electric mixer, use a slow speed and don’t over mix.
In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, orange juice, vanilla extract and orange liqueur. Pour into potato mixture and combine with masher. Slowly mix in hot milk until it reaches the creamy consistency you desire. Taste and re-season, if needed. Pour into a buttered 9X13 deep casserole, spread evenly and set aside.
Note: Skim milk doesn’t work well in this recipe, it would be like adding water. If you don’t have whole milk, substitute with a little heavy whipping cream, half and half or evaporated milk.
MAKING THE CRUMB TOPPING
In a mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and kosher salt. Use a pastry cutter or a fork to cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Fold in chopped pecans.
Note: You could also use melted butter and wooden spoon to gently stir and coat all the flour with the butter. When all ingredients are incorporated, and mixture looks like crumbs, set it aside. Refrigerate if not using immediately. You don’t need to use a food processor.
Spread the crumb topping evenly over the potato casserole and sprinkle with mini marshmallows, if you like. Bake uncovered in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes or until base is bubbly and topping golden. Remove once baked and allow to rest for 10-20 minutes before serving. This recipe will yield 20 about portions or feed 10 savages. LOL.
MAKING AHEAD
You can prepare each component of the casserole a few days ahead and keep them separate. Place plastic wrap directly onto the potato mixture (so it doesn’t create a skin) and store the crumb topping in a plastic zip bag. Set only the potato casserole on the counter to remove the chill for 30 minutes before baking. Remove the plastic wrap, top and bake accordingly.
Best Ever Gourmet Sweet Potato Casserole
Truly this is hands down the best gourmet sweet potato casserole ever! Once you make this version, you won't make another. This sweet potato casserole is a staple at every Thanksgiving dinner and my most requested recipe.
Ingredients
SWEET POTATO BASE
- 10-12 large sweet potatoes
- ¾ stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated white sugar
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt prefer Diamond brand
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 eggs, room temperature slightly beaten
- ¼ cup orange juice substitute with zest ½ navel orange
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- 3 Tablespoons orange liqueur prefer Grand Marnier
- ½ cup hot whole milk substitute with ¼ cup of heavy cream
CRUMB TOPPING
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt prefer Diamond brand
- ¾ stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- optional: mini marshmallows (½-1 cup, per taste)
Instructions
SWEET POTATO BASE
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Preheat oven to 350°F and place oven rack in the center. Butter a 9X13 deep oven proof casserole and set aside.
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Roast the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet until fork tender, about one hour. Insert a fork or knife to test. If the tester goes in and out without resistance, it's done. If you have resistance, check back every 15 minutes until you don't.
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Remove from the oven and allow them to cool. Remove skin and combine with butter, white sugar, brown sugar, kosher salt, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Coarsely mash with a potato masher just to combined.
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In a separate bowl, whisk beaten eggs, orange juice, vanilla extract and orange liqueur. Pour into potato mixture and combine.
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Slowly mix in hot milk until it reaches the creamy consistency you desire. Taste and re-season, if needed. Pour and spread evenly into prepared 9X13 casserole. Set aside.
MAKING THE CRUMB TOPPING
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In a mixing bowl, whisk brown sugar, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and kosher salt.
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Use a pastry cutter or a fork to cut in the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is crumbly. Fold in chopped pecans. Refrigerate topping if not using immediately.
BAKING
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Spread the crumb topping evenly over the potato casserole and sprinkle with mini marshmallows, optional. Bake uncovered in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes or until base is bubbly and topping golden.
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Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10-20 minutes before serving. Yields about 20 portions.
Recipe Notes
MAKING AHEAD
You can prepare each component a few days ahead and keep them separate. Place plastic wrap directly onto the potato mixture (so it doesn’t create a skin) and store the crumb topping in a plastic zip bag. Thirty minutes before baking, set only the potato casserole on the counter to remove the chill. Remove plastic film, add crumb topping and marshmallows and bake accordingly. You could also roast the potatoes the day before to free up oven space on the big day. This dish is very easy to work with so any way you prep, it will work.
Note: You could also make the crumb topping with melted butter. Simply use a wooden spoon to gently stir and mix until you don’t see any flour. It should look crumbly. Refrigerate until ready to use so the butter firms up.
