Sweet Potato Pecan Casserole

In keeping with our series featuring deep dishes that are cooked slowly in the oven, we bring to you a gem of a dish featuring sweet potatoes & chopped pecans.

Casserole time!

Casseroles are the ultimate in comfort food. Thus, they are highly desired. It’s great when we can incorporate them into our recipes – and make them the star of the show!

Incorporating healthy ingredients

Sweet potatoes are nutritiously rich! They are chock full of vitamins A & C and manganese. Plus, they taste amazing! What’s not to love?

Why sweet potatoes?

Per Healthline, sweet potatoes have anticancer properties and promote immune function in addition to having other health benefits. As a bonus, these sweet and starchy root vegetables are grown around the world, so they are easy to find in local grocery stores.

Enough health talk, let’s jump to the recipe:

Sweet potato pecan casserole recipe Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes (precook and mash them)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon finely ground sea salt or fine table salt
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (plus more needed for topping – see below)
• 2 large beaten eggs
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping:

• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 3 Tablespoons melted butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square casserole. Set it aside. In a large bowl, beat the mashed sweet potatoes, granulated sugar, sea salt, and 3 Tablespoons softened butter until smooth. In another large bowl, combine beaten eggs and milk, then fold in the potato mixture. Add vanilla extract and continue folding until the extract is well incorporated. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish. For topping:  In another bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, and pecans and mix until evenly distributed. Then add the 3 Tablespoons melted butter. Toss with a fork to form a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle crumb mixture over top of sweet potatoes. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 35 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Makes 4 servings.

Serving suggestions:

This sweet potato pecan casserole can accompany any meat or fish dish and be served with your favorite green salad. Enjoy this basic recipe? To jump to an AMAC main meal casserole, click here.