Southern Sweet Potato Casserole

Loaded with creamy sweet potatoes and crumbly crunchy brown sugar-pecan topping, this Southern Sweet Potato Casserole does not disappoint.  It's a classic holiday side dish for a reason - because it's just plain good.
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At our house, nothing says Thanksgiving like this classic Southern Sweet Potato Casserole.

There's just something special about this dish's creamy sweet potato interior, topped with it's crumbly crunchy pecan-brown sugar topping.  It's a classic flavor combination that screams Southern fall deliciousness.

The ingredients in this tasty casserole are actually quite humble.  There's nothing fancy here -- just basic, everyday ingredients that, aside from the sweet potatoes, most people probably have hanging around in their pantries.

There's just something special about this dish's creamy sweet potato interior, topped with it's crumbly crunchy pecan-brown sugar topping.

But when those basic humble ingredients come together to create this Southern Sweet Potato Casserole?  It's pure sweet potato deliciousness whose flavor far exceeds what one would expect from such humble beginnings.

It's a side dish absolutely worthy of standing beside that beautifully roasted turkey and gracing that holiday table.  Just as it has in our family for many years past, and will for many more years to come.

While the creamy sweet potato interior of this casserole is indeed humble in it's simplicity, there is a little more to it than just mashing up some cooked sweet potatoes.

To give the Southern Sweet Potato Casserole its fabulous flavor, the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes is enhanced with sugar and a generous dose of vanilla extract.  A full tablespoon of vanilla extract, to be exact.

A tablespoon of vanilla may sound like a lot, but it truly pairs beautifully with the sweet potatoes to bring wonderful depth of flavor.  When you take a bite of the Sweet Potato Casserole, you won't think, "Oh, I taste vanilla." -- It'll be more that the creamy sweet potatoes just taste goooood.

To give the Southern Sweet Potato Casserole its fabulous flavor, the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes is enhanced with sugar and a generous dose of vanilla extract.

I use less granulated sugar in this recipe than many other Southern Sweet Potato Casserole recipes call for -- half the amount, actually.  I find 1/2 cup sugar to be plenty to give a nice amount of sweetness to the sweet potatoes without becoming too over-the-top sweet.  If you prefer yours sweeter, however, increase the sugar to 3/4 or 1 full cup, if you'd like.

Then butter brings richness and creaminess to the mix.

And the last filling ingredient -- eggs -- brings lightness and fluffiness.  The eggs give a little "lift" to the sweet potato mixture, which creates fluffiness in the texture instead of yielding dense, heavy sweet potato filling.

See? -- No fancy ingredients in that sweet potato filling.  Just sweet potatoes, sugar, vanilla, butter, and eggs.

Once these ingredients are placed together in a mixing bowl, beat them with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes until the mixture is fairly smooth.  You can use a hand mixer or stand mixer -- either one works great.

It's a Southern classic that may be humble in its ingredients, but is huge in its taste.

As you beat the mixture, strings from the sweet potatoes may gather on the beaters.  This is a good thing.  Some sweet potatoes can have a bit of stringy-ness to their texture, and removing that stringy-ness from the casserole filling will create a smoother, creamier sweet potato casserole. 

Just let those strings gather on the beaters, and leave them there.  Don't scrape them back into the sweet potato mixture.

Once the sweet potato filling is mixed, spoon it into a greased casserole dish.

Then, prepare the crumbly, crunchy pecan topping.

Just like the sweet potato filling, the pecan topping is made with pretty straightforward basic ingredients -- pecans, brown sugar, flour, and butter. 

Place the chopped pecans, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, and softened butter in a small mixing bowl.

Using a fork, stir and blend everything together until the mixture forms large crumbs.  You don't want to mash everything together into a paste. -- You want to stop mixing before that point, and achieve a crumb texture.

Sprinkle the pecan-brown sugar crumb topping evenly over the sweet potatoes in the casserole dish.

Then pop the casserole in the oven and bake it up until the sweet potatoes are heated through, and the topping is a deep golden brown.

Then get ready to dive in through that beautiful pecan topping to reveal the creamy sweet potato deliciousness below.

And deliciousness it is, indeed.

Because there's just something special about Southern Sweet Potato Casserole's combination of creamy sweet potato interior and crumbly crunchy pecan-brown sugar topping.  It's a Southern classic that may be humble in its ingredients, but is huge in its taste.

Enjoy!

Check out these other vegetable casserole favorites:

• Creamy Broccoli Casserole
• Broccoli-Rice Casserole
• Broccoli & Stuffing Casserole
• Corn Pudding
• Glazed Sweet Potato Coins
• Creamed Pearl Onion Gratin
• Cheesy Fiesta Corn Casserole
• Green Bean Casserole
• Crock Pot Green Bean Casserole
• Southern Vidalia Onion Casserole
• More side dishes

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sweet potato casserole recipe, Southern sweet potato casserole recipe, sweet potato casserole with pecan topping, Thanksgiving side dishes

Side Dishes

Southern

Yield: about 12-14 servings

Author: Tracey | The Kitchen is My Playground

Southern Sweet Potato Casserole

Loaded with creamy sweet potatoes and crumbly brown sugar-pecan topping, this Southern Sweet Potato Casserole does not disappoint. It's a classic holiday side dish for a reason - because it's just plain good.

prep time: 25 Mcook time: 30 Mtotal time: 55 M

ingredients:

For the Sweet Potato Mixture:

• 5 or 6 large sweet potatoes, cooked*
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c. butter, softened
• 1 T. vanilla extract

For the Topping:

• 3/4 c. brown sugar
• 3/4 c. chopped pecans
• 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/3 c. butter, softened

instructions:

How to cook Southern Sweet Potato Casserole

Prepare the Sweet Potato Mixture:

1. Place cooked sweet potato pulp, sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
2. Beat with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes until fairly smooth.
3. Spoon into a greased 2-quart casserole  dish.

Prepare the Topping & Bake:

1. Place brown sugar, chopped pecans, flour, and butter in a small mixing bowl.
2. Mix with a fork until topping is blended together into large crumbs.
3. Sprinkle topping evenly over the sweet potato mixture.
4. Bake at 350℉ for 30 minutes until heated through.

TRACEY'S NOTES:

1. *I cook my sweet potatoes in the microwave: Rinse unpeeled sweet potatoes and wrap each potato, while still wet, in a paper towel. Microwave until soft, about 8-15 minutes depending on the size of the sweet potatoes. When soft and cool enough to handle, cut in half and scoop out the pulp.
2. If you'd rather cook your sweet potatoes on the stove top: Place sweet potatoes in a pot and add water to just cover potatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and boil gently until potatoes are fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Peel while potatoes are still warm.
3. This casserole can be prepared in advance -- it reheats and freezes well.  Add 15 minutes to the baking time to account for the potatoes starting cold.  If frozen, thaw before baking.

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You might also like these other tasty vegetable casseroles:

Creamy Broccoli Casserole

Cheesy Fiesta Corn Casserole

Broccoli-Rice Casserole

Classic Green Bean Casserole

Corn Pudding

Butternut Squash Gratin

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