Sweet Potato Holiday Classic (Printable)

Comforting sweet potato base paired with toasted marshmallows or pecan streusel topping.

# What You'll Need:

→ Sweet Potato Base

01 - 3.3 pounds peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
02 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
03 - 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk
04 - 1/3 cup light brown sugar
05 - 2 large eggs
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
08 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Topping Options

10 - 1 cup mini marshmallows
11 - 2/3 cup pecan halves or pieces
12 - 1/4 cup light brown sugar
13 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
14 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish.
02 - Place peeled sweet potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until fork-tender. Drain thoroughly.
03 - Mash the sweet potatoes until smooth. Incorporate butter, milk, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, mixing until creamy and uniform.
04 - Transfer the sweet potato mixture to the prepared dish and smooth the surface evenly.
05 - Evenly scatter mini marshmallows atop the sweet potatoes if using this topping.
06 - Combine pecans, brown sugar, flour, and melted butter until crumbly; sprinkle this mixture over the sweet potato layer.
07 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the topping is golden and the dish is heated through.
08 - If using marshmallows, continue baking uncovered until they puff and turn golden, monitoring carefully during the final minutes.
09 - Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like comfort but comes together in under an hour, leaving you time to handle everything else on your plate.
  • The creamy base and crispy topping give you two completely different textures in one spoonful, which is the whole point of a good casserole.
  • You can choose your own adventure with toppings, or live dangerously and do both.
02 -
  • Drain your sweet potatoes thoroughly after boiling, or you'll end up with a watery casserole that never sets properly—I learned this the hard way at a holiday dinner.
  • If your marshmallows start browning too quickly, tent the dish loosely with foil and lower the oven temperature by 10 degrees for the rest of the baking time.
03 -
  • Toast your pecans lightly in a dry skillet before chopping if you have five minutes—it wakes up their flavor and makes a real difference in the finished dish.
  • Use an oven thermometer to check your oven temperature; many run hot or cold, and this recipe is sensitive to getting baked properly.
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