The BEST Sweet Potato Casserole

Okay, just a heads up: you’re going to want to save this recipe and make it for Christmas dinner.

I promise. Do yourself a favor, and MAKE. THIS. RECIPE. It doesn’t matter what the occasion, but I’m telling you…YOU NEED THIS IN YOUR LIFE.

Time for a quick story. Last weekend, I had the pleasure of hosting two couples for a Friendsgiving dinner. Everyone brought a few dishes. Cheesy mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, corn bread, a decadent carrot cake…

A beautiful roasted chicken…

I contributed three dishes: a harvest salad – which honestly was terrific, I’m going to post the recipe next week. Your classic green bean casserole with the crunchy french fried onion rings on top.

And then….the belle of the ball….the sweet potato casserole.

Now. When I tell you that every single person asked for the recipe, that is how good it is. When I tell you that it was the ONLY dish without leftovers, I am not kidding.

Here’s the thing. You hear sweet potato casserole, and you think: canned yams with a cloying amount of sugar, and a thick layer of puffy, stick-to-your-teeth marshmallows.

No, no, no, my friends. Not knocking that childhood favorite — it certainly has a time and place.

But this sweet potato casserole is it’s grown up, sophisticated aunt that wears Chanel and effortlessly pulls off a winter white ensemble while sipping expensive red wine.

It is, chic. And dare I say, even more delicious than its marshmallow cousin…and somehow just as sweet.

Introducing, The BEST Sweet Potato Casserole.

Unfortunately, I only have one good photo. I hate to admit it, but I drastically underestimated how much of a hit this was going to be. And so as a result, I only took one photo (to send to my mother haha). Little did I know it was going to be “blog worthy!”

But I promise…your Christmas table is begging for this dish. Plus it would go phenomenally with a traditional Christmas ham!

Here’s What You Need: (Makes 8 servings)

Filling:
1/2 stick salted butter, melted (plus more to butter the baking dish)
3 sweet potatoes + 1 Japanese sweet potato peeled and cubed
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature

Topping (aka the best part)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (GF option: gluten free AP flour, OR almond flour)
1/2 cup brown sugar
5 tbsp salted butter, melted
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Tools:
8×8 brownie pan or 2-quart baking dish
Food processor
Mixing bowl
Colander
Large stock pot
Good Chef’s Knife
Potato Peeler

Directions:
Peel and cube your sweet potatoes. Add them to a large pot of salted water. Bring it to a rapid boil over high heat. Then, reduce to a simmer, and let cook – partially covered – until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Drain them in a colander and let cool completely. Mash once they are cool. (It’s important that they are cooled because it makes the casserole have that “cookie dough” texture. If you mash them while they’re still hot, the steam will make them have a watery consistency.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter your baking dish. I used a nonstick brownie pan – which I also buttered – and it worked great!

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the butter, milk, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and cinnamon. Once those are completely smooth, mix in your sweet potatoes.

You can use either a hand mixer, or a food processor. I used the food processor, and it worked like a dream!

Then, transfer the sweet potatoes to your buttered baking dish.

To make the topping, combine the flour, brown sugar, melted butter and salt in a bowl until it resembles wet sand and clumps together. Stir in the pecans. Spread this mixture evenly over the sweet potatoes.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until the center is mostly set and the top is golden brown.

Serve hot. Or enjoy cold leftovers the next day!

So here’s the deal. This dish is amazing. It’s a side dish, but really, it’s a dessert.

If you watch carefully, your guests will keep going back, and going back, and going back for “just one more spoonful.”

It’s perfectly sweet — not over-the-top, but rather, just kissed with sweetness.

And the texture is next level. It’s not wet and mushy like your normal sweet potato casseroles of Christmases past. No. It thick – almost like a cookie dough. And it maintains its shape. And there’s one secret reason for that: the Japanese sweet potato.

You see, there are several different varieties of sweet potatoes — from yams, to purple sweet potatoes, to Japanese sweet potatoes.

Well, Japanese sweet potatoes have a much drier, starchier, and firmer flesh. They’re white in color, and they are actually sweeter than normal sweet potatoes with almost a nutty flavor.

So I added one of those in with the “regular” sweet potatoes, because you will still get that classic bright orange color, but will get the benefit the extra starchy and firm flesh.

Finally, the topping. OHHHH THE TOPPING! Let’s be honest, this is the best part. This is the show stealer. The glitter on top. The star of the whole shebang. And here’s the best part: this recipe doesn’t skimp on the topping. You know how in a cobbler with streusel topping, there’s never enough streusel? Well not to fear in this casserole. The ratio of streusel-to-filling is made for the us topping lovers.

It’s buttery, it’s nutty, it’s sweet, it’s crunchy, and it’s the perfect compliment to the delicious sweet potatoes.

Have I sold you yet?!

OH – and to make this gluten free, which it is, minus the topping….I have an equally delicious topping for you, that I enjoyed on mine! And it’s so simple! In your food processor, add: 5 dates, 1/2 cup pecans, a pinch of salt, and 1 tsp pure vanilla extract. Pulse until it resembles little pebbles, and then with your hands, squish it together to form little clumps that you can then spread on top of the sweet potatoes. It is amazing, and to be honest, I ate the entire batch of date mixture throughout the course of the night! hah!

So okay — do yourself a favor and MAKE THIS DISH. Make it tonight. Make it this weekend. Make it for Christmas. Make it and freeze it so you can eat it when the craving strikes. I promise, you will thank me later. Hahah

And one last thing! If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen me post a new video for the Onyx Youth Magnet Mask! Back three years ago, I made another video for them that went VIRAL! It got over 30 MILLION VIEWS!

Anywho – they asked me to create another video for them, and I was more than happy to! And this time, they’ve offered my readers a SWEET deal: when you use my code: “Beauty20” at checkout, you get 20% OFF your purchase! It’s such a fun mask — and it makes my skin SUPER moisturized. So check that out if you need a stocking stuffer or a gift for the skincare lover in your life! Chances are, they will have seen the video from 3 years ago! hahah (I still get emails about it!)

So there you go! I’m so excited to hear how you like this recipe! If you do end up making it, let me know how it goes! Even tag me in your photo on Instagram and I’ll repost it! My handle is @beauty.beyond.bones !

Have an amazing night, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow!!

Hugs,
Caralyn

“This is what the Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.” Ez 37:5

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