Loaded Sweet Potato Casserole
Because you might as well go with the ultimate version.
My mom makes sweet potato casserole one way and one way only – with smooth sweet potatoes straight out of a can, topped with big fluffy marshmallows that are baked until they’ve started to brown and release some of their sugary goodness to the potatoes below. My grandma favors a crunchy streusel topping and my mother-in-law always goes with a glazed pecan kind of situation. They’re all amazing in their own right… but I got to thinking, why can’t we have it all? Why can’t we have a sweet potato casserole with a topping that’s all at once fluffy and crunchy and sticky and sweet?
We can, and it’s this Loaded Sweet Potato Casserole that’s jam-packed with all the best toppings. (And a special little filling too.)
I mean… just look at that! It has literally everything you could want from a sweet potato casserole. Here’s how it goes:
You start by peeling and cubing some sweet potatoes…
And then boiling them until they’re nice and tender so they mash up easy. (But you could absolutely use canned, just like my mom does.)
To them, you add some butter, some brown sugar, some eggs, some cream, and some vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. (After all, you want to make sure these are flavor-full!)
You spread half of those lovely potatoes in a casserole dish and top them with a mixture of butter, flour, cinnamon, and brown sugar. (Because we wouldn’t want your tastebuds to get bored halfway through a bite.) The rest of the potatoes go on top.
And then the magic begins.
Pecans that have been tossed in butter and brown sugar get arranged across the top, followed by some little baby marshmallows. Those toppings are topped by more of that cinnamon mixture you used for the filling…
And they bake until they’re crispy and crunchy and sweet and everything you could ever want on top of a sweet potato.
With its sweet, soft, and creamy nature, sweet potato casserole is easy to love. But if you’re only going to have it once or twice a year, you might as well go all out. This ultimate version lets you do just that – it’s the best of every version of sweet potato casserole all wrapped up into one.
Loaded Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup pecans
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- For the cinnamon filling:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 cup brown sugar
- For the pecan topping:
- 1 cup pecans
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet and roast for just a few minutes, watching closely so they don't burn. Let cool and chop them roughly.
- Add sweet potatoes to a large pan and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, mash until smooth, and set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, make the cinnamon filling: Mix together the softened butter, 1 cup flour, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and 1 cup brown sugar until a crumbly mixture forms. Set aside.
- Next, make the pecan topping: In a small bowl, mix together 1 cup of the pecans, 2 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and the 1/4 cup melted butter. Set aside.
- To the cooled and mashed potatoes, add the 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 cup pecans, eggs, cream, butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Spread half of the sweet potato mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the cinnamon filling mixture, followed by the remaining sweet potatoes.
- Smooth with a spatula and top with the pecan filling mixture, followed by the mini marshmallows and the remaining cinnamon filling mixture.
- Bake until the top has browned and the filling is hot, about 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Sweet and Savory Meals.