Sweet Potato Casserole With Pecan Topping Recipe

Author:

Maria is a master of public health and a master gardener. She and her husband, known as The Gardener & The Cook, live in coastal Alabama.

Sweet potato casserole with pecan topping
Maria Logan Montgomery

Sweet potatoes are a Southern staple. They’re popular year-round but are especially popular and plentiful in autumn when they are in season locally. We enjoy sweet potato fries and baked sweet potatoes, but sweet potato casserole is a real treat. In fact, it is almost like dessert.

Old Family Recipe

This is a recipe that has been in my family for decades. I have tweaked it a bit to make reduce the fat and sugar content. My mom included shredded pineapple, but I don’t.

We have it every Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is one of the first things to disappear, while there are plenty of other leftovers for days afterward.

This Recipe Makes Enough for a Crowd, But It Can Be Halved

This recipe is for a crowd, but it can be halved for fewer people, or even quartered for two to six people.

Whenever I make it for just the two of us, I halve or quarter the ingredients, then bake it in two or three small casserole dishes. We can have one for dinner, and freeze the others for another time.

Here’s one of the smaller dishes headed for our freezer. It will be taken out and baked one night when we don’t want to cook.
Maria Logan Montgomery

"This recipe can be made a day or two ahead and refrigerated. It will take longer to cook if it’s still cold when it goes into the oven."

— Maria

I grew sweet potatoes during the summer of 2020. When we harvested them that fall, we found this comical one. It gave us a good laugh.
Maria Logan Montgomery

Step 1: Make the Potato Mixture

Ingredients

6 large boiled sweet potatoes
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened (we use vegan butter)
1/4 cup skim milk (we use almond milk)
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
nutmeg to taste
3 eggs, beaten (or egg substitute)

Instructions

Peel the potatoes and cut them into small pieces, then boil until soft.
Combine the cooked potatoes, butter, and sugar using an electric mixer, and mix until well blended.
Add the milk, orange juice, and salt. Mix on medium-high until well blended.
Adjust seasonings to taste (we like lots of nutmeg).
Add beaten eggs. Mix well, and pour into the baking dish.
Add topping (see recipe below).
Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, or until set.

The potato mixture, ready for the topping. Then it goes into the oven.
Maria Logan Montgomery

Step 2: Make the Topping, Assemble, and Bake

This topping can also be used on pecan encrusted fish, particularly grouper, tilapia, or halibut. We tried it on grouper — it was heavenly.

Ingredients

3/4 stick unsalted softened butter (vegan butter works very well)
2 cups brown sugar
1/8 cup all-purpose flour or arrowroot (optional, for thickening)
water, if mixture is too thick
2 cups finely chopped pecans

Instructions

Melt the butter in a saucepan.
Add the brown sugar and flour. Stir until the mixture is well blended.
If the mixture is too thick, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
Add pecans and mix well.
Pour topping over the sweet potato mixture, and spread to cover the entire casserole.
Bake according to casserole directions above.

Sweet potato casserole baked and ready to serve
Maria Logan Montgomery

Your Comments Are Always Welcome

MariaMontgomery (author) from Coastal Alabama, USA on October 20, 2021:

I don't envy you moving. We moved almost 2 years ago, and I still can't find some things. Enjoy the holidays with your in-laws, and I know you will love your new home. If you make this recipe for your family, I hope you enjoy it.

Liza from USA on October 20, 2021:

Maria, I am sure it is delicious with pineapple. I guess people always have their choices what to like, especially foods :) I hope I will have a chance to make this holiday. I'm busy with moving some stuff out from my house including all my dishes. So, not looking forward to doing that. LOL. While waiting for my new house to be done, I'm staying with my in-laws, perhaps I can make the dish with them for the holidays.