Description
Not your grandma’s sweet potato casserole! This Easy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans is truly the easiest sweet potato casserole you’ll ever make – pure maple syrup & warming cinnamon are folded into the creamiest, fluffiest mashed sweet potatoes, & it’s finished with a simple pecan topping (candied pecans!) for a sweet & crunchy topping without any extra work.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1-inch dice
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
- 1 cup whole milk (or milk of choice)
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 cups chopped candied nuts
- for serving, as desired: maple syrup, butter, fresh herbs, etc.
Instructions
- Boil the sweet potatoes: Place the diced sweet potatoes in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven and cover with 8 cups cold water, or enough to completely submerge the sweet potatoes. Season with 2 tablespoons Kosher salt. Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover, cooking for 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender. Carefully strain, then return to the pot.
- Mash the sweet potatoes: Mash the sweet potatoes to your desired consistency. For extra creamy mashed sweet potatoes, add the boiled sweet potatoes to a food processor & puree. As you mash or puree, slowly add in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, and the milk. Alternate as you go – a little butter, then a little milk. Once the sweet potatoes have reached your desired consistency, stir in the maple syrup and ground cinnamon. Taste and season with additional salt, to taste. I add 1/2 teaspoon, taste, go from there.
- Assemble the cheater sweet potato casserole: Transfer the potatoes to a casserole dish or a serving dish. At this point, you can serve them immediately or transfer to a 200 degree F oven to keep them warm until you’re ready to serve. Just before serving, top with a drizzle of pure maple syrup, extra pats of butter, and a sprinkling of candied nuts. Enjoy!
Notes
- Storage: Leftover sweet potato casserole will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through. You can also freeze leftover sweet potato casserole. To freeze, transfer cooled sweet potato casserole to a freezer-safe container. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. You may need to or want to add extra milk/butter as you reheat previously-frozen mashed sweet potatoes to doctor up the texture.
- Alternate cooking methods: If you’re worried about space on the stovetop as you plan out your Thanksgiving dinner timeline, you can prep the mashed potatoes in a slow cooker or an Instant Pot.
- Slow Cooker Mashed Sweet Potatoes: Place the potatoes in the slow cooker, covering with 8 cups cold water (or enough to completely submerge the potatoes) & seasoning with 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Slow cook on high for 2-4 hours, until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender. Strain & mash according to Step 2 of Recipe Directions, above. Serve immediately or hold in the slow cooker, using its “Keep Warm” setting for up to 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Top with the candied pecan topping just before serving.
- Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes: Place sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot, covering with 8 cups cold water (or enough to completely submerge the potatoes) & seasoning with 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Cook with manual high pressure for 8 minutes. Let Instant Pot naturally release pressure for 2 minutes before carefully manually releasing the remaining pressure. Strain & mash according to Step 2 of Recipe Directions, above. Serve immediately or hold in the Instant Pot, using its “Keep Warm” setting for up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Top with the candied pecan topping just before serving.
- 10-Minute Meal Prep: Up to 5 days ahead of time, peel & dice the sweet potatoes into 1-inch pieces, storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator. All you have to do on Thanksgiving is get cooking!
- Make-ahead Sweet Potato Casserole: Mashed sweet potatoes can also be made up to 3 days in advance, stored covered in the refrigerator, & reheated just before your Thanksgiving dinner. Top with the candied pecan topping just before serving.
- Portions: As written, this sweet potato casserole recipe serves up to 10 people as a side dish. There are a couple of options to scale this recipe up or down:
- Scaled up: To serve up to 14 as a side dish, double the recipe. Be sure to cook the potatoes in a stockpot or a vessel large enough to cover the potatoes with at least 2 inches of water.
- Make it a mini: To serve a cozy crowd of up to 4, simply halve the recipe.