I will have to say that nothing screams Thanksgiving like my Signature Sweet Potato Casserole! A recipe that I think I got from my Aunt Anna Marie, my father’s sister (a fabulous cook by the way), I have had this in my recipe box for years! And everyone can’t wait until Thanksgiving dinner just for this casserole! (Well, not JUST this casserole!)
You know what they say about Thanksgiving dinner…..”It’s all about the sides!” And this side dish is truly decadent if I say so myself! Fluffy, buttery, sweet and melting-in-your-mouth delicious, I’m so excited to share this with you!
Now it will take a little time to prepare and cook, but I PROMISE it is entirely worth it! It uses simple ingredients that you should have in your fridge and pantry. Sweet potatoes or Yams (they are different, but basically will give you a similar taste), butter, milk, eggs, vanilla, and sugar for the filling, and the topping has more butter (YES), brown sugar and flour. You can choose to sprinkle chopped pecans on the top for an added crunch and nutty taste! There are some guests I have that can’t eat nuts, so I always make one casserole with nuts and one without.
I have found that baking the sweet potatoes in the oven is soooooo much easier than peeling and boiling them. I clean them up and pat them dry, and rub them all around with my Shake-it-up-Blended Oil Seasoning (basically a blend of some oils, Kirkland’s No-Salt Organic Seasoning, and Kosher salt and pepper), and bake them at 400° for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, (turning over once) and making sure when you insert a fork into the potatoes it slides right in and out, with the center nice and soft.
Then I take a fork and just peel off the skin. Now the potatoes are really hot, so you can let them cool a little before you handle them as you peel off the skin. I try not to let them cool too much so that when I add all the filling ingredients, the potatoes blend up nice and smooth.
Once the skin is peeled off, I just put the potatoes in a large bowl, begin beating them on low, while adding the filling ingredients, continuing to beat until all ingredients are well blended and as smooth as you can get them.
I spray a 9″ x 13″ glass dish or aluminum pan (if you aren’t worried about presentation), and spoon the filling into the dish. Then, grab a medium mixing bowl for the topping, and cut up cold butter, adding flour and brown sugar, blended until it is somewhat crumbly. Just sprinkle on the top of the potatoes, and add the chopped pecans if you’d like.
Bake the potato casserole at 350° for 30 – 40 minutes until the potato dish is bubbling with joy! When you scoop out your first serving, it is so fluffy and light you’ll feel like you are eating air! And honestly, this casserole is spectacular as a side dish for any meal! I love it with a Pork Tenderloin, or lamb chops, or in place of baked potatoes as a special treat for everyone! And it freezes beautifully! (My family and friends know I do like to serve fresh whenever I can, but I have to say there are dishes that when you make them, I make them in bulk so I can freeze some and enjoy at a later date).
I hope you will make these sweet potatoes during the Holidays and love them so much they’ll be a staple recipe in your home!
Until next time,
Let’s get cookin’ and thankin’
Madeline
Madeline's Signature Sweet Potato Casserole
Equipment
- Large aluminum pan or cookie sheet
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- 9" x 13" glass dish or aluminum pan
- Hand mixer
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Casserole Filling
- 6 large yams or sweet potatoes (6 cups when cooked and mashed) About 4 lbs or so
- ½ cup butter (softened)
- 4 eggs
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- ⅔ cup whole milk (warmed)
Sweet Potato Casserole Topping
- 2 cups brown sugar
- ½ cup cold butter (1 stick)
- ⅔ cup flour
- 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
Sweet Potato Casserole Filling
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Wash and pat dry sweet potatoes.
- Place potatoes in a large aluminum pan or on a cookie sheet, making sure there is room between each potato to circulate the heat as they cook.
- Rub the potatoes so they are coated all around with my Shake-it-up Blended Oil Seasoning. Or you can just use vegetable, canola or olive oil (whatever is in your pantry), Kosher salt and black pepper.
- Bake the potatoes for a total of 45 - 60 minutes, turning halfway through, and poking some holes in them with a fork halfway through. (This lets some of the steam out as they finish cook.)
- You can tell they are cooked when you slide a fork in them and it comes out easily with no resistance.
- Place the pan on the counter or on top of the stove, and let rest for 5 minutes. Pull the skin off with a fork (the potatoes will still be hot, so be careful not to burn your fingers)!
- Place each potato in the large mixing bowl. You can discard the sweet potato skins or bake them and serve them with sour cream, bacon and gorgonzola or goat cheese and chives!
- Begin beating the potatoes, adding the butter, vanilla, sugar, eggs and milk.
- Beat until light and fluffy and well blended.
- Pour into the baking dish or pan and set aside.
Sweet Potato Casserole Topping
- Preheat your oven to 350°.
- Cut up the stick of butter into chopped pieces, about ¼-½ inch size.
- Place the butter pieces in a medium mixing bowl, add the flour and brown sugar.
- Blend the mixture together until crumbly.
- Sprinkle onto the top of the Sweet Potato filling, gently spreading out until evenly covered.
- Sprinkle the pecans on top until evenly spread around (optional).
- Bake for 30 - 40 minutes, until the casserole is bubbling throughout.
- Let rest 5 - 10 minutes, serve and enjoy!
Notes
