Sweet Potato Casserole
with Pecan Streusel
I have always balked at the marshmallow-smothered sweet potato casseroles present at holiday gatherings (so sorry if you love them, they're just not my thing). Instead, I trade the marshmallows for a brown sugar streusel topping to take the traditional casserole to a whole new level. The result? A crunch and nuttiness that pairs perfectly with the buttery smooth filling, providing the perfect dish to take to any Thanksgiving or Christmas meal. The only question is - is it a dessert or part of the main meal? Either way, it is delicious!
Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus time to bake sweet potatoes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 9 servings
Ingredients
3 1/2 cups sweet potato puree
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon each: cinnamon, nutmeg
Streusel topping:
4 tablespoons butter, melted
4 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x9 baking pan.
Combine all ingredients for sweet potato base in a bowl with hand mixer or stand mixer.
Spread in 9x9 baking pan.
In medium bowl, combine all streusel ingredients. Sprinkle over sweet potato layer.
Bake for 35 minutes.
Recipe Notes:
I have also used walnuts in this recipe when I was out of pecans- it still tastes great!
Some people are not big fans of coconut, but I would encourage them to still try this recipe. The coconut flavor is not overwhelming and it adds a great texture to the streusel.
If you are pureeing your own sweet potatoes, go ahead and save yourself some dishes. Use your food processor for mixing together the whole casserole base. After the sweet potatoes have been become smooth, simply add the butter, sugar, egg and spices and use the food processor to mix it all together.
I haven’t tried this yet, but if you really wanted to amp up the flavor, I bet maple syrup instead of brown sugar in the sweet potato base would be delicious.