This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy.
Bake up some fresh sweet potatoes to make Sweet Potato Casserole with Streusel Topping. The easy brown sugar and pecan streusel is a delicious addition to the traditional marshmallow topping, and one that your friends and family will love!
This post is sponsored by Challenge Butter. Thank you for continuing to support the brands that make My Baking Addiction possible.
I don’t know about where you are, but here in the Midwest, it is finally – FINALLY – feeling like fall.
The weather is cooler and perfect for snuggling under blankets with a cup of coffee. The leaves are changing. Sweaters are being worn.
And my brain is already thinking ahead to Thanksgiving.
I know, I know. We still have to get through Halloween first. But then we get to one of the best holidays of the year!
So I am going to say it’s not too early to start planning my Thanksgiving dinner menu. Right? Starting with a classic: Sweet Potato Casserole.
SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE WITH TWO TOPPINGS
Growing up, I wasn’t too fond of sweet potatoes, so every holiday dinner I would take a spoonful of my Nana’s sweet potato casserole and systematically remove and eat every single toasted mini marshmallow from my serving – leaving behind a pile of untouched canned sweet potatoes.
In fact, I am pretty certain that’s what 10 out of 12 family members did.
I decided to take the flavors of Nana’s casserole, which was brimming with brown sugar, vanilla and a little cinnamon – but kick it up a notch by using freshly baked sweet potatoes and not one, but two toppings.
First I topped the casserole with a layer of pecan-infused streusel topping for added texture and sweetness. This first topping is made with brown sugar, cinnamon, and my favorite Challenge Salted Butter.
I try to be conscious of the quality of the ingredients I use on a daily basis, but especially on special holidays. I trust Challenge Butter wholeheartedly and have been using their products in my kitchen for years, so of course I reach for them when making holiday side dishes such as Sweet Potato Casserole.
I suppose if you were not a fan of marshmallows on your sweet potatoes, you could stop there with just the streusel.
But me? Inside I’m still the little kid who loves those mini marshmallows.
So after some time in the oven for the streusel to get crisp, I sprinkled on a healthy handful of marshmallows for good measure.
The result was this gorgeous Sweet Potato Casserole with Streusel Topping – sweet potato perfection that will be a welcomed side dish to any holiday spread.
HOW TO COOK SWEET POTATOES FOR CASSEROLE
I loved the way my Nana made a lot of her recipes, but I just couldn’t bring myself to use canned sweet potatoes as the based of my Sweet Potato Casserole with Streusel Topping.
Instead, I decided to use fresh sweet potatoes and bake them off before making the casserole.
To cook the sweet potatoes for casserole, prick washed sweet potatoes all over with a fork and place them on a foiled-lined baking sheet. Bake the potatoes for 75-90 minutes or until they are nice and soft and cooked through.
Once they’re cooked, let the sweet potatoes cool slightly before using them to make the casserole.
Yes, 75-90 minutes is a while to wait while the potatoes bake, but I like to use that time to clean the house or prep other dishes such as scalloped potatoes, feta cheese ball or sweet and salty cheesecake.
You can also bake the potatoes a day or two before you plan to make your Sweet Potato Casserole.
CAN YOU MAKE SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE AHEAD OF TIME?
The biggest question I get for holiday recipes is whether they can be made ahead of time. No one really wants to do 100% of their holiday dinner prep the day-of.
Luckily, you can absolutely make this Sweet Potato Casserole with Streusel Topping ahead of time. Simply prepare the sweet potato portion of the casserole, spread it into the prepared casserole dish, cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.
In a separate bowl, mix together the streusel topping, cover and refrigerate.
When you’re ready to bake the casserole, sprinkle the topping onto the casserole and bake as directed, finishing with the mini marshmallows.
If you’re using a glass casserole dish, I recommend letting the casserole come to room temperature before placing it in the oven.
Enjoy this Sweet Potato Casserole with Streusel Topping this holiday season. I know you’ll love the sweet, pecan- and marshmallow-filled topping with the creamy sweet potatoes.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Streusel Topping
Ingredients
- 3 ½ pounds fresh sweet potatoes about 5 medium
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg beaten
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons salted butter softened
- ½ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
FOR THE TOPPING:
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons salted butter softened
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 2 cups mini marshmallows optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Wash the sweet potatoes, prick them with a fork and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 75-90 minutes or until they are cooked through and soft. Allow potatoes to cool slightly until they are comfortable to touch.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Butter an 11x7 inch casserole dish and set it aside.
- Once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop the insides into a large mixing bowl and discard skins. If you want the sweet potatoes to be ultra-smooth, you can push them through a potato ricer at this point.
- Add sugar, egg, salt, cinnamon, butter, milk, and vanilla to the sweet potatoes. Use an electric mixer and combine until the mixture is thoroughly incorporated and smooth.
- Scoop the mixture into the prepared casserole dish and smooth the top into an even layer.
- In medium bowl, mix the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potatoes.
- Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned.
- Remove pan from oven, top with mini marshmallows and return to oven for an additional 10 minutes, or until the marshmallows are melty and golden brown.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
&& here’s a recipe for sweet onion potatoes au gratin, thanks to rachel ray! :)
ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
2 medium sweet onions, thinly sliced
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground thyme
1 bay leave
2 lbs. baby yukon gold potatoes
1/2-2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano
1/2 lb. swiss cheese, shredded (can also gruyere, but i’m not a fan)
directions:
1. Heat a small skillet with the butter over medium heat.
2. Add onions, seasoning with salt, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook until very soft and lightly caramelized, about 20 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper, to taste, and discard the bay leaf.
3. Cover potatoes in a pot with salted water. Bring to a boil, salt water, and cook until tender, about 12-15 minutes. Drain and return the potatoes to the pot. Mash with the cream and Parmesan and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4. Preheat the broiler.
5. Arrange the mashed potatoes in casserole dish. Top with onions and cheese.
6. Place on a baking sheet to catch anything that might bubble over during baking. Brown under the broiler until bubbly (about 2 minutes).
7. Serve.
mm..so excited for thanksgiving. we always make so many sides that we have leftovers for dayyyys! here’s our broccoli casserole (sorry for the non-specific ingredient amounts–we’ve been making this for years, so i’m not sure about the measurements!):
ingredients:
3 bunches broccoli, chopped and parboiled for 2 minutes
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp. minced onion
grated cheddar cheese
ritz cracker crumbs
1. Mix soup, mayonnaise, onion.
2. Add broccoli, mix well.
3. Top with cheese, then cracker crumbs.
4. Bake, uncovered at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.
I think you channeling all the things I’ve been thinking of making…I had high hopes in participating in the Holiday Recipe Exchange. So far I haven’t made it past week 1. I made a list of ideas for each week’s theme. Was planning to make slow cooker apple butter (apples are still sitting in my fridge) and sweet potato casserole. My grandma turned me on to this recipe two Thanksgivings ago and I love it! So delicious. Yours looks amazing and is getting me excited that Thanksgiving is coming.
Hoping to participate in a few more rounds before the fun is up!
Oh that casserole looks delish! Here is one of my favorites. It is very rich. Beaner’s Best Carrot Cake
13 x 9 inch cake
Ingredients
11/2 c oil
3 c grated carrots
2 c sugar
4 eggs beaten
2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 c nuts, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 c coconut
Frosting:
1/4 pound butter or margarine
1 c sugar
1 c evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 egg yolks
1 1/4 cups coconut
1 c chopped nuts
Directions
Cake: Beat oil,sugar, eggs and carrots. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into well greased and floured 13 x 9-inch cake pan. Bake in preheated 350 deg oven 30 to 35 min or until cake tests done.
Frosting: Mix butter , sugar, milk, vanilla and egg yolks together over medium heat until mixture thickens, about 12 min. (use true evaporated milk, do not use non dairy milk) Add coconut and nuts.Beat until cool and spread on cake.
AWESOME! I gotta say -with the exception of cinnamon – our recipes are the EXACT same! I would use the cinnamon, too….but I’m allergic *dang it*
Oh I have never understood marshmallows on sweet potatoes, it’s one of those cultural mysteries to me. This sounds way better to me!
My Mashed Sweet Potatoes
5 or 6 cooked medium sweet potatoes (boiled or baked)
1/2 stick melted buter
8 oz bag slivered almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup canned pineapple juice
Preheat oven to 350 F. Peel and mash sweet potatoes in a bowl. Add melted butter and combine. Stir in pineapple juice and mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour mixture into greased 1 quart casserole, dot with butter, and bake for 30 minutes or until heated through. Enjoy!
My family will not sit down to Thanksgiving unless my step-mom has made her sweet potato casserole so I can’t wait to give yours a try.
My favorite side (have to make 2 anymore)!!
Baked mashed potatoes
INGREDIENTS:
5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
and cubed
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese,
softened
1 onion, grated
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender but firm, about 15 minutes; drain.
3. In a large bowl, mash potatoes with the butter and milk. With a hand mixer, beat in cream cheese and onion. In a small bowl, beat the egg with a little bit of the mashed potatoes. Stir into potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 2 quart casserole dish.
4. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until puffy and lightly browned.
Sounds yummy! I may need to try that one!
Yum!
Best part of being a food blogger is making things so you have pictures to post before the holidays come around…and having more to eat! :)
This casserole looks heavenly, and super similar to what my grandma always makes!
I’ll definitely be trying yours out though!