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๐Ÿ Home ยป Recipes ยป Holiday Recipes

Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole

Published: Nov 19, 2024 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan ยท 6 Comments

Jump to Recipe
Time: 2 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Make the holidays complete with an Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole. This easy, traditional recipe starts by baking sweet potatoes and ends with a pecan brown sugar topping or the alternate classic marshmallow topping. It is a creamy holiday classic that we enjoy every holiday season.

๐Ÿ Ingredients

Sweet potatoes
Pantry ingredientsโ€”eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, butter, milk
Pecan toppingโ€”chopped pecans, brown sugar, butter, flour
Optional mini-marshmallow toppingโ€”mini-marshmallows, chopped pecans

Sweet potato casserole on a plate.
Jump To (scroll for more)
  • ๐Ÿ Ingredients
  • ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐ŸณHow to Make Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casseroleโ€”Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
  • ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐ŸณMarshmallow Topping Option
  • ๐Ÿฅ˜Baking pan size
  • ๐Ÿฝ๏ธWhen to serve
  • โ†•๏ธMaking a small batch sweet potato casserole
  • ๐Ÿ“†Make ahead option
  • โ„๏ธHow to store leftover sweet potato casserole
  • โ“FAQs
  • โš•๏ธFood safety
  • ๐Ÿ“–The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

quote mark
Featured Comment by Ellen:
โญโญโญโญโญ"Just made this for Thanksgiving dinner, and I'm blown away by how good it is! โ€ฆ.Turned out fabulous, my favorite dish this year!"

Our son-in-law brought this Thanksgiving favorite from his family's table to ours. It is a wonderfully sweet potato recipe with a delicious sweet potato custard topped with a crunchy brown sugar and pecan topping that has become our family tradition.

This easy sweet potato casserole recipe is written for a full-size dish for a family holiday gathering. Still, it easily scales to a half-size or even quarter-size dish, making a small-batch casserole.

๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐ŸณHow to Make Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casseroleโ€”Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

Sweet potatoes with ingredients for casserole-labeled.
Raw sweet potatoes on a foil tray.

1. Scrub and bake sweet potatoes for 1 to 1 ยฝ hours until soft.

Peeling a cooked sweet potato by hand.

2. Allow to cool, then peel the sweet potatoes by hand.

Mashing cooked sweet potatoes in a stand mixer.

3. Mash the sweet potatoes until smooth by hand, a hand mixer, or a stand mixer.

Whisking egg mixture.

4. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, sugar, salt, melted butter, vanilla, and milk.

Pouring egg mixture into the sweet potatoes.

5. Add the egg mixture to the sweet potatoes.

Pouring batter into a casserole dish.

6. Pour into the casserole dish.

Chopping pecans with a knife.

7. Chop the pecans.

Mixing pecan topping.

8. Mix the topping of brown sugar, flour, melted butter, and chopped pecans.

Adding topping to the casserole.

9. Spread the topping over the casserole.

Cooked sweet potato casserole.

10. Bake at 350ยฐ for about 30 minutes until golden brown and 160ยฐ minimum internal temperature.

For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.

๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐ŸณMarshmallow Topping Option

Skip the brown sugar pecan topping. Instead, add ยฝ cup of chopped pecans before baking. Bake for about 20 minutes, then add 1 ยฝ cups of mini marshmallows for the last 10 minutes. If added at the beginning, they will tend to become overly browned.

Some mini marshmallows will not melt or brown nicely. Avoid this problem by cutting up larger marshmallows.

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๐Ÿฅ˜Baking pan size

A full-size recipe fits in a 2 ยฝ quart casserole dish or a 9 by 12 baking dish. If cooking a half-size recipe, use a 6 by 9, 8-inch square, or 9-inch round baking dish. A quarter recipe needs 6 inch round or 5-inch square baking dish, or use what you have that fits.

๐Ÿฝ๏ธWhen to serve

Sweet potato casserole is an intrical part of our Thanksgiving dinner that includes Roasted Turkey Breast, Homemade Gravy, Green Bean Casserole, Broccoli Slaw, Sausage Dressing, and Easy Dinner Rolls. Desserts are served after the food coma.

โ†•๏ธMaking a small batch sweet potato casserole

Since this recipe is most commonly used for bigger meals, I have left it as the full recipe, which makes about eight servings. You can also make a small batch half recipe for four servings or a quarter recipe as a true sweet potato casserole for two.

  1. Use the recipe card and adjust the number of servings to 4 or 2.
  2. Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructionsโ€”those do not adjust. You can round the egg up a whole number.
  3. For a half recipe, use a 6 by 9, 8-inch square, or 9-inch round dish. For a quarter recipe, use a 6-inch round or other smaller baking dish.
  4. Cook until browning well, and the internal temperature reaches 160ยฐ. The time will vary depending on the baking dish and the thickness of the casserole.

PSโ€”The leftovers are wonderful, and making a quarter of the recipe is a little too much work for only two servings for me. Make the half recipe and enjoy some leftovers, or freeze them.

๐Ÿ“†Make ahead option

You can make this casserole ahead of time, but according to the FDA, an uncooked casserole with a raw egg may only be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before cooking or frozen for 3 months. So, mix the casserole; do not add the topping, then refrigerate or freeze it.

If you make it ahead of time, you can prepare the topping and refrigerate or freeze it separately. Do not add it until you are ready to bake.

If frozen, thaw the casserole and any topping overnight in the refrigerator before baking.

โ„๏ธHow to store leftover sweet potato casserole

Leftovers, whether cooked or uncooked, are good for 4 days refrigerated. They should also freeze well for up to 3 monthsโ€”thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Reheat in the microwave for small amounts. For a larger amount, cover it with foil and reheat it in a 325ยฐ to 350ยฐ oven for 20-25 minutes.

โ“FAQs

Are sweet potatoes and yams the same thing?

Yes and noโ€”it depends on geography. True yams are mostly grown outside the U.S. and are much less commonly sold here.

In the U.S., firm varieties of sweet potatoes are frequently called sweet potatoes, while soft varieties are called yams. This goes back to enslaved Africans called the soft, sweet potato yams because they resembled the true yams from Africa.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires labels with the term yam to be accompanied by the term sweet potato. To find true yams in the U.S., you will need to hunt.

โš•๏ธFood safety

Due to the raw eggs, the casserole needs to reach 160ยฐ+ internal temperature.

If the topping is browned but the internal temperature has not reached 160ยฐ, lightly tent the casserole with foil to prevent further browning. Then, continue baking until the safe internal temperature reaches 160ยฐ.

Temperature issues are more likely to happen with deep dishes or marshmallow toppings browning too fast. You may use a larger baking dish for a thinner casserole that will cook faster. You will need more topping.

Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

๐Ÿ“–The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions

Sweet potato casserole on a white plate

Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole

5 from 1 vote
From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Make the holidays complete with an Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole. This easy, traditional recipe starts by baking sweet potatoes and ends with a pecan brown sugar topping or the alternate classic marshmallow topping. It is a creamy holiday classic that we enjoy every holiday season.
Prep Time: 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 2 hours hours 50 minutes minutes
Servings #/Adjustable :8 serving
Print | Pin | Email share | Like and save for later Saved!

Video Slideshow

Ingredients

US Customary - Convert to Metric
  • 3 cups sweet potatoes - about 3-4 medium
  • 2 eggs
  • ยผ cup sugar
  • ยฝ teaspoon salt
  • ยฝ stick butter - melted
  • 1 ยฝ teaspoon vanilla
  • ยฝ cup milk

Pecan Topping Option

  • ยฝ cup pecans - chopped
  • 1 ยฝ cups brown sugar
  • ยฝ cup flour
  • โ…“ stick butter - melted

Marshmellow Topping Option

  • 1 ยฝ cup mini-marshmallows - or chopped large marshmallows
  • ยฝ cup chopped pecans - optional

Step-by-Step Instructions
 

  • Scrub and bake sweet potatoes. Please give them a good scrub and poke with a fork a few times to vent steam. You will need about 3 cups, so 3-4 medium sweet potatoes. Bake at 375ยฐ for 1 to 1 ยฝ hours until very soft.
    Raw sweet potatoes on a foil tray.
  • Allow the sweet potatoes to cool, then peel them by handโ€”they will peel easily. You can refrigerate them before or after peeling until needed, up to three days.
    Peeling a cooked sweet potato by hand.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat 3 cups of sweet potatoes until smooth. A stand or hand mixer works, but you can also do this by hand. A bit more sweet potato is fine.
    Mashing cooked sweet potatoes in a stand mixer.
  • In a separate bowl, beat 2 eggs, ยผ cup of sugar, ยฝ teaspoon of salt, ยฝ stick of melted butter, 1 ยฝ teaspoon of vanilla, and ยฝ cup of milk.
    Whisking egg mixture.
  • Add to mashed sweet potatoes and mix well.
    Pouring egg mixture into the sweet potatoes.
  • Pour into a well-oiled (Pam or butter) oven-safe 2 ยฝ quart or larger casserole dish.
    Pouring batter into a casserole dish.

Brown Sugar Pecan Topping

  • Chop the pecans.
    Chopping pecans with a knife.
  • Mix topping in a medium bowl. 1 ยฝ cup of brown sugar, ยฝ cup of flour, โ…“ stick melted butter, and ยฝ cup of chopped pecans.
    Mixing pecan topping.
  • Add topping to sweet potatoes. You may cover and refrigerate at this point for 24 hours or freeze.
    Adding topping to the casserole.
  • Bake at 350ยฐ for about 30 minutes until golden brown and 160ยฐ minimum internal temperature.
    Cooked sweet potato casserole.

Marshmallow Topping Option

  • Skip the above topping. Top with ยฝ cup of chopped pecans before baking. With about 10 minutes left in baking, add 1 ยฝ cups of mine marshmallows or chopped up full size marshmallows.

Recipe Notes

Pro Tips:

  1. Precook the sweet potatoes up to 3 days ahead.
  2. The recipe calls for 3 cups of sweet potatoes, but a bit more is fine. That will be 3-4 medium potatoes.
  3. This fits in a 2 ยฝ quart or larger casserole dish. You can use a 9X12 baking dish if you want.
  4. Instructions for a half-size and quarter-size recipe are in the post.
  5. Cook to nicely brown with at least 160ยฐ internal temperature, which should be about the same amount of time.ย 
  6. If the top browns too quickly but the temperature is still too low, tent lightly with foil until done.
  7. Make-ahead options are in the post.
  8. After cooking, store refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Your Own Private Notes

Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.

To adjust the recipe size:

You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.

Nutrition Estimate (may vary)

Calories : 403 kcal (20%)Carbohydrates : 65 g (22%)Protein : 4 g (8%)Fat : 15 g (23%)Saturated Fat : 7 g (35%)Cholesterol : 67 mg (22%)Sodium : 291 mg (12%)Potassium : 296 mg (8%)Fiber : 2 g (8%)Sugar : 50 g (56%)Vitamin A : 7461 IU (149%)Vitamin C : 1 mg (1%)Calcium : 80 mg (8%)Iron : 1 mg (6%)

This wonderful recipe was brought into our family from our son-in-law's family for our first Thanksgiving together and has been a staple ever since.

Editor's Note: Originally Published December 3, 2011. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

two dogs with a stick.

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  1. Ashlee says

    December 08, 2020 at 8:07 pm

    5 stars
    The better came out great. It would have been even better if I invested in a mixer. I added pecan and marshmallow. I will make this again.

    Reply
  2. DrDan says

    December 25, 2018 at 7:46 pm

    Hi Cary,
    You are right, it is 1/2 stick for this size of recipe. We usually do a double or triple recipe.
    However, 1/2 cup would be double the butter and would work fine.

    You get the eagle eye award for the day. It has been this way since 2011 and the recipe has been visited over 300,000 times. You're the first. Now fixed.

    Thanks for the proofread and have a great holiday.

    Dan

    Reply
  3. Ellen says

    November 22, 2018 at 5:22 pm

    Just made this for Thanksgiving dinner and I'm blown away by how good it is! I cooked it in an 8" square pan, so the topping was rather thick on top; after I took it out of the oven, I pushed the topping around with a fork and popped it under the broiler to brown. Turned out fabulous, my favorite dish this year! I had my doubts while I was making it because it doesn't use any spices, but it really doesn't need them. Thank you Dr Dan, I love your website and this recipe in particular turned out to be extraordinarily delicious.

    Reply
    • DrDan says

      November 22, 2018 at 11:12 pm

      Hi Ellen,

      Welcome to the blog.

      When I first did this recipe, I loved the simplicity but was concerned by the lack of other flavors. But it proved to have just the right combination without being overly complex.

      Thanks for the note.

      Dan

  4. Charlene says

    December 03, 2017 at 8:53 pm

    This dish was the hit of our Thanksgiving - added bonus was that with a little bit of tweeking we were able to make it gluten free and substituted honey for the sugar for the Specific Carb diet as well! Yes, when I cook for my family I do face dietary challenges but this recipe was enjoyed by all - it will be my go to from now on!

    Reply
    • DrDan says

      December 05, 2017 at 8:52 am

      Hi Charlene,
      It is a fairly basic recipe and like all recipes "just guidelines". Depending on the family members present, we deal with mushroom and milk allergies.
      Glad it worked well for you and have a great holiday season.
      Dan

DrDan imageHi, I'm DrDan.
Welcome to 101 Cooking for Two, the home of great everyday recipes with easy step-by-step photo instructions.
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