In my family, it’s not a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal without this casserole. It’s served as a side dish but it definitely tastes like dessert! There are so many variations of this recipe out there, but I’m a little biased and I think mine’s the best. The bottom layer is a sweet potato mixture that’s sweet and creamy, topped with a layer of marshmallows, and then a crunchy pecan topping.
What is it about casseroles that feel so nostalgic? I hardly ever make casseroles when I cook at home, but there are usually at least 3 of them on our menu at any given holiday dinner. I think it’s probably because our mothers loved to make them growing up.
I baked this casserole in the cast iron enameled pan Carolina Cooker gave me to work with, and this pan defintiely makes any casserole look more appealing! The red bottom is so pretty and it’s very easy to clean. Check out their extensive product line on their newly launched website: https://carolinacooker.com/
To start this casserole, I bake the sweet potatoes in the oven until fork tender. Make sure you poke holes in the outside for the steam to escape.
Then using a hand mixer, combine all the sweet potato mixture ingredients until smooth
Smooth this mixture into the bottom of your casserole dish and then top with a layer of marshmallows. I recommend as many as you can fit into the dish!
The final layer of this dish is the pecan streusel topping. In my opinion this is the best part of the casserole!
Now you can pop this dish into the oven and walk away. In about 20-30 minutes, you’ll see it bubbling up on the edges and that’s when you know it’s ready.
Side note: If you really like marshmallows, you can taste the marshmallow layer more if you put them on top and the pecan topping underneath, so basically switching them. The reason I put mine underneath the pecan layer is because the finished product is prettier. In fact, the instructions for the recipe below has the marshmallows on top. If you choose to put the marshmallows on top, just wait until you have baked the casserole for 20 minutes, then add the marshmallow layer and bake for another 10 minutes. If you bring it out of the oven and the marshmallows aren’t browned and toasty yet, you can turn the broiler on for a minute. But as always if you’re working with your oven broiler, DO NOT make the mistake of walking away or you’ll have burnt marshmallows faster than you can say marshmallow. One minute should do the trick!
Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 4-5 medium sweet potatoes
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Topping Ingredients:
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 4 tbsp butter, softened
- 3 cups mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On baking sheet, prick sweet potatoes all over with a
fork. Bake until tender, 40-50 minutes. Let them cool then peel away the skin
and put the sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl. - Combine all filling ingredients and use a hand mixer on medium speed to
combine. Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 casserole dish or similar size. - Combine all topping ingredients except the marshmallows. Sprinkle in an even layer over
the sweet potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. - Take the casserole out of the oven, sprinkle marshmallows on top of the casserole and
bake another 10 minutes until marshmallows are toasted on top. Broil for 1 minute if necessary.
