Description
This Sweet Potato Casserole is a classic, comforting side dish perfect for holidays and family dinners. Creamy mashed sweet potatoes are mixed with warm spices, brown sugar, and vanilla, then topped with a crunchy streusel and toasted marshmallows for a delightful combination of flavors and textures.
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Potato Mixture
- 3 lbs fresh sweet potatoes (4-5 large), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup (120ml) milk
- 1 cup (225g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Streusel Topping
- 1/3 cup (44g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (75g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- Pinch of ground cloves
- 3 tbsp (42g) salted butter, melted
Topping
- 2-3 cups marshmallows
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C) to prepare for baking the casserole.
- Cook sweet potatoes: Place the peeled and cubed sweet potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cook until tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 8 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
- Mash potatoes: Mash the sweet potatoes until smooth or to your desired consistency, ensuring there are no large lumps.
- Mix filling: Add the milk, brown sugar, melted unsalted butter, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt to the mashed sweet potatoes. Stir thoroughly until all ingredients are well combined and the mixture is smooth.
- Transfer to baking dish: Pour the sweet potato mixture into a 9×13-inch casserole dish. At this stage, you can refrigerate the mixture for up to 2 days or proceed immediately to baking.
- Bake initially: Place the casserole uncovered in the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is heated through.
- Prepare streusel topping: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Mix in the melted salted butter until the mixture becomes crumbly, forming the streusel topping.
- Finish baking: Remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle a layer of marshmallows evenly over the top. Then, evenly add the streusel crumbs on top of the marshmallows, followed by an additional layer of marshmallows if desired. Return the casserole to the oven and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until the topping is bubbly and golden.
- Optional broil for browning: For a more browned and toasted marshmallow topping, broil the casserole at 400°F for a few minutes carefully, until the marshmallows are golden brown. Watch closely to prevent burning.
- Serve warm: Remove from the oven and serve the sweet potato casserole warm as a delightful side dish.
Notes
- You can prepare the sweet potato mixture up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate before baking.
- Adjust the amount of marshmallows to your preference for sweetness and texture.
- Use salted butter in the streusel topping for balanced seasoning; unsalted butter is used in the sweet potato filling.
- To make it dairy-free, substitute milk and butter with non-dairy alternatives.
- The casserole reheats well in the oven at 350°F until warmed through.
