Pecan Crumble Sweet Potato Casserole

This Pecan Crumble Sweet Potato Casserole is a Thanksgiving side dish favorite. It’s a beautiful mix of contrasting textures with all the warm spice flavors of the holiday season. Creamy, sweet mashed potatoes are topped with a buttery pecan crumble and marshmallows. It’s sure to remind you of Grandma’s classic sweet potato casserole.

I love simple, homey, no-frills (ie, not fancy) holiday recipes. They remind me of the enormous family meals I remember from when I was a kid – lots of loud, happy family members and long tables laden with all the delicious food my mom and aunts made year after year. It was a day of eating, watching football, eating more, taking a family walk, eating again, and then watching a movie while relishing the feeling of a food coma. And to be honest, Thanksgiving side dishes we

While I can’t eat like that anymore, I still enjoy all the comfort foods of the holidays. I hope your family will love this Pecan Crumble Sweet Potato Casserole as much as mine does.

Difference Between Yams And Sweet Potatoes

Yams and sweet potatoes are very different vegetables, yet they are often confused. The main differences between the two are flavor, texture, and nutritional content. In America, vegetables labeled ‘yams’ are actually sweet potatoes.

Yams	Sweet Potatoes
Long and cylindrical shape with rough, bark-like brown skin and white flesh.	Short and blocky with tapered ends with an orange, purple, or red skin and white, orange, or purple flesh.
Not very sweet in flavor with a earthy, neutral flavor profile, and a starchy texture-much like yucca or russet potatoes.	Soft, silky, moist texture with a sweet flavor.
Belongs to the lily family and is a root tuber. Yams are indigenous to parts of Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.	Member of the morning glory family. It is a root tuber native to Central and South America.
Grows up to five feet long and up to 100 pounds.	Smaller than Yams, sweet potatoes grown to 6-7 inches and 5-6 ounces.
Yam is derived fom the African word nyam, nyami, or nyambi meaning ‘to taste’ or ‘to eat.’	Varietals include the brown skinned, deeply sweet Beauregard grown in Louisiana ; Garnet – red skinned with a pumpkin flavor ; and Jewel – a coppery-red skin with a mildly sweet earth flavor that is grown in Califonia.

Ingredients Needed For Pecan Crumble Sweet Potato Casserole

• Sweet potatoes – if possible choose either Beauregard or Garnet varieties.
• Vegetable oil – rubbed on the potatoes to help keep them moist.
• Eggs – acts as a binder and to give the mashed sweet potatoes more body when cooked.
• Brown sugar
• Evaporated milk – be sure not to use Sweetened Condensed Milk.
• Orange  juice – adds a depth of flavo and mild acidity.
• Butter
• Ground cinnamon, ground cloves, freshly ground nutmeg – grate your whole nutmeg using a plane grater for the best flavor.
• Vanilla – use a quality brand marked as extract and flavoring.
• Salt – to enhance flavors.
• Flour – used in the crumble.
• Pecans – toast them first for the deepest flavor.
• Marshmallows – I like using mini marshmallows.

Can This Casserole Be Made Ahead?

Yes! You can make this casserole up to two days in advance. Make the sweet potato filling and spoon it into a freezer and oven proof casserole dish. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap. Then make the pecan crumble and place it in an airtight container. Place both containers in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

To bake: sprinkle the crumble and marshmallows over the casserole and bake at 425 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

How Do I Freeze My Pecan Crumble Sweet Potato Casserole

Bake the filling according to the directions, but do not top with the pecan crumble or marshmallows. Allow the casserole to cool completely.

Wrap the dish tightly with foil and freeze for u to three months.

When ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Add the crumble and marshmallows and wheat in a 425 degree oven for 35-45 minutes or until warmed through and the marshmallows are golden.

Tips For Making This Recipe

• Take the time to bake the sweet potatoes rather than boil them. Baking them intensifies the flavor and keeps the potatoes from absorbing water.
• Don’t use a food processor or rice mill. You want a bit of texture so the potato layer holds together when served, with texture and body. A smooth mash, like baby food, won’t hold it’s shape. Use a fork or a potato masher to mash them.
• Don’t forget to add the eggs. This enriches the dish and helps to hold the shape of the potto layer. Cool your mashed potatoes first, so the eggs don’t scramble when you mix them in. It also helps to beat the eggs before stirring them into the cooled potatoes to eliminate white streaks fom the egg whites.
• Don’t oversweeten your potatoes. With the sweet crumble and marshmallow topping, you want your potato filling to be lightly sweetened.
• Toast your pecans before chopping them. Toasting nuts brings out their flavor and makes them crunchier. To taste, plae the nuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment papee in a single layer and bake in a 350 degree oven until they become fragrant and deepen in color. Pull the parchment pape, with the nuts, off of the hot pan and cool completely.
• Let your hot casserole rest for 10-15 minutes to allow the potato layer to set and the crunch layer to dry out a bit for a great crunch.
• If you only have large marshmallows, cut them into this before tossing on top of the crumble.
• You can split the recipe into two 8-inch baking dishes. Bake each casserole in the 425 degree oven for 15-25 minutes. This way you have one to eat and one to share.

More Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes

• Broccoli Cauliflower Alfredo Casserole
• Easy Succotash
• Couscous Stuffed Acorn Squash
• Curried Couscous With Jeweled Fruit
• Southern Cornbread Dressing
• Savory Apple And Chestnut Dressing
• Yankee Herbed Stuffing
• Sweet Corn Pudding
• Spicy Southern Corn Casserole
• Cheesy Spinach Souffle
• Pommes Anna
• Savory Carrot Flan
• Ratatouille Casserole
• Savory Butternut Squash Casserole

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