Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe with Marshmallow and Pecans

This delicious sweet potato casserole recipe that’s topped off with a pecan and marshmallow streusel is the perfect holiday side dish.

Sweet potato casserole is one of my all-time favorite side dishes to serve up and eat for Thanksgiving or Christmas.  In fact, I often look more forward to that than the main entrees.  Much like my creamy potatoes au gratin, this recipe is really easy to pull off and no joke will be the highlight of all those dinner table conversations.  If you make anything on my blog, make this!

Are Yams the Same as Sweet Potatoes

Yams in their natural state are not the same as sweet potatoes.  With that being said, most yams that you’re going to purchase from your local grocery store are really just orange-fleshed sweet potatoes.  I know, I get, we’ve been lied to our whole lives!

With this being said, grocery store yams are often far cheaper than the red garnet sweet potatoes.

• Yams – they have a very rough outside skin that is brown in color with a dry starchy white inside, honestly, it’s kind of similar to yuca.
• Sweet Potatoes – these have a reddish-orange smooth outside skin with a sweet moist orange inside.  Yes, you can use grocery store yams in this recipe, as long as they are the orange flesh ones that look just like sweet potatoes.

Is It a Dessert or Side Dish

I believe sweet potato casserole can be whatever you want it to me, a dessert or a side dish.  I personally prefer it as a side dish because, with all of the salty savory dishes that are served up over the holidays, this is great sweet side dish additive to your dinner table spread.

This casserole is definitely sweet enough to be a dessert, so you may want to try it, or just make my sweet potato pie recipe!

Pecan and Marshmallow Streusel Topping

The pecan and marshmallow streusel that goes on top of the sweet potato casserole just makes this recipe.  It brings texture and a delicious nutty-sweet flavor to the mix.

• In a large bowl cut some unsalted butter with a pastry knife or fork into some brown sugar, flour, and roughly chopped pecans until the butter is about the size of rice.  You could do this portion in a food processor if you’re looking to save some time or don’t have a pastry knife.
• Next, simply add the mini marshmallows and fold them into the mix until they are incorporated and set them aside until they are ready to use on top of the sweet potato casserole.

How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole

1. Rinse the sweet potatoes using a colander.

2. Place them on a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper or foil and bake in the oven at 375° for 60 minutes.  The parchment paper or foil will make clean up easy because the sweet potatoes will secrete its sticky insides.

3. Remove them and simply pull the outside peelings off, discard them, and place the insides of the sweet potatoes into a large bowl.  I suggest using gloves or a towel because the sweet potatoes will be hot.

4. Using a hand masher, mash the sweet potatoes along with some salt, pepper, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and eggs until completely mixed in and mashed.

5. Transfer the mashed sweet potatoes to a non-stick sprayed 10×5 casserole dish.

6. Evenly sprinkle on the pecan and marshmallow streusel completely covering the mashed sweet potatoes.

7. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes just until the streusel is cooked and the marshmallows are browned.

8. Serve immediately!

Can You Make It Ahead of Time

Yes, you can absolutely make this sweet potato casserole ahead of time and here’s what you should do.

• Bake them, peel them and mash them in a bowl with eggs, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and brown sugar.
• Transfer the mashed sweet potatoes to a casserole dish, top off with the streusel and then chill it in the refrigerator.
• For the day the sweet potato casserole is to be served, pull it out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking and then bake at 375° for 30 to 35 minutes.

Doing this will save you over 1 hour of cooking time.

Can You Freeze It

You can absolutely freeze sweet potato casserole.  Once it’s cooled simply transfer it to a container with an airtight lid and place in the freezer for up to 2 months.  Thaw it in the refrigerator 1 day before cooking and serving it.

What Do You Serve With Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet potato casserole is most often served up over the holidays and can be served up with all of these great dishes:

• Green Bean Casserole
• Brined Smoked Turkey
• Corn Bread Stuffing
• Bone-In Standing Ribeye Roast

Don’t be limited to these dishes, feel free to serve it up alongside a steak or even a roasted chicken! Have fun with it.

This casserole recipe is an absolute winner and beyond delicious, so go make it.

Recipe Chef Notes + Tips

How to Reheat: To reheat the sweet potato casserole simply add your desired portion to a casserole dish or pan, cover it and heat it up in the oven at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until hot. In addition, you can simply add them to the microwave and heat until hot.

Storing and Freezing: The casserole can be stored in the refrigerator covered in plastic for up to 5 days.  It can also be frozen covered for up to 2 months. Thaw for 1 day in the refrigerator before cooking and serving.

More Amazing Side Dish Recipes

• Cauliflower Au Gratin
• Oven Roasted Root Vegetables
• Creamy Polenta Recipe
• Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Potatoes Au Gratin

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