If you’re always reaching for seconds of sweet potato casserole (guilty as charged!), this Southern-style Sweet Potato Casserole is callin’ your name boo! It’s got tender, sweet potatoes, a buttery streusel topping, and toasted sticky-sweet marshmallows that’ll make your heart skip a beat. When a side dish is this good y’all, it’s bound to make dessert a little jealous.
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This easy sweet potato casserole feeds into my sugar addiction in the best way possible, y’all. It’s not that it’s overly sweet, it just has the perfect balance of sweet and savory that keeps me comin’ back for more. It’s never missing from my holiday table, but I can’t even begin to tell you how many times this dish has saved my sanity on a crazy weeknight when I just needed some indulgence (which, let’s be real, happens more often than not). Trust me boos, once you try it, you’ll be finding any excuse to whip it up again and again!
The Lowdown on This Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
Cuisine Inspiration: Southern Comfort
Primary Cooking Method: Baking!
Dietary Info: Vegetarian
Key Flavor: Sweet and Savory with a touch of warm spices
Skill Level: As easy as ABC y’all!
Creamy
These sweet potatoes turn out so rich and creamy, they literally melt in your mouth. The heavy cream and butter make sure of that.
Easy to Make, Hard to Mess Up
This sweet potato casserole is one of those recipes that doesn’t require much fuss. Boil, mash, mix, and bake; that’s pretty much it!
Feeds a Crowd
This old-fashioned sweet potato casserole is hearty enough to go around, even with a big ol’ group at the table. And it’s so good, nobody’s gonna mind having it on their plate!
Ingredients you’ll need to make Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
For the Sweet Potatoes:
- Sweet Potatoes: Because you can’t make a sweet potato and marshmallow casserole without sweet potatoes, boos! They’ll get all tender and creamy.
- Salted Butter: Key for bringing out that rich, savory goodness. No skimping here, y’all!
- Light Brown Sugar: Adds just the right amount of sweetness with a touch of molasses flavor.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Makes the potatoes extra creamy and indulgent.
- Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla is my go-to, but in a pinch, the regular kind will do.
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg: Both spices give our casserole that cozy, warm, classic Thanksgiving flavor we can’t get enough of.
For the Crumble Topping:
- All-Purpose Flour: The foundation for that perfect crumbly topping.
- Old Fashioned Oats: Adds some texture to the topping. A lil’ crunch never hurt anyone!
- Light Brown Sugar: Helps that topping get golden and delicious.
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg: Yep, more of this cozy spice duo!
- Butter: Because buttery crumble is life, y’all.
- Marshmallows: I’m all about those jumbo marshmallows for that ooey-gooey topping, but you can also use the little ones. And if you don’t like marhmallows, just don’t use them.
How to make Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
What to serve with Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
- Perfect Mains: When you’ve got a rich dish like this sweet potato casserole, you need a savory main to balance it out. Fry a juicy turkey, slow cook a honey glazed ham, or make a crispy roast chicken.
- Get Your Sides On: You can’t go wrong with more holiday classics boo! Serve this casserole alongside some creamy white cheddar mac n cheese, a green bean casserole, or tangy cranberry sauce.
- Bready Goodness: Try some soft dinner rolls or buttery cornbread. They’re the perfect way to round out your plate.
- Finish Sweet: This is a sweet side, I know, but there’s always space for dessert! A slice of pecan pie, some warm bread pudding, or a classic pumpkin pie.
Recipe Substitutions
- Fresh Sweet Potatoes: I swear by using fresh sweet potatoes because the flavor is unmatched, but if you’re not in the mood to boil and peel, use canned sweet potatoes. Just drain ’em well, so your casserole isn’t too watery.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Out of heavy cream? Don’t sweat it. Half and half will do just fine.
- Light Brown Sugar: Three words: dark brown sugar. It’s got a deeper molasses flavor that’ll add a little extra something to your Southern sweet potato casserole.
- Butter: If all you’ve got is unsalted butter, simply toss in an extra pinch of salt to balance things out.
Recipe Variations and Additions
- Pecans: When I want an extra crunch and a nutty flavor, I toss in chopped pecans right into the sweet potato mix. I even sprinkle some on top!
- Bourbon Bliss: Add a splash of bourbon to your sweet potato mixture. Trust me boo, you’ll love the vanilla and caramel undertones! Remember to not give slices to the little ones, tho.
- Cranberries: For a pop of tartness, fold in some dried cranberries to the sweet potatoes. They cut right thru the richness.
- Marshmallow Madness: Mix some mini marshmallows into the sweet potatoes before you top it off. You’ll get pockets of gooey, sticky goodness all through the casserole, not just on top.
Expert Tips and Tricks for making the best sweet potato and marshmallow casserole
- Mash ‘Em Real Good: Take your time mashing those sweet potatoes y’all. Get in there with a hand mixer or a sturdy masher and make them velvety.
- Watch That Toast: Keep a close eye on them marshmallows while they’re in the oven. Once they start toasting, it’s a fine line between golden perfection and burnt.
- Taste Before You Sweeten: Give your sweet potato mixture a little taste. Depending on how sweet your taters are, you might need to tweak the sugar.
- Layer It the Way You Like: The ratio of sweet potato, crumble and marshmallow is yours to play with when making sweet potato and marshmallow casserole.
- Broil the Top: For a more torched look on the marshmallows, place the casserole under the broiler after cooking it in the oven.
How to store & reheat Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
After your casserole cools down, cover it tightly with plastic wrap or foil (or transfer it to an airtight container), and pop it in the fridge. Easy storage y’all!
To reheat, transfer the leftover casserole to a baking dish with the toppings on the top layers as much as possible. You can add more marshmallows and oat crumble mixture to the top if you want it to cook up crispier again the second time around. Heat in a 350°F oven until heated through, about 15-20 minutes. You can also reheat it in the microwave but the topping will lose a bit of its crispness.
How long will Southern Sweet Potato Casserole last in the fridge?
In the fridge, this casserole will stay good for about 3 to 5 days. But honestly, boo, I don’t think it will stay untouched for that long!
Can I freeze this old fashioned sweet potato casserole?
Yep! It freezes great! You can freeze it right in the baking dish or carefully transfer it to a storage container with the toppings on top. Store it in the freezer for up to three months.
Frequently asked questions
Of couse, honey! Whip up your sweet potato mixture up to three days in advance and store it in your refrigerator. Be sure to leave the marshmallows off until you’re ready to bake. Let the casserole dish sit out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before topping and baking.
It’s likely because there was too much liquid in the sweet potatoes. Make sure to fully drain your potatoes after boiling and, if using canned, let them sit in a colander for a bit to get rid of any excess moisture. Also, if you want a thicker consistency, just use 1/2 cup of heavy whipped cream.
You can, but yams and sweet potatoes have slightly different textures and flavors. Yams are usually starchier and less sweet, so if you go this route, you might want to bump up the sugar and spices.
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but you need more sweet potatoes in your life, and this Sweet Potato Casserole recipe is the perfect way to make that happen. It’s creamy, and it’s easy enough for any home cook to pull off. So go on, boos, get into it!
More Casserole Recipes
- Easy Breakfast Casserole Recipe (With How To Video)
- Squash Casserole
- Pork Chop Casserole
- Southwestern Chicken Casserole
- Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
Sweet Potato Casserole
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Ingredients
For Sweet Potatoes
- 3 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes
- 1/3 cup salted butter
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar packed
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
For the Crumble Topping
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 6 tbsp light brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 4 tbsp salted butter melted
- Marshmallows for topping 6 rows of 4 cover the whole pan
Instructions
For the Potatoes
- Fill a large 8 qt pot with sweet potatoes and water about an inch higher than potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat. While the potatoes are boiling, reheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9×13" casserole dish. Cook until fork tender, about 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Completely drain potatoes and place back into the pot.
- Peel the skin off the potatoes and add to a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer (or a masher), blend potatoes until mostly smooth. Next add butter, sugar, cream, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix until well combined and potatoes are smooth.
- Spoon mashed potatoes into dish and smooth with a spatula.
For the Crumble Topping
- Whisk together flour, sugar, oats, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl. Add melted butter to dry ingredients and mix with a fork until well combined to create crumbs. Sprinkle the potatoes with the topping.
- Add marshmallows to top of crumble topped potatoes. Create 6 rows of 4 regular sized marshmallows to cover the whole pan.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crumble is crisp and marshmallows are golden brown. You can also broil marshmallows a bit if you want them to have a more torched look.
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This is THE sweet potato casserole you want for thanksgiving! The potatoes are creamy, and the crumble topping adds the perfect amount of texture. Now I want a plate!
Wow thank you so much Kelly!
How many sweet potatoes does this recipe call for? I would really love to make this for Christmas
Hi Nita, you are going to need 3.5 pounds of sweet potatoes. You can find all the recipe ingredients, including the amounts for each in the recipe card above the comment section. Hope everyone enjoys!
Very Good!! It tasted good before I Baked it.
Thank you so much!!
Do you boil the potato’s whole or cut into pieces?
Cut into pieces.
I made this today for Thanksgiving and it was delicious. I had some friends here from Louisiana and they said they were perfect southern sweet potatoes. That made me so happy to have them really love them. Thank you for this recipe.
Wow I’m so glad you and everyone enjoyed it!
Hi. I want to try this, but all i have is a large can of sweet potatoes. Would you keep the rest of the recipe the same? Drain them? Would it work? Thanks.
I would definitely drain them.
Made this today and it is absolutely delicious!!! Love the flavor and the crumble added an extra layer of texture and flavor. Excellent recipe, has become my favorite Sweet Potato Casserole recipe!!