CANDIED PECAN SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

Creamy candied pecan sweet potato casserole is easy to make and will leave your guests wanting more and begging for the recipe. 

Sweet potato casserole is one of those sweet and salty foods you just have to love. As a kid, I always picked around it at Thanksgiving, preferring to focus on my glazed ham and buttery rolls, but now I'm a big fan of sweet potato casserole. My mother never made it with nuts but when I made this version, I just had to go with the pecans. They are crunchy and caramelized to perfection. And you don't have to candy them beforehand, you just stir the pecans together with some flour, brown sugar, and butter, and then toss them into the oven right on top of the sweet potatoes. Pretty nifty right? Let them get all roasty before adding the marshmallows and then five minutes later, BAM – perfect candied pecan sweet potato casserole ready to be served.

Creamy sweet potato casserole with a crunchy candied pecan topping and toasted marshmallows.

INGREDIENTS

• 5 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 cup water
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2-3 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
• ½ cup milk or heavy cream

topping

• ½ cup brown sugar
• ⅓ cup flour
• ⅓ cup melted butter
• 1 cup chopped pecans (such as Diamond of California)
• 3-4 cups mini marshmallows

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Potatoes can be boiled, drained, and then mashed OR cooked in a slow cooker. If using slow cooker, add sweet potatoes and water to slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Drain slow cooker.
2. Preheat oven to 375. Mash cooked sweet potatoes. Add eggs, vanilla, ½ cup melted butter, brown sugar, salt, and milk (or heavy cream) and mix until smooth. (I like my potatoes to have a bit of texture so I don't whip them for too long).
3. Spread potato mixture in the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish. In a bowl combine brown sugar, flour, ⅓ cup melted butter, and pecans and mix well (with a spoon, not a mixer). Sprinkle mixture over potatoes (it's okay if potatoes aren't completely covered). Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes until pecans are caramelized.
4. Spread marshmallows evenly over pecan mixture. Return to oven for another 5 minutes or until marshmallows are puffy and lightly browned. Serve immediately.

NOTES

*Fun flavor tip: After dropping pecan mixture over potatoes, sprinkle some coarse sea salt over the pecan layer - this will enhance that salty-sweet flavor combination!

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