Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble

This baked sweet potato casserole is topped with a delicious oat, pecan, and brown sugar crumble. Sorry marshmallow lovers.

Nov 01, 2022

The countdown has begun – three weeks until Thanksgiving and I’ve been tweaking some side dish recipes that I think you’re going to like. I’ll be honest, I kind of enjoy the side dishes more than the turkey.

So, here we go. I’m posting one Thanksgiving table worthy side dish recipe every Tuesday for the next three weeks. We’re kicking things off today with a sweet potato casserole. This traditional Thanksgiving side doesn’t feature marshmallows but rather a crumble topping made of oats, brown sugar, and pecans.

Of course, sweet potatoes are the star of the show in this recipe. This fiber-rich vegetable is loaded with vitamin A, a key nutrient for good vision and a healthy immune system. A serving of today’s casserole provides more than 300% of the recommended daily need for vitamin A.

When buying sweet potatoes for today’s recipe, choose those that feel heavy for their size, with smooth, unbruised skins. Avoid sweet potatoes that have shriveled or sunken areas or black spots. Even if removed, a decayed spot can cause an unpleasant flavor throughout the entire potato.

If you’re looking to alleviate some food preparation stress on Thanksgiving Day, make the sweet potato portion of this casserole one to two days in advance and place it in the refrigerator. Let the refrigerated casserole sit at room temperature for one hour before placing it in the oven. Mix up the crumble topping and sprinkle it over the top of the casserole just before baking.

Check back next Tuesday for a Ginger-Glazed Carrots recipe. This is a perfect vegetable side dish when oven space is tight as these carrots are cooked on the stove top.

To your health,

Darlene

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE with PECAN CRUMBLE

Yield: 10 servings

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Prep: 20 minutes

Ready: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

Sweet Potato Casserole

Vegetable oil cooking spray
8 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons spreadable butter and oil blend (such as Challenge Spreadable Butter)
1/3 cup 1% milk
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Crumble Topping

1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup pecan halves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon spreadable butter and oil blend, melted

DIRECTIONS

Spray an oven-safe baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
To prepare sweet potato casserole, place peeled and cubed sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat to medium and allow potatoes to cook until easily pierced with a knife; about 10 minutes. Drain and return potatoes to saucepan that is off the heat source. To the potatoes add the butter and oil blend. Using a potato masher, begin to incorporate the butter and oil blend into the potatoes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest, and salt. Add milk mixture to the sweet potatoes and continue to mash until ingredients are combined and smooth. Transfer sweet potato mixture to prepared baking dish.
To prepare crumble topping, combine oats, brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. Pour melted butter and oil blend over mixture and stir until mixture becomes crumbly. Distribute crumble topping over sweet potato casserole. Bake in a preheated, 350-degree oven for 30 minutes or until crumb topping is golden brown.

Nutrition Information per Serving

209 Calories, 6 g Total fat, 2 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 22 mg Cholesterol, 137 mg Sodium, 37 g Total carbohydrate, 4 g Dietary fiber, 16 g Total sugars, 11 g Added sugars, 3 g Protein, 0 mcg (0%) Vitamin D, 61 mg (4%) Calcium, 1 mg (6%) Iron, 433 mg (10%) Potassium