It’s hard to believe the holidays are just around the corner! While the bulk of your menus may already be planned, we have to insist that no Thanksgiving meal is complete without a serving of sweet potatoes. Your guests may expect casserole as a holiday mainstay, but that doesn’t mean you can’t mix things up! We’ve gathered three creative recipes that offer a spin on the classic — plus one deliciously traditional option.
We are grateful to all our sponsors:
4 Creative Sweet Potato Casserole Recipes
Sweet Potato Casserole with Brown Sugar Bacon Pecan Topping
While you may be familiar with casseroles that are sweet and topped with marshmallows, this recipe from Kaylen Friederich of Butternut & Sage beautifully combines sweet and savory. The bacon-pecan topping is what makes this dish stand out, lending it a smoky, salty quality and plenty of texture. When assembling your casserole, Kaylen recommends using fresh sweet potatoes and herbs to ensure the best flavor possible.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Brown Sugar Bacon Pecan Topping
If you're looking for a Thanksgiving casserole that isn't too sweet, this dish is sure to do the trick.
4.34 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Course Side, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings
Calories 1043 kcal
Ingredients
- 3 lbs sweet potatoes about 6 medium potatoes
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 6 tbsp butter melted
- 2 eggs beaten
- 2 tbsp bourbon whiskey
- ½ tsp salt or to taste
Bacon Pecan Topping
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups toasted pecans chopped
- 6 tbsp butter melted
- 2 tbsp fresh sage chopped
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary chopped
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Poke holes all over the sweet potatoes with a fork and roast on a sheet for an hour, until tender. Set them aside to cool.
In a medium saucepan, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel. Discard excess grease. In the same pan, toast chopped pecans over medium heat until they begin to turn slightly golden. Remove from the heat.
When the bacon has cooled, chop. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, toasted pecans, melted butter, fresh sage, and rosemary and stir in the chopped bacon.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Carefully peel the skins away from the flesh of the sweet potatoes, discarding the skins. Add the sweet potatoes to a stand mixer. Add in the brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, heavy cream, melted butter, eggs, and bourbon. Beat over medium-high heat until combined. Season to taste with salt.
Spoon the sweet potato mixture into a buttered 9x13 baking dish. Add the bacon pecan topping and transfer to the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 1043kcalCarbohydrates: 110gProtein: 14gFat: 62gSaturated Fat: 24gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 152mgSodium: 797mgPotassium: 1075mgFiber: 10gSugar: 64gVitamin A: 33131IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 174mgIron: 3mg
Keyword casserole, holiday, Holiday meal, sweet potato, sweet potato casserole, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving dish
Tried this recipe?Rate it above to let us know how it was!
RELATED:3 Slow Cooker Soup Recipes to Keep You Warm
Sweet Potato Casserole with Black Beans, Kale, and Quinoa
If you’re looking for a vegan option, this casserole from Elena Szeliga of Happy Kitchen.Rocks is sure to hit the spot. Full of flavor and texture, the quinoa and sweet potatoes give this dish a sweet base while the kale adds a subtle hint of bitterness. Plus, the breadcrumb topping adds a satisfying crunch to every bite. The best part? This recipe can easily be whipped up a few days before your Thanksgiving gathering.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Black Beans, Kale, and Quinoa
This casserole is full of flavor and texture — and it's vegan!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 35 minutes mins
Course Entrée, Main Course, Side, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 600 kcal
Ingredients
- 3 medium-sized sweet potatoes or 2 large ones
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups kale chopped
- 2 cups black beans cooked or canned
- 1 cup roasted garlic sauce (linked in method)
- 2 slices sourdough bread or any gluten-free bread
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel and dice sweet potatoes and transfer them to a baking tray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put rosemary sprigs on top. Roast for 25 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
Meanwhile, rinse and drain the quinoa. Put it in a saucepan and add water and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then cover and simmer for 18 minutes.
Heat a remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Break bread slices with your fingers into small pieces (you can use a grinder or chopper) and transfer them to the skillet. Add salt and black pepper and fry until golden and crispy, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Transfer roasted sweet potatoes, buckwheat, kale, and black beans to a baking dish. Add the roasted garlic sauce. Top with breadcrumbs. Bake for 10 more minutes. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 600kcalCarbohydrates: 112gProtein: 23gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 641mgPotassium: 854mgFiber: 11gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 13705IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 155mgIron: 7mg
Keyword casserole, holiday, Holiday meal, sweet potato, sweet potato casserole, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving dish
Tried this recipe?Rate it above to let us know how it was!
RELATED:6 Thanksgiving Recipes From Top Southern Chefs
Ruth’s Chris Sweet Potato Casserole
If you’re a fan of the soufflé-like sweet potato casserole at Ruth’s Chris Steak House, this recipe from Jamie Tarence of Family Savvy is sure to satisfy your palate. Topped with a brown sugar pecan crust, this dish is sweet, crunchy, and decadent. When making this recipe, Jamie recommends using traditional orange sweet potatoes and baking them until their insides are soft. However, if you’re short on time, Jamie says you can also use ready-to-steam whole sweet potatoes, which can be found in the produce section at most grocery stores.
Ruth's Chris Sweet Potato Casserole
This recipe is an easy dupe of Ruth's Chris Steak House's iconic sweet potato casserole.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Course Side, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings
Calories 357 kcal
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup flour
- 1 cup pecans chopped
- ⅓ cup butter melted
Sweet Potato Mixture
- 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 eggs well beaten
- ½ cup butter melted (equal to one stick)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9x11 baking dish with butter-flavored cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs, and butter.
Using a hand mixer, beat until smooth and fluffy.
Pour mixture into buttered baking dish.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. (At this point, the dish can be covered and refrigerated if not serving immediately.)
Sprinkle the surface of the sweet potato mixture evenly with the crust mixture.
Place casserole in 350-degree oven for 10 minutes. Allow it to set for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 357kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 3gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 244mgPotassium: 189mgFiber: 2gSugar: 36gVitamin A: 5155IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 1mg
Keyword holiday, Holiday meal, sweet potato, sweet potato casserole, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving dish
Tried this recipe?Rate it above to let us know how it was!
We are grateful to all our sponsors:
Maple Walnut Sweet Potato Casserole
This recipe from Ashley Boyd of Pink Owl Kitchen is a sweeter option, combining mashed sweet potatoes with pure maple syrup and a delicious walnut streusel topping. Plus, if you wish to spend less time in the kitchen, you can prepare this casseroleup totwo daysbefore your big gathering. Once you’ve assembled and baked the casserole, simply wrap it and store it in the refrigerator. Then, on Thanksgiving, all you have to do is reheat it in the oven!
Maple Walnut Sweet Potato Casserole
Featuring sweet potatoes, maple syrup, a walnut streusel topping, and cozy spices, this casserole is perfect for Thanksgiving.
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 40 minutes mins
Course Side, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 373 kcal
Ingredients
- 3 cups sweet potatoes peeled, chopped, and boiled in water until fork-tender; about four medium potatoes*
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup**
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ⅓ cup buttermilk or whole milk
Streusel Topping
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray or butter a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the sweet potatoes, sugar, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Using a potato masher or large fork, mash the potatoes together with the other ingredients. Once the potatoes are mashed, add the buttermilk and use a wire whisk to mix all of the ingredients until well combined.
Transfer the sweet potato mixture to your prepared baking dish and set it aside while you make the streusel topping.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the brown sugar, melted butter, flour, chopped walnuts, salt, and ground cinnamon. Using a fork, mix the ingredients together until all of the flour is moistened and a crumbly texture is formed.
Spoon the streusel topping over top of the sweet potato mixture and spread out into an even layer. Bake the casserole in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until the casserole is golden and bubbly. Allow the casserole to cool for about 10 minutes, then serve warm.
Notes
*Add peeled and chopped sweet potatoes to a large stockpot, cover with water, and boil until fork-tender. If your sweet potatoes are larger, you may only need three.
**Use pure maple syrup and not maple-flavored syrup to ensure the best flavor.
Nutrition
Calories: 373kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 6gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 171mgPotassium: 326mgFiber: 3gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 7334IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 85mgIron: 2mg
Keyword holiday, Holiday meal, sweet potato, sweet potato casserole, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving dish
Tried this recipe?Rate it above to let us know how it was!
BONUS: Classic Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
While we love to shake things up every now and then, we’d be remiss not to include a tried-and-true sweet potato casserole recipe. This one comes from the SB archives and is courtesy of The Local Taco. Using cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and, of course, plenty of marshmallows, you can’t go wrong serving this at your Thanksgiving gathering. Find the full recipe HERE.
Happy Thanksgiving!
We are grateful to all our sponsors:
**********
Looking for more holiday meal inspiration? Visit our archives!
About the AuthorBrianna Goebel
Brianna is StyleBlueprint’s Associate Editor and Sponsored Content Manager. She is an avid fan of iced coffee and spends her free time reading all things true crime.