This Make-ahead Sweet Potato Casserole is a classic Thanksgiving Recipe and the perfect holiday side dish! It's full of sweet potatoes, crunchy pecans, and a hint of orange. Plus, it can be made ahead of time so you can relax on Thanksgiving day.
Looking for more ideas? Be sure to check out these terrific Holiday Side Dish Recipes!
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Why you'll love this recipe
✔️ This casserole is always a hit at holiday gatherings!
✔️ The sweet potatoes are cooked to perfection.
✔️ It's the perfect side dish for your holiday meal.
Ingredients
Please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for the exact measurements.
- sweet potatoes
- fresh orange
- butter
- light brown sugar
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- salt
- pecans
- mini marshmallows
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For the complete directions just scroll down to the bottom!
- Spray 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.
- Peel sweet potatoes, cut sweet potatoes into 2-inch pieces. Place in a large pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium high heat until fork tender, about 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat, drain well. Add to a large bowl and mash, set aside.
- Zest orange and juice orange in a small bowl, you'll need about ¼ cup juice. Whisk with melted butter.
- In a small bowl combine the topping ingredients, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Layer half of the creamy sweet potatoes in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the brown sugar mixture, and drizzle with half of the butter. Top with half of the toasted pecan topping. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients Top evenly with marshmallows.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- The day you're baking the casserole, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature - about 30 minutes. Bake as directed.
Equipment
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FAQ's
You can make this dish up to two days before you bake it.
No, they are not. yams tend to be sweeter and have more starch than sweet potatoes.
I did not use eggs in this recipe. However, some recipes do call for eggs.
Things to know
- Make sure that you spray your casserole dish well with nonstick cooking spray or grease it with butter or shortening.
- Though it's tempting to use ready-made OJ, zest an orange. It only takes about a minute and adds so much flavor!
- I like to use mini marshmallows for the top of the casserole. However, you can use the larger marshmallows also.
- I like to use a potato masher to break up the large chunks in the sweet potato mixture. But, if you want really smooth sweet potatoes, you can also use an electric mixer or potato ricer.
No oven space? Make this in the slow cooker instead! Layer the ingredients as directed and cook on low for 4 hours.
Variations
- If you want a little extra sweetness, you can drizzle the casserole with honey or maple syrup before serving.
- You can also use white sweet potatoes in this recipe if you can't find orange sweet potatoes.
- Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the butter mixture for a little extra flavor.
- If you don't like pecans, you could use walnuts or almonds instead.
- Instead of the marshmallow topping, you could also top this casserole with a crunchy pecan streusel topping instead.
Storage
Refrigerate - Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days. Store them in an airtight container or wrapped tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
Freezer - This casserole can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then bake as directed.
Reheat - Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover with foil and heat for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
Related recipes
- This Campbell's Green Bean Casserole is one of my favorite Thanksgiving Sides. And, it will definitely be on my table this year.
- Dressing is a must-make for any holiday meal! This recipe for Sausage and Bacon Stuffing is savory, salty and delicious.
- If you love to serve pumpkin pie at your family holiday gathering, but want an easy recipe with the same flavor, look no further than this No Bake Pumpkin Pie recipe.
- These Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes are the perfect way to make this classic Thanksgiving side dish yet still save some space on your stovetop for other side dishes.
Serve with
- These Steamed Brussels Sprouts are one of the best holiday side dishes to make when you want a healthy vegetable on the table.
- If you want a twist on this classic holiday side dish, give these Pan Fried Vegetables a try this holiday season.
- You can't have Thanksgiving without Cranberry Sauce on the Thanksgiving table.
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If you love this recipe please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating!
Make-ahead Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes about 4 medium potatoes
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest plus cup fresh juice from 1 large orange
- ¼ cup butter melted
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 2 cups pecan chopped
- 15-20 marshmallows
Instructions
- Spray 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.
- Peel sweet potatoes, cut sweet potatoes into 2-inch pieces. Place in a large pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium high heat until fork tender, about 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat, drain well. Place sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl and mash until creamy. You can also use a hand mixer if you prefer whipped potatoes.
- Zest orange and juice orange in a small bowl, you'll need about ¼ cup juice. Whisk with melted butter.
- In a small bowl, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Layer half of the sweet potato filling in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the brown sugar mixture, and drizzle with half of the butter. Top with half of the toasted pecans. Repeat layers with the remaining ingredients.
- Top the entire casserole evenly with marshmallows.
- To make ahead, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to two days.
- The next day, remove it from the refrigerator and set on the counter for 30 minutes prior to baking.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until marshmallows are golden and casserole is bubbling and hot. Enjoy!
Lois says
Sweet Potatoes go with any holiday meal. We just love them and you can fix them ahead of time to make the holiday cooking a little less stressful. So good.