Sweet Potato Casserole

 A traditional sweet potato casserole with a smooth, creamy filling, and a pecan and brown sugar streusel topping is perfect for a classic thanksgiving meal.

Ingredients

• ▢4 cups chopped sweet potatoes cubed into 1-inch
• ▢¼ cup butter
• ▢½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢2 eggs beaten
• ▢½ cup milk 2%
• ▢½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢¼ teaspoon salt

Streusel Topping:

• ▢½ cup light brown sugar packed
• ▢⅓ cup all purpose flour
• ▢3 tablespoons butter cold and diced, Note 1
• ▢¾ cup pecans toasted, roughly chopped, Note 2

Instructions

• To make the streusel topping, combine the brown sugar with flour. Cut in the cold butter or use your hands to rub the butter into the mixture until you get a coarse crumb (pea sized crumb). Stir in the pecans and set aside.
• Add sweet potatoes to a saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, simmer uncovered until fork tender (10-15 minutes). Drain, mash the sweet potatoes, and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
• To the sweet potatoes, add butter, sugar, beaten eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt. Stir until well combined.
• Transfer mixture to a 9×13 inch casserole dish or pan.
• Spread the streusel topping over the sweet potatoes, and bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until the potatoes start to puff a little and the topping is lightly browned.

Notes:

1. Cold Butter: Use cold butter for the topping! Cold butter mixed with flour is what makes the topping super crispy.
2. Make it Nut Free: Omit the pecans and add a tablespoon or two of flour to the topping to make up for the lost volume.
3. Make Ahead: Make the sweet potato casserole filling, add it to the casserole dish, and refrigerate, covered. Make the streusel topping, and refrigerate that as well, in a separate dish or zip top bag.  About a half hour before you’re ready to eat, add the topping to the casserole dish and bake as directed.