Sweet Potato Casserole from the South

Ingredients

• 5 pounds sweet potatoes, scrubbed
• ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 ¾ teaspoons salt, or to taste
• ¾ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups warm milk
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• Topping:
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup cold unsalted butter
• 1 cup pecans, chopped

Step 1

Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment and spread the sweet potatoes out on it. Roast them for about an hour to an hour and a half, until they’re really tender. Once done, let them sit for about 5 minutes to cool a bit, then peel them.

Step 2

Put the peeled sweet potatoes into a large bowl and begin mashing them with an electric mixer or a whisk on low speed. Add half a cup of butter and mix until it’s fully incorporated. Next, stir in the white sugar, honey, brown sugar, salt, and nutmeg until everything is well combined. Beat in the eggs and vanilla on medium speed for a couple of minutes.

Step 3

Turn the mixer down to low and slowly pour in the warm milk. Give it a taste and add a little more salt or nutmeg if you think it needs it. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with a tablespoon of softened butter, then spread the sweet potato mixture evenly in the dish.

Step 4

For the topping, mix together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl. Use your fingers to work the chilled butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like coarse oatmeal with some small chunks of butter. Stir in the pecans and sprinkle this evenly over the sweet potatoes.

Step 5

Pop the casserole back in the oven and bake for 30 to 45 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the topping is golden and crisp and the sweet potatoes are set but still a little soft in the middle. Let it cool a bit before serving and enjoy!