Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole is the perfect holiday side dish.  Savory and sweet combine in such a unique way!  Creamy mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar, topped with a homemade marshmallow meringue!  That marshmallow meringue is easier than you might think and a fantastic upgrade to mini marshmallows! A must-try. If you are looking for more holiday side dishes, make sure to check out my browned butter brussel sprouts!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Looking for something new and exciting to add to your dinner table?  Time giving Sweet Potato Casserole a try.  Outside of being packed with an amazing savory and sweet flavor, these little vegetables are packed with all sorts of nutritional benefits.  Loads of fiber, iron, and calcium, as well as vitamins B and C.   In addition, they are a great source of beta-carotene, which is a powerful antioxidant.  There are multiple ways to cook up sweet potatoes too, make sure to check out my mashed sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potato Casserole Ingredients

There are two primary sections of this recipe, the sweet potato portion, and marshmallow meringue.  For the sweet potatoes you  will need:

• Sweet Potatoes – unlike Yams, sweet potatoes have red flesh and are orange on the inside.  Yams are brown on the outside and white on the inside (the outside flesh looks like tree bark). Both have a starchy taste and texture, however, sweet potatoes (like their name) are much sweeter.
• Butter – Typically with savory recipes, it is ok to use salted or unsalted butter.  You can always adjust the salt levels at the end by adding more salt.
• Dark Brown Sugar – Dark brown sugar contains more molasses and subsequently has a deeper flavor than light brown sugar.
• Nutmeg
• Cinnamon
• Cayenne Pepper
• Eggs
• Vanilla
• Kosher Salt – Kosher salt will have a little more texture than table salt.
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper

For the Marshmallow Meringue

• Egg White
• Granulated Sugar
• Cream of Tartar
• Vanilla

How to Prepare Sweet Potato Casserole

Start by preparing the sweet potatoes.   Place the sweet potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake them in the oven for 70-80 minutes.  They should be very tender when they are done.  Use a knife to pierce a hole in the top to let them vent.  Let them cool for 15-20 minutes or until they are safe to handle.  Peel the skin back and scoop out the insides.  Place the contents into a food processor and add in the brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, eggs, vanilla, salt, and pepper.   Pour the contents into a greased casserole dish and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are set.

While the potatoes are baking, you can prepare the marshmallow meringue.  Heat a saucepan filled with water.   While the water is heating, add the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar to a medium bowl.  Place the bowl over the water and whisk constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the eggs are warm.  Remove the bowl from heat and with a hand mixer, mix on low, gradually increasing the speed over the course of 5-6 minutes.  The mixture should start to set up, slowly forming soft peaks.  If after 6 minutes you do not have soft peaks, slowly add in additional sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time.

Pour the marshmallow mixture over the top of the sweet potatoes and spread into an even layer.   Increase the temperature of the oven to broil and place the dish the oven for 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Don’t go far, it will start to brown right away. As soon as it starts to brown you will want to remove it from the oven.  Serve immediately.

Variations for This Recipe

Yes, you can absolutely just use mini marshmallows on top of this sweet potato casserole. Add them at the same time you would add the meringue and follow recipe directions

Looking for More Side Dish Recipes

Looking for more side dish options?  Check out some of my favorite dishes!

• Corn Casserole
• Slow Cooker Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
• Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Asparagus
• Maple Bacon Carrots
• Roasted Parmesan Green Beans

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Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole is the perfect holiday side dish.  Savory and sweet combine in such a unique way!  Creamy mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar, topped with a homemade marshmallow meringue!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Sweet Potato Casserole, Sweet Potatoes

Prep Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

Sweet Potatoes

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 5-6 large sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Marshmallow Meringue

• 4 egg whites, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

Sweet Potatoes

1. Place sweet potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet, and bake until soft, (about 70-80 minutes).
2. Pierce the top of each potato with a knife and let cool for 15-20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle.
3. Scoop out the inside of each sweet potato (discard the skins) and place the contents into the bowl of a food processor.
4. Add brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, eggs, vanilla, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.

5. Pour mixture into a greased 11x7 casserole dish.

6. Transfer casserole dish to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are set. While sweet potatoes are baking, prepare the marshmallow meringue.

Marshmallow Meringue

1. Bring a saucepan filled with water to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to simmer.
3. In a medium bowl, add egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar. Whisk together.
4. Place the bowl over the saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved (about 3 to 4 minutes)
5. Remove from heat.

6. With an electric mixer, beat the mixture until smooth and soft peaks form (about 5-6 minutes). If peaks do not form after 6 minutes, slowly add in 1 teaspoon of sugar at a time, continue mixing and repeat until it begins to firm up.

7. Add in the remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

Assemble

1. Once the sweet potatoes have baked, change the oven temperature from 375° F to Broil.

2. Carefully top the cooked sweet potatoes with the marshmallow meringue in an even layer (the pan will be hot).

3. Broil until marshmallow meringue is browned (30 seconds to 2 minutes). The meringue should be golden brown.

4. Serve hot.