Sweet Potato Pecan Crisp

When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, I think most of us would say, “Don’t get fancy on me, just make the standards really special.” That’s why this down-home sweet potato dish is always a big hit. It’s an old southern specialty that graces almost every holiday table. Your mom would probably call it a sweet potato casserole.

My version is a little more “gourmet” than most (only in that nothing in it comes out of a can and there are no marshmallows) but I promise it has all the same comfort and appeal as Mom’s.

Sweet potatoes are gently boiled and mashed, stirred with butter and brown sugar, then baked with a crumbly, crunchy pecan streusel topping.

Like most sweet potato dishes, this one straddles the line between sweet and savory.  It goes with dinner but you might be inclined to eat it for dessert.

It’s “that dish,” the one everyone reaches their fork into long after the meal is done. One more bite here, one more bite there…come to think of it, you might want to double the recipe.

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Sweet Potato Pecan Crisp
Printable Recipe

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

For Sweet Potato Mixture
3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 large), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg

For Topping
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
⅓ cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add sweet potatoes and cook until soft and tender, 20 – 25 minutes. Drain and let cool.

3. In the meantime, make the topping: Melt the butter in a small pan over low heat. Off the heat, add brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon and mix until well combined. It should look a little lumpy. Stir in chopped nuts.

4. In a large bowl, mash sweet potatoes with a large fork until very smooth. Add remaining sweet potato mixture ingredients and mix well. Set aside.

5. Place sweet potato mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. Spread topping evenly over sweet potato mixture and bake for about 40 minutes, or until topping is nicely browned. Let cool slightly before serving.