{"id":17241,"date":"2019-11-25T11:28:48","date_gmt":"2019-11-25T17:28:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bowlofdelicious.com\/?p=17241"},"modified":"2019-11-25T11:28:48","modified_gmt":"2019-11-25T17:28:48","slug":"sweet-potato-casserole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bowlofdelicious.com\/sweet-potato-casserole\/","title":{"rendered":"Sweet Potato Casserole with Almond Streusel Topping"},"content":{"rendered":"

This Sweet Potato Casserole<\/strong> recipe is easy to make ahead of time up to three days! It’s topped with the most deliciously crunchy almond streusel topping<\/strong>, with NO marshmallows. And it’s not too sweet<\/strong> – this recipe uses only a little bit of maple syrup and brown sugar, and plenty of butter, with vanilla and cinnamon for extra flavor.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Close<\/p>\n

It may be an unpopular opinion, but I DON’T like marshmallows on sweet potato casserole. I mean, is this dinner or dessert? You have a gorgeous roast turkey, creamy homemade mashed potatoes, gravy, and then… marshmallows? Really? It just doesn’t make sense to me.<\/p>\n

Instead of marshmallows, this recipe tops the sweet potato filling with a toasty almond streusel topping. (Of course, no judgement. Do what makes you happy.)<\/em><\/p>\n

Along the same lines, I prefer a sweet potato casserole that isn’t overly sweet. Sweet potatoes, as their name would indicate, are already pretty sweet. Why is why they’re great in sweet potato pie<\/a> – an ACTUAL dessert.<\/p>\n

This sweet potato casserole recipe uses just a little pure maple syrup in the filling, with some brown sugar in the crunchy streusel topping. It has just the right amount of added sweetness, without being too dessert-like. And the flavors are well-balanced by using salted butter, a little cream, pure vanilla extract, and cinnamon, so you don’t NEED a ton of sugar.<\/p>\n

In addition to using less sugar, steaming the sweet potatoes rather than boiling them results in more nutrients overall, for a healthier result than other recipes.<\/p>\n

How to make sweet potato casserole with a streusel topping<\/h2>\n

Just make the sweet potato filling, spread it in a baking dish, top with the streusel, and bake! Here are the details.<\/p>\n

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  1. Steam the sweet potatoes<\/strong> until they are tender. Make sure to peel them, since you want the filling to be pretty smooth. This takes about 20 minutes, so you can multi-task and prep everything else while they cook. \"Steaming<\/li>\n
  2. Whisk some eggs, heavy cream, melted butter, vanilla extract, salt, and maple syrup together<\/strong> in a large bowl. Sweet potato casserole is similar to a custard in its ingredients, which is why you need things like eggs.<\/li>\n
  3. Make the streusel topping<\/strong> <\/strong>by mixing together some flour, brown sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon. Then, use your hands to mix in some sliced almonds. The base of the streusel topping is quite thick, so it’s hard to mix with a spoon. You could also use a pastry cutter.<\/li>\n
  4. Once the sweet potatoes are cooked, add them to the egg and cream mixture and use a potato masher to mash them with the other ingredients.<\/strong> You could also use an electric mixer to make it super smooth, but I like there to be small chunks of sweet potatoes for a more rustic texture.\"Mashing<\/li>\n
  5. Spread the potato mixture in a buttered baking dish, then top evenly with the streusel. <\/strong>Then, bake!\"Assembling<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Can I use another nut, or make it nut-free?<\/h2>\n

    YES! You can use any kind of nut you want really- chopped pecans or walnuts, or another kind of almond like slivered or chopped whole almonds.<\/p>\n

    If you want to make a nut-free streusel topping, simply sub out the nuts for sunflower seeds and\/or pumpkin seeds. Or (sigh)<\/em> use marshmallows.<\/p>\n

    Do I have to steam the sweet potatoes?<\/h2>\n

    Nope! You can bake them and scoop out the flesh, you can boil them, microwave them… however you want to cook them, go for it!<\/p>\n

    The reason why I steam them is because it’s really easy and a little healthier than boiling. Why? Because when you boil sweet potatoes (or any vegetable)<\/em>, some of their nutrients are lost in the water. When you steam them, more nutrients stay intact.<\/p>\n

    \"A<\/p>\n

    Can I make sweet potato casserole ahead of time?<\/h2>\n

    Absolutely! You can prepare this up to three days in advance.<\/p>\n

    Just make the filling and spread in a prepared baking dish, and mix up the streusel topping separately and store in your fridge. Just before baking, sprinkle the streusel on top. You may need to bake for a few more minutes, since you’re starting out cold.<\/p>\n

    Alternatively, you can make this sweet potato casserole the morning of Thanksgiving and let it sit out on your counter for a few hours before serving. It’s delicious warm or at room temperature, so no need to warm it back up or anything!<\/p>\n

    Can you freeze sweet potato casserole?<\/h2>\n

    If you want to prep sweet potato casserole a month or so in advance, you definitely can! Here’s the one rule for freezing sweet potato casserole: leave the toppings off<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    Make the filling and spread it in a prepared baking dish. Then, cover it tightly. You may want to use an airtight lid that fits the baking dish, or line it with foil or plastic wrap spread across the surface. I recommend writing a note with the topping amounts and instructions and the baking time, so you can just get right to it when you want to bake instead of hunting for a recipe.<\/p>\n

    Thaw the casserole overnight in the fridge, remove any wrapping or covering, top with the topping, and bake as directed!<\/p>\n

    \"A<\/p>\n

    Other sweet potato recipes<\/h2>\n