Easy Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe | Julie Blanner (2024)

FAQs

How can I thicken my sweet potato casserole? ›

1 teaspoon of corn starch to 1 cup of casserole liquid, mxi it well and add it to the casserole. Give a good stir and when it bubbles a bit it will thicken. You should always bake sweet potatoes.

Eggs and cream help stabilize the dish and prevent it from becoming too runny (a common complaint with many sweet potato casserole recipes). Make it as smooth or chunky as you like!

Sprinkle the topping evenly over the sweet potato mixture, then pop it into the oven and let it bake for 40 to 45 minutes. You will know it's done when the topping is lightly browned and the center of your casserole is set and firm.

The difference is that sweet potato casserole can either have a toasted marshmallow top or a crunchy brown sugar/nut top and is made with brown sugar in the casserole. Sweet potato pie is made with white sugar, has nothing on top, but can be served with whipped topping.

A really good sweet potato casserole filling should be light and moist, not dense. If it's dense, then you may not have added an often overlooked ingredient—an egg. An egg adds lift, structure and volume and makes the filling more custard-like.

Simply whisk equal parts butter and flour together. Then, roll the thick paste into little teaspoon-sized balls. Add one ball to your casserole at a time, waiting about a minute before adding another one, until you get the right thickness.

Cornstarch is an excellent thickening agent if you want to avoid the taste of a flour mixture. Make sure you mix a solution of cornstarch and water cold, and then add it to your hot dish. Same can be said for flour.

The best way to prevent it from drying out is to add a little bit of water, around ¼ cup, to the top of it. Allow the water to seep between the food and the sides of the baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil to seal in the moisture.

I love to serve this sweet potato casserole as a side dish, alongside roasted turkey and chicken, glazed ham, and perfectly seared steaks. But since the flavors are reminiscent of pumpkin or sweet potato pie, this also makes an excellent dessert.

For cooking purposes, 1 pound of sweet potatoes equals about three medium whole, 2 cups mashed or 3½ to 4 cups chopped.

Can you eat sweet potato casserole left out overnight? ›

Once they've been cooked, however, they should go in a shallow airtight container or zip-top bag in the fridge. They'll stay good there for about five days. Tip: You shouldn't leave cooked sweet potatoes at room temperature for more than two hours, as this can promote bacteria growth and cause foodborne illness.

There is not much difference between boiling sweet potatoes with the skins on versus peeling them, but you will get a boost of fiber and potassium if you keep the skin on. The skin also adds a subtle texture to each bite. If you're looking for a smoother mash, peel the potatoes first before boiling.

Jewel. With copper skin and deep-orange flesh that's moist and tender when cooked, the jewel is a go-to potato for traditional baking and casseroles.

Many contend the traditional southern dish is 100 percent a dessert, because its served in a pie crust. But others argue sweet potatoes are vegetables, regardless of the crust, and nobody considers meat pies dessert.

The three main thickening agents for gravies are flour, cornflour and arrowroot. The first two are normally used in savoury dishes while arrowroot tends to be used in sweet dishes – that said, arrowroot will work in a savoury dish as it has no flavour.

A little cornstarch mixed in should thicken it as it cooks. For a normal-family-sized dish, maybe about 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch sprinkled over the top (to reduce lumps, don't just dump it in) then mixed in. For a larger 'pot-luck sized' dish, add a bit more.

Not baking the sweet potatoes.

Many recipes for sweet potato pie call for steaming or boiling the sweet potatoes before making the filling. This leads to water-logged sweet potatoes. Instead, baking sweet potatoes whole concentrates their flavor and sweetness.