Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

My Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe with Marshmallows is a classic Thanksgiving side dish that just screams Thanksgiving! Fresh sweet potatoes are cooked and mashed with brown sugar and cinnamon, then spread in a casserole dish and topped with ooey-gooey marshmallows!

For year upon year I refused to eat sweet potatoes. I would casually pick away the marshmallow topping, but to actually put the orange stuff in my mouth was just not going to happen. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas it was the same – I’ll pass on the sweet potato casserole thank you very much.

Becoming an adult does funny things to you though, like making you feel all grown up and like you can take on anything – even tasting the aforementioned sweet potato casserole, with marshmallows of course. I did, and I fell in love. This is that casserole and now it’s your turn to fall in love!

HOW TO MAKE SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

My mom was made the sweet potato casserole with marshmallows for our holiday gatherings each year. She tells me that she basically just mashed up sweet potatoes, added a little salt and threw a bunch of marshmallows on top. According to my dad there were never enough marshmallows – that was the running joke in our family.

To take that casserole completely over the top, I’ve added a few things to sweeten it up and make it extra creamy. This is the only Sweet Potato Casserole recipe that I will eat!

Another note about this casserole – it’s a great Thanksgiving Dinner make ahead recipe! Just refrigerate the potato mixture in the casserole dish overnight and leave off the marshmallows until you’re ready to bake. Add the marshmallows halfway through the baking.

What is the Best Way to Cook a Sweet Potato for a Casserole?

Sweet potatoes are cooked just like a regular russet or other type of potato. For a sweet potato casserole recipe, you don’t need a crispy skin so boiling without the skin is the easiest method to use.

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce the heat and boil the peeled sweet potatoes until they are nice and tender. It takes about 20 minutes, then you will drain the water off.
2. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher (or a hand mixer for no lumps) until smooth. I personally like the lumps as they give a little it of added texture.

Sweet potatoes can also be baked like these Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes or cut up and baked into fries.

How toBuy Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes are available year round in most places, but in abundance during the fall and early winter. You want to look for small to medium sized potatoes, which are going to be sweet and creamy. The skin of the sweet potato should be firm, smooth and even in color. The darker the skin, the richer in flavor the potato will be.

Are Sweet Potatoes Healthy?

While sweet potatoes have a little more natural sugar than regular potatoes, they are really high in fiber and other nutrients. Sweet potatoes are a good choice for a healthy side dish! They provide essential nutrients, fiber and they taste good too!

More Thanksgiving Side Dish ideas:

• Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
• Best Mashed Potatoes (Make Ahead)
• Baked Macaroni and Cheese
• One Hour Dinner Rolls (From Scratch!)
• Cheesy Broccoli Casserole
• Honey Roasted Carrots
• Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus
• Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Tools used to make this Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

Hand mixer – Helpful for beating the sweet potatoes to a creamy consistency, and also perfect for shredding chicken or beating cream cheese. Love this brand because it’s got it’s own storage case to keep the beaters handy and the cord stowed away.

9-inch Baking Dish – This ceramic dish is a beautiful as it is useful. Cooks evenly and goes swiftly from oven to table.

Jet-Puffed Mini Marshmallows – This is one ingredient I won’t skimp on – Jet Puffed marshmallows for the win!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe is a classic Thanksgiving side dish that just screams Thanksgiving! Fresh sweet potatoes are cooked and mashed with brown sugar and cinnamon, then spread in a casserole dish and topped with ooey-gooey marshmallows!

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Author: Kristin

Ingredients

• 3 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and roughly cubed
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter melted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups large marshmallows
• Toasted Pecans for garnish optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and boil sweet potatoes until fork tender; about 20 minutes. Drain.
• Mash the sweet potatoes with a potato masher until smooth. (Use a hand mixer if you want absolutely smooth with no lumps).
• Stir in brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and salt until well combined. Add the milk a small amount at a time to reach desired consistency.
• Spray an 11-inch x 7-inch (medium sized) casserole baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spread sweet potatoes evenly in the prepared casserole dish and top with a layer of the marshmallows.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until marshmallows are golden brown.
• Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with toasted pecans.

Notes

If you find the marshmallows are starting to burn, remove the casserole from the oven sooner. You just need the casserole to be hot throughout, so there's no worry about under-cooking anything.

To make this ahead of time: 

Refrigerate the potato mixture in the casserole dish overnight and leave off the marshmallows until you're ready to bake. Add 5-10 minutes to the baking times and add the marshmallows halfway through the baking to avoid burning.

Kristin

Hi! I’m Kristin, the creative mind behind Yellow Bliss Road where you will be inspired by tons of easy to follow recipes, lots of free printables, and a little sprinkling of life thrown in for good measure.