Vanilla Sweet Potato Casserole (2024)

FAQs

How do you know when your sweet potato casserole is done? ›

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.

Maple syrup, a dash of cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla all make an appearance for an incredible flavor. It's hearty and satisfying. Eggs and cream help stabilize the dish and prevent it from becoming too runny (a common complaint with many sweet potato casserole recipes).

All-purpose flour will help thicken the sauce and give some structure. Maple syrup balances the sweetness and adds flavor. All granulated sugar can be too sweet.

If your sweet potato casserole turned out “watery”, its usually because you forgot to add eggs; you didn't let your casserole have enough time to set up after baking or you used fresh sweet potatoes and didn't boil them long enough before mashing.

Things to look for include whether the top has browned and crisped, if the sauce is "bubbling," and if the liquid has significantly decreased. If you still see a lot of liquid, Kitchen Seer suggests raising your oven's temperature by a few degrees to help it dissipate a little quicker.

Poking a casserole with a toothpick or a fork to see if it comes out clean is a helpful way to know what's happening in the center. Shaking the pan will also tell you if everything is cooked and set.

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.

Pro Tip: Avoid Dry Casserole.

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.

Canned or frozen sweet potatoes may be substituted for the fresh form in any recipe calling for cooked sweet potatoes as the starting point. Canned sweet potatoes are generally smaller in diameter because of their better canning qualities.

Is sweet potato casserole supposed to be jiggly? ›

Sprinkle the pecan topping mixture over the top of the sweet potato filling. Bake the casserole for 35 to 45 minutes, until the filling is hot, does not jiggle when you shake the dish, and the topping has browned.

I prefer to roast my potatoes, but feel free to boil them or cook them in a slow cooker if that is easiest for you. The filling will sometimes look runny before it it baked, but will firm up some after cooking in the oven.

A good yogurt sauce can make a sweet potato complete, but of course you can always pile on other toppings, too. Drizzle your potato with yogurt sauce, then top with crumbled cooked sausage, especially spicy merguez or chorizo. Or, if you have any leftover roasted or braised meat, shred or chop it and crisp in a pan.

The main reasons for soggy sweet potato wedges are: overcrowding the baking sheet, not tossing in enough oil, having too thick sized wedges, and not roasting at a high enough heat.

Just be careful not to overcook your sweet potato, since cooking it for too long can lead to a loss of nutrients, she says. Keep in mind, too, that a serving size of sweet potato is typically ½ cup, about the size of a computer mouse or your cupped palm.

Let It Rest

Allow the casserole to cool on the counter for 15 minutes after it comes out of the oven. Doing this means "the boiling juices have time to settle, and your casserole won't be served as a drippy soup," says LaClair.

If the potato is still firm when squeezed, that means it needs to cook more. Baked sweet potatoes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat for 2 minutes in the microwave, at 400°F in the air fryer for 5 minutes, or at 400°F in the oven for 10 minutes.