This sweet potato casserole is made by topping creamy baked sweet potatoes with a savory pancetta, sage, and pecan crumble. It’s the perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish and the ultimate blend of salty and sweet.
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Put a Savory Spin on Your Sweet Potato Casserole This Year
Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite veggies ever, and I eat quite a bit of them once fall arrives. I love ’em all kinds of ways. Mashed with maple syrup and smoky chipotle peppers, whipped into a sweet and fluffy soufflé for a decadent treat, and of course, baked twice is just as nice.
At Thanksgiving, you typically see two types of sweet potato casserole: one with brûléed mini marshmallows (admittedly delicious but ultimately too much like dessert for me), or one with a sugary pecan topping (much like the one you find on coffee cakes).
My sweet potato casserole recipe features the creamy sweet potato mash you know and love, but the topping has a twist. It has an addictive savory-sweet crumble, with aromatic sage, salty pancetta, and black pepper mixed with brown sugar pecans. It just doesn’t get better than this when it comes to Thanksgiving side dishes.
Enjoy!
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Sweet potatoes — Baked for maximum flavor.
- Butter — Gets mixed in with the sweet potatoes and in the streusel.
- Half-and-half — You can sub in whole milk or heavy cream, if needed.
- Light brown sugar — Use dark brown for more molasses flavor.
- Eggs — Eggs work as a binder here, helping hold the sweet potato mixture together. Skip the egg if you like and the casserole may not hold together as well, but will likely be just as delicious.
- All-Purpose Flour — Gives the savory crumble some shape and body (and prevents it from just being a melted sugary mess).
- Pancetta — Adds a nice savory bite to the topping. Try bacon if you can’t find pancetta.
- Pecans — Or give walnuts a try.
- Fresh sage — Adds nice, unexpected aromatics to the dish. Don’t sub ground sage, which is much more potent in flavor.
How to Make a Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
- Bake the sweet potatoes. Pop the skin-on, whole sweet potatoes into a 400°F oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour. You want the sweet potatoes to be really soft so they’re easy to mash.
Heidi’s Tip: If you want to boil your sweet potatoes instead, peel and quarter them, then place them in a large saucepan, cover them with water, and bring them to a boil. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender, and cooked through.
- Make your savory crumble. The sweet and savory topping is what makes this dish shine. Cook the pancetta until crisp, cool, then add to the pecans, brown sugar, flour, sage, and kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Use your hands to work the butter into the mix until everything is coated and clinging into clumps.
- Mix the yams, eggs, half and half, and more brown sugar with the salt and pepper. Use a whisk if you’re feeling strong, or an electric hand mixer bring this mixture together quickly.
- Let’s casserole. Load the sweet potato mixture into a 9 X 13-inch casserole dish. You could use a smaller dish, but I like to spread it out so that when the crumble is added to the top, there’s plenty of crunch to go around.
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can prepare elements of this sage and pecan sweet potato casserole ahead of time, or you can assemble the entire casserole the day before baking. Here are your options:
- Sweet potatoes — Can be baked up to 3 days in advance. Remove the skins, mash, and store airtight in the fridge.
- Savory crumble topping — Prepare as instructed and store airtight for up to 2 days in the frdige.
- Entire casserole — Assemble as instructed, seal tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. Set on the counter for about 30 minutes before baking so it doesn’t go into the oven when it’s still super cold.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Savory Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 pounds sweet potatoes , about 5-6 sweet potatoes
- 8 tablespoons butter , softened at room temperature
- ½ cup half and half or whole milk
- ¼ cup light brown sugar , can also use dark
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 large eggs
For the Savory Crumble
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup diced pancetta , 4 ounces
- 1 cup unsalted pecans , coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage . coarsely chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Place the potatoes on a baking sheet, whole with the skin on, and cook in a 400°F oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour (depending on the size), or until very soft and the peels are papery and pulling away from the flesh. Use a cake tester or long skewer to test for tenderness. Once the sweet potatoes are tender, remove them from the oven and rest until you can easily peel the jackets from the potatoes, then discard the peel. Reduce the oven temp to 350°F.
- While the potatoes bake, make the savory crumble. Heat a small skillet over medium and cook the diced pancetta, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes or until crisp. Use a slotted spatula to transfer pancetta to a paper towel to drain. Add 4 tablespoons of the butter to a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted. To the melted butter, add the brown sugar, flour, pecans, chopped sage, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper, and use your hands to combine. Set aside
- Add the peeled sweet potatoes to a large bowl. Use an electric hand mixer or potato masher to mash them well. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of softened butter, half and half, brown sugar, and salt, and mix well. Whisk in the eggs. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired. Transfer the mixture to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and evenly sprinkle the crumble mixture overtop. Place in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
- If you don’t want any savory components, add some cinnamon, vanilla extract, and nutmeg to the sweet potato mixture and omit the pancetta and sage.
- Try rosemary or thyme instead of sage (or try a combo of all 3)
- Use bacon instead of pancetta or omit to make this vegetarian
- Swap the pecans for walnuts or omit the nuts if you have an allergy or don’t care for them
What to Serve With Sweet Potato Casserole
- Juicy Turkey Breast
- Cranberry Sauce
- Classic Stuffing
- Herb Butter Rotisserie Turkey
- 40 Cloves of Garlic Roast Chicken
- Juicy Grilled Pork Chops
- Crispy Buttermilk Chicken Tenders
- Glazed Ham
- Corn Pudding Casserole
More Sweet Potato Side Dish Ideas
- Sweet Potato Soufflé
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Old-Fashioned Candied Sweet Potatoes
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Sabrina
very nice use of sweet potatoes! Pancetta and pecan crumble, tops it nicely, thank you!