Description

This Marshmallow-Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole is a decadent holiday side dish combining tender, creamy sweet potatoes infused with spiced cream and topped with toasted marshmallows and crunchy roasted pecans. The casserole is baked until hot and finished under the broiler for a perfectly caramelized, golden-brown marshmallow crust. It offers a delightful balance of sweet and savory flavors with a rich texture contrast between the smooth potato base and crunchy nuts.

Ingredients

Scale

Sweet Potato Mixture

4 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed (about 2 ½ pounds)
½ cup heavy cream
3 bay leaves, preferably fresh
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing pan
1 to 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 large eggs, at room temperature

Topping

20 large marshmallows, cut in half lengthwise (about 5 ounces)
½ cup roasted salted pecans

Instructions

Preheat Oven and Prepare Sweet Potatoes: Arrange an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler and a second in the center. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil. Prick sweet potatoes several times with a fork and place on the pan.
Bake Sweet Potatoes: Bake the potatoes on the center rack until fork-tender, approximately 1 to 1½ hours. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
Infuse Cream: In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream with bay leaves and black pepper until just bubbling at the edges and steaming. Remove from heat and let steep until fragrant and potatoes are cool enough to handle.
Prepare Potato Mixture: Peel the sweet potatoes by hand, discarding the skins. Place the flesh into a large bowl. Pour the infused cream over the potatoes, straining out and discarding the bay leaves. Add butter, brown sugar, and kosher salt, then whisk vigorously until smooth and creamy. Season with extra salt and pepper to taste. Let cool slightly.
Mix in Eggs and Assemble: Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and grease a 2-quart shallow casserole dish with butter. Whisk the eggs into the potato mixture until fluffy, about a minute. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared dish. Arrange marshmallow halves cut side down in a single layer over the top, leaving small gaps. Sprinkle roasted pecans evenly over.
Bake Casserole: Bake the assembled casserole until heated through and lightly browned on top, about 20 to 25 minutes. If refrigerated beforehand, allow extra time to fully heat.
Broil Marshmallow Topping: Remove casserole from oven and preheat the broiler. Place the dish under the broiler until the marshmallows are deeply browned and caramelized, about 1 to 2 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning. Serve hot or warm.

Notes

You can prepare the casserole up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate before baking.
To roast pecans if not using pre-roasted, toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until fragrant.
Use fresh bay leaves for best flavor infusion in the cream.
Watch the casserole closely under the broiler as marshmallows can burn very quickly.
If preferred, you can substitute heavy cream with half-and-half for a lighter version, though creaminess will reduce slightly.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Category: Side Dish
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: sweet potato casserole, marshmallow topping, pecan, holiday side dish, baked sweet potatoes, festive casserole