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Sweet Potato Casserole

BySharla Hours Posted on Hours Updated on

Your favorite Thanksgiving side dish just go so much easier. Did you know you can make it ahead? Our freezer-ready Sweet Potato Casserole is simple to make, easy to bake, and super tasty to eat! It’s a fan favorite on our holiday table and a special treat any time of year.

The top half of the image shows mashed ingredients in a freezer quality bag. The bottom half of the images shows the baked casserole. In the middle, text reads "make ahead sweet potato casserole."

Honestly, anything that makes my holiday cooking easier is a necessity around here. With so much going on, the last thing I want to do when everyone comes to visit is spend all my time in the kitchen away from my people!

Instead, I make ahead as much as I can and then enjoy the day with my family as much as possible.

Besides this sweet potato casserole, other side dishes you can make ahead for the big meal include Homemade Creamed Corn, Maple Roasted Dill Carrots, Make Ahead Stuffing, and Make Ahead Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 sweet potato, medium
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
  • red pepper flakes
  • 1 large (gallon) freezer bag or reusable silicone bag

How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole

Assembly Instructions

  1. Place aluminum foil at the bottom of the oven to catch drips.
  2. Heat oven to 350°F.
  3. Place the sweet potatoes (in the skin) directly on the middle rack.
  4. Bake for at least an hour (until a fork can easily poke into the thickest part).
  5. Take the aluminum foil out of the oven and place on counter.
  6. Put the sweet potatoes on top to cool for at least 5 minutes.
  7. Remove the skin and place into a large bowl.
  8. Mash.
  9. Add butter, brown sugar, and spices and stir.
  10. Place in a large resealable freezer bag.
  11. Remove excess air. Seal and freeze.
All of the ingredients for the Sweet Potato Casserole dish in a freezer quality bag: mashed sweet potatoes, butter, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, Cajun seasoning, red pepper flakes.

Cooking Instructions

  1. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
  2. Transfer contents of freezer bag to a greased casserole dish.
  3. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
A collage image showing the steps of the process. Wrapping the sweet potatoes in foil, opening the foil, mashing them in a bowl, the ingredients in a freezer quality bag, the baked casserole dish and plated Sweet Potato Casserole with rice and meat.

Can I use yams?

Yes. Yams and sweet potatoes are basically variations of the same thing. You will get a very similar result. You could also use butternut squash or pumpkin in this recipe and get a similar result.

Where are the marshmallows?

If you want to top the casserole with miniature marshmallows and place under the broiler for one minute, you can.

Can I leave out the Cajun seasoning and/or the red pepper flakes?

Yes, this is a personal preference. However, we find that just a bit of red pepper flakes (or ancho chili powder as a substitute) actually elevates the sweetness without bringing much heat. If you want actual heat in the dish, you can always increase the red pepper flakes as well. I always recommend trying the recipe the way it is written once just to learn what was intended.

Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe Ideas

While we give instructions for how to bake sweet potatoes and make the whole dish from scratch, it’s also the perfect dish to make from leftover sweet potatoes!

Sweeten up the deal. You can make the dish more dessert like just by topping each warm serving with ice cream or whipped cream. You can also cover it in marshmallow fluff and let it caramlize it in the oven for one or two minutes.

This dish is great for making ahead for holiday dinners such as Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. Having a stash in the freezer makes one less holiday stressor come the big day.

You can use an Instant Pot for the initial cooking of the sweet potatoes. Put the whole, peeled sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot on a trivet, with a cup of water in the bottom. Set to high pressure for 25 minutes. When the times is up, release the pressure and you will have soft sweet potatoes ready to mash.

Plated sweet potato casserole with rice and meat on a yellow plate and dark green background.

How do I store Sweet Potato Casserole?

All cooked dishes like this need to be refrigerated to be kept. Put it in a plastic sealed container and you can enjoy the leftovers for several days, hot or cold.

What to Serve with Sweet Potato Casserole

Perfect as a side dish for almost any grilled meat, baked or roasted meat, or smoked meat, sweet potato casserole can be served alongside salad and bread to round out the meal. High in nutrition, sweet potatoes are also so tasty you can’t believe they are good for you!

Print
Sweet Potato Casserole
Prep Time
1 hr 20 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 5 mins
 
Servings: 6
Calories: 224 kcal
Ingredients
  • 4 sweet potato, medium
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 3 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
  • red pepper flakes
Instructions
Assembly Instructions

  1. Place aluminum foil at the bottom of the oven to catch drips.

  2. Heat oven to 350°F.
  3. Place the sweet potatoes (in the skin) directly on the middle rack.
  4. Bake for at least an hour (until a fork can easily poke into the thickest part).
  5. Take the aluminum foil out of the oven and place on counter.
  6. Put the sweet potatoes on top to cool for at least 5 minutes.
  7. Remove the skin and place into a large bowl.
  8. Mash.
  9. Add butter, brown sugar, and spices and stir.
  10. Place in a large resealable freezer bag.
  11. Remove excess air. Seal and freeze.
Cooking Instructions
  1. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
  2. Transfer contents of freezer bag to a greased casserole dish.

  3. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Sharla is a busy mom of 7 who is passionate about sharing her best secret to saving time, money, and stress… freezer meals. Read more…