A Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe for Every Thanksgiving Table
From super-sweet to savory, salty, and cheesy, there's a casserole for everyone.
While sweet potatoes have always been a Thanksgiving staple, these sweet potato casserole recipes prove you don't need to follow one formula (or recipe) for the iconic dish to feel festive. You can simply mash your sweet spuds, then serve with a pinch of salt and drizzle of gravy, sure. But the beauty of this Thanksgiving side comes from topping those mashed spuds with a contrasting crunchy—or sticky—topping.
Many American tables feature the classic dish topped with a gooey layer of toasted marshmallows. (Fun fact: This idea came from a marketing ploy. In the early 1900s, the Angelus Marshmallow Company hired a recipe developer to come up with creative ways to sell more marshmallows—and voilà, the sweet potato casserole was born.) But many families are experimenting and topping spuds with grated cheese, crunchy nuts, or a layer of sticky-sweet brown sugar.
We rounded up some of our favorite ways to take your sweet potato casserole to the next level. These dishes feel festive and familiar, but have dimension. Get ready to discover a new favorite recipe that'll wow your guests and you'll want to serve for years to come.
Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
Introducing, the (not so) sweet potato casserole—perfect for anyone who craves something that skews more savory. We replaced the marshmallows with a mix of buttery breadcrumbs, toasty pecans, and fresh herbs for a side that’s far from traditional, and all about contrast and texture. When one of our coworkers tried it, she said it tasted like "sweet potatoes topped with stuffing, in the best way."
Get the Savory Sweet Potato Casserole recipe.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Homemade Marshmallow
Forgot to pick up a bag of marshmallows from the store? No stress! It's surprisingly easy to create your own marshmallow meringue topping with only a few ingredients. And don't worry; you'll still have all the sticky-sweet, gooey vibes you'd expect from a marshmallow-studded casserole.
Get the Sweet Potato Casserole with Homemade Marshmallow recipe from Country Living.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Brown-Sugared Pecans
Candied nuts offer the best of both worlds—a little sweetness for anyone who loves a marshmallow topping, but a little saltiness and crunch for the people who find marshmallows to be too cloying. We introduced a touch of heat (read: cayenne) to this nut mixture, which really adds a nice element.
Get the Sweet Potato Casserole with Brown-Sugared Pecans recipe from Woman's Day.
Mini Sweet Potato Soufflés
Sometimes you long for a topping-to-mash ratio that skews in favor of the latter, and sometimes you just don't want to share—is that too much to ask for? These mini casseroles, made in individual ramekins, will satisfy both those cravings. Each one is topped with a rich, buttery pecan crumble.
Get the Mini Sweet Potato Soufflés recipe from Delish.
Cheesy Sweet Potato Casserole
There are few scenarios where we've regretted adding cheese to a dish—especially when a broiler is involved. This recipe, featuring a combination of grated Gruyere and panko, proves that, yes, cheese can level up almost any dish.
Get the Cheesy Sweet Potato Casserole recipe from Delish.
Trish (she/her) is the deputy food editor at Good Housekeeping, where she covers all things food, from cooking trends and delicious recipes to top-tested kitchen products and grocery finds. She has more than a decade of experience writing about food for GH, Women’s Health, Prevention, Redbook, Woman’s Day, The Daily Meal and Food Network. When she’s not at the supermarket or trying out a new recipe, you can find her at the beach, in her backyard or on the couch — typically with a glass of wine in hand.
Tina Martinez (she/her) is the food producer for the Hearst Lifestyle Group. Her work for Good Housekeeping includes recipe development and testing as well as food styling. She also brings the Kitchen & Cooking Lab’s expertise to GH’s popular “I Tried It” series, where she tests viral recipes and food trends. She has worked in the food industry since 2007, with experience as a restaurant line cook, culinary educator, and food stylist for editorial, digital, and television platforms. Tina now lives in Westchester with her husband after leaving Brooklyn for a little more suburban greenery. When she’s not cooking, she enjoys discovering local breweries, hiking in national parks, and digging for treasures at thrift stores. Instagram: @tina.d.martinez TikTok: @tinadmartinez
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