Sweet Potato Casserole with a Pecan and Gingersnap Praline Topping

Sweet Potato Casserole with a Pecan and Gingersnap Praline Topping ~ Another simple and delicious Thanksgiving side dish.

There are a few classic dishes that make Thanksgiving for me and my family, this is one of them. I have to admit when I first met Matt his Thanksgiving tendencies was for dressing  and turkey; that’s it–no more, no less. You can imagine for a foodie like me that was a bit shocking. Since that time, he has slowly adopted some of my favorites. This Sweet Potato Casserole with a Pecan and Gingersnap Praline Topping is definitely one of them. In fact it’s such a hit his family insists that I bring it every year.

What’s not to like—the creamy sweetness of the sweet pototoes is perfectly paired with a crunchy praline topping that is made with some crushed gingersnaps for an added kick. Its an easy side dish for Thanksgiving, and the best part, you can make this ahead of time.

A few notes:

• Roast the sweet potatoes and toast the pecans, as it makes a huge difference in flavor.
• If you want to omit the gingersnap kick, replace it with some graham crackers crumbs.
• If you do not like buttermilk, you can change it out for heavy cream or for a lower fat version whole milk will work just as well.
• You can use a 13×9 pan or break it up into small dishes like the picture.
• To save time make your sweet potato base up to three days in advance.
• You can shortcut the hectic Thanksgiving day even more by assembling the dish completely and reheating it the day of at 325 for 20-25 minutes.

Sweet Potatoes with a Pecan and Gingersnap Praline Topping

Serves 10-12 people

Ingredients:

Casserole:

• 6 large sweet potatoes, approximately 5 cups
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons butter

Pecan and Gingersnap Praline Topping:

• 1 cup of pecans, toasted and chopped
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup gingersnaps, crumbs (crumbed in a food processor or place gingersnaps in a Ziplock and crush with a rolling pin)
• pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons of honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted

Instructions:

Casserole:

1. Wash and scrub sweet potatoes. Using a fork, pierce sweet potatoes through out and place on a bake sheet lined with foil and then covered loosely with a second sheet of foil. Bake at 400 for about 45-60 minutes or until sweet potatoes are fork tender.
2. Scrap out sweet potato flesh and add to a bowl with remaining ingredients and beat on medium low until blended. Pour mixture into a 13×9 oven proof dish and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until top turns slightly brown. The dish can be prepared three days in advance up to this point.

Pecan and Gingersnap Praline Topping:

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse 3-4 times in  three seconds bursts.

Assembly:

1. Pour praline topping on baked sweet potatoes and place in a 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes or until top darkens. Top will become more crisp as it cools. *Dish can be prepared up to this point one day ahead. Reheat completed dish  for 25 minutes in a 325 degree F heated oven.*