Sweet Potato Casserole

Rating: 4.58 stars
33 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 23
  • 4 star values: 7
  • 3 star values: 2
  • 2 star values: 1
  • 1 star values: 0

This scrumptious sweet potato casserole gets fabulous flavor from honey and freshly grated orange zest rather than the traditional stick of butter. To complete the healthy makeover we sprinkle a crunchy pecan streusel spiked with orange juice concentrate over the top. You can save the marshmallows for s'mores.

Patsy Jamieson
Source: EatingWell Magazine, Fall 2004

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Recipe Summary

total:
1 hr 15 mins
Servings:
10
Nutrition Profile:
Heart Healthy
High Fiber
Vegetarian
Low Sodium
Healthy Immunity
Nutrition Info
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium heat until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well and return to the pan. Mash with a potato masher. Measure out 3 cups. (Reserve any extra for another use.)

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  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8-inch-square (or similar 2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.

  • Whisk eggs, oil and honey in a medium bowl. Add mashed sweet potato and mix well. Stir in milk, orange zest, vanilla and salt. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish.

  • To prepare topping: Mix flour, brown sugar, orange juice concentrate, oil and butter in a small bowl. Blend with a fork or your fingertips until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle over the casserole.

  • Bake the casserole until heated through and the top is lightly browned, 35 to 45 minutes.

Tips

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 4; cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Per Serving:
238 calories; protein 4.6g 9% DV; carbohydrates 35.7g 12% DV; exchange other carbs 2.5; dietary fiber 4.1g 16% DV; sugars 16.9g; fat 9.3g 14% DV; saturated fat 1.7g 9% DV; cholesterol 40.9mg 14% DV; vitamin a iu 17973.3IU 360% DV; vitamin c 18.3mg 31% DV; folate 17.9mcg 5% DV; calcium 65.4mg 7% DV; iron 1.4mg 8% DV; magnesium 39.4mg 14% DV; potassium 363.5mg 10% DV; sodium 169.1mg 7% DV; thiamin 0.1mg 14% DV; added sugar 9g.
Exchanges:

2 starch
11/2 fat (mono)

Reviews (33)

Read More Reviews
33 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 23
  • 4 star values: 7
  • 3 star values: 2
  • 2 star values: 1
  • 1 star values: 0
Reviews:
Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
11/30/2015
The #1 Side Dish this Thanksgiving I brought this casserole to a Friendsgiving and it was the one recipe that was requested by the group. Everyone loved that it was sweet but not too sweet. A little twist on the traditional dish. Pros: Easy and yummy Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
11/27/2015
This one a keeper - no doubt! I don't need to look any further for a sweet potato recipe. I made this last year and again this year. People go back for seconds want the recipe etc. I use melted coconut oil instead of canola oil and since I don't use cow's milk I tried coconut creamer - great! Pros: Yummy plus super healthy Cons: Not a quick fix dish. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
11/26/2015
Great low fat recipe There may be other sweet potato dishes that fit the bill but this one has been a favorite every thanksgiving for 5 or more years. My mom is on a special diet but she can have this. It is also easy to modify as needed to fit individual needs for example I have made it gluten free. The only change that I consistently make is oven roasting my potatoes whole first. Read More
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EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
12/02/2014
Huge Hit; Loved that I didn't feel tranquilized after I ate it because of the sugar rush. New thanksgiving tradition! This was a big hit at our thanksgiving meal. Everyone raved about it & couldn't believe it had minimal sugar. I took other reviewers' advice about the orange being overpowering & eliminated the orange zest all together & only used 3T of orange juice concentrate in the topping. This was the perfect amount of orange flavor. I also made it the night before & then baked it after we traveled the following day. I would like to try a GF alternative next time- maybe almond flour? Next time I'll bake the potatoes 1st in stead of boiling them. This should retain more of the natural sweetness & maybe I can cut back on the brown sugar in the topping. Too bad I saw this suggestion in the reviews after I had already boiled them! It was still great! Pros: Make ahead of time; still plenty sweet still tastes like sweet potato casserole despite less sugar Cons: None Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
12/01/2013
Delicious! I was looking for a sweet potato casserole that wasn't loaded with butter brown sugar marshmallows... This recipe was fabulous. I made it for Thanksgiving dinner and it was a huge hit - even for my father who despises all things sweet potato. My parents even requested the recipe. It also kept great for leftovers. Read More
ercassidy@tx.rr.com
Rating: 5 stars
11/27/2012
Terrific I love sweet potato casseroles but this one I adore. I was delighted I could make it 2 days early and the topping was crunchy at serving time. Pros: delicious make 2 days early Read More
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EatingWell User
Rating: 2 stars
11/22/2012
Wanted to love it I wanted to really love this. It looked incredible. However the orange flavor was overwhelming and ruined the dish in my opinion. I would make again minus the orange. I would leave it out altogether. Pros: Easy topping was good Cons: Orange flavor too strong Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
11/28/2011
I have made this casserole for several years now and it is always a hit. I use yams instead of sweet potatoes and I bake them instead of boiling they are much sweeter that way. Friends are always asking for the recipe... awsome!!!!! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 3 stars
11/27/2011
Different but good I made this for Thanksgiving this year and probably wouldn't do it again. To be fair- I doubled the recipe so perhaps I should have cut back on the orange zest? The final product looked delicious and I did receive complements but I'm more of a traditionalist when it comes to my sweet potatoes and the orange way over powered the potatoes. LOVED the topping. Pros: Recipe was easy to follow topping was delicious was able to prepare ahead of time looks good Cons: Tasted more orange-y than I would prefer Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 3 stars
11/25/2011
OK for Low-Fat/Low-Calorie This recipe was ok. I made it and took it to our family Thanksgiving dinner. For those who had it they said it was good but I thought it could be a little sweeter. Good choice for the diet concious. I did have a second helping (left-over dinner) but probably won't make again. Pros: Healthy Cons: Not as sweet as traditional Sweet Potato Casserole Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
11/25/2011
add some pumpkin! I live in Japan where sweet potatos are purple on the outside yellow inside. To get that tantilizing orange color that SPC must have I cooked some Japanese pumpkin squash along with the sweet potatoes and mashed it all together (minus green pumpkin skin). My guests (Malaysian people) all loved it and took seconds. I've been sneaking spoonfuls ever since lunch. The orange is a refreshing addition. I'll be finishing the dish at breakfast tomorrow. Pros: much lighter w/o butter Cons: the top didn't look at all like the picture Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
11/22/2011
A little different than the picture. I made this following all directions assuming it'd look like the picture but it doesn't at all. I have sampled the recipe so it seems to taste pretty good. The topping doesn't look ANYTHING like the picture which to me looks like a streusel topping. This came out following the directions exactly more doughy looking. I'm a little worried since I have to take this to my husbands work potluck instead of a family gathering. Pros: Good flavor Sw. pot. casserole with a new twist Cons: Picture is misleading topping isn't a streusel looking variety Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
11/17/2011
Take this sweet potato casserole over the top Bake the sweet potato develop the natural sugar. The difference is amazing. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
Nice consistancy but I might try to do it differently next time. I wasn't crazy about the orange flavor so maybe I would add some fresh grated ginger in lieu of the zest and skip the juice concentrate altogether. I may add some cinnamon and cardamom as well to the mix and topping. Also I am thinking if the potatos were oven baked and than pureed in a processor instead to boiled they would retain more of their natural syrupy goodness and you wouldn't really need to add honey. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
I made this for 20 family members last Thanksgiving and everyone LOVED it...so easy low fat and tastes delicious! I just spent 35 minutes searching online to re-find this recipe that's how much I loved it! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
I really liked the orange flavor in this. One thing I wasn't crazy about was the eggs...I thought it added too much of an "eggy" taste. I think they are in the recipe as a binder so next time I make this I'm using applesauce instead of the eggs. Also I think I will replace the flour in the topping with oats for a heartier topping. But overall very good and I will make it again! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
I made this last year and it was an immediate "classic". Easy and not loaded down with disgusting amounts of marshmallows maple syrup and other sickeningly sweet things people do to perfectly innocent yams. If you like light and flavorful with a great pecan crunch on top this is for you. Read More
eoshop@sbcglobal.net
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
This was so good. The sweet potatos were really good and the topping was great. I haven't had a sweet potato casserole this good. My in-laws are pretty picky and they really liked it also. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
Loved this. Delicious and relatively healthy. I don't keep milk so used unsweetened coconut milk (from a carton) and added a touch of brown sugar. I had some fresh cranberries not getting used so added about a half-cup of these chopped up to the topping. It was plenty sweet enough to handle the cranberries and they gave it nice tang and color. The coconut milk was awesome. My daughter said it was the best thing she's ever eaten and we're foodies and her boyfriend is a chef. Great recipe (and I'm not generally inclined to follow recipes)! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
I made this for a Thanksgiving gathering of 30 people representing about 5 different countries and I think it got the most rave reviews of all dishes. It was delicious. The orange is subtle but gives it a unique twist. Read More
elizabeth1nesbitt@gmail.com
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
This was fantastic. I left out the nuts and used white flour for the topping. We will make these every year. It is convenient to make ahead and then heat in the oven. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
Made this for thanksgiving and thought it was a great alternative to the typcially high fat version. The orange zest added a wonderful fresh flavor. Will definitely make this again! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
I love sweet potatoes and this--to date--has been my favorite recipe for making them. I like this even more than the traditional marshmallow covered sweet potatoes that are served during the holidays. The orange in this tastes amazing. I like it so much that I add extra orange juice concentrate to the sweet potatoes (it tastes so delicious). Every person I've made this for has loved it. Even people who claim to "hate" sweet potatoes have said they thought this was delicious. I highly recommend using this recipe for any meal/event that you are planning on serving sweet potatoes (trust me you will not regret it). Read More
lexmidd
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
This was one of the favorite side dishes at Thanksgiving this year. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
I made this recipe on Thanksgiving and now it is requested for every family gathering. It is excellent! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
This is the second time I have made this recipe. Wow!!! I use organic everything in the yams and put a just a touch more orange juice in the topping this time. Office party or family dinner this is one of the best nutritious and tasty recipes I have found on the internet. Read More
Kari R
Rating: 5 stars
10/29/2011
I made this for a side dish for a carbo-loading dinner party the night before a marathon. Everyone loved the dish and I was glad I had made a larger batch because people kept going back for seconds. Even people who claimed to hate sweet potatoes loved it. The orange juice added a nice subtle flavor to the food. I only used a little orange zest in the actual casserole because I got tired of grating the orange but it was still great. I'll be making this for Thanksgiving. I followed the make ahead directions and made it on Thursday night for a Saturday dinner and it baked beautifully. Thanks for one of the best carbohydate dishes I've ever had.:) Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/29/2011
Confusion abounds where yams and sweet potatoes are concerned. Although the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires that the label "yam" always be accompanied by "sweet potato " yams and authentic sweet potatoes are from entirely different botanical families: The yam is Dioscorea Species; the sweet potato is Ipomoea batatas (the same family as the Morning Glory). The yam is very low in Beta carotene (Vit. A) and is highly starchy; the sweet potato (the orange variety) has an abundance of Beta carotene (Vit. A) and is less starchy. Because of DOA requirements the signs in the grocery store will not clarify matters -- you will have to learn to visually recognize the difference between the two potatoes: Yams have rough scaly skin while sweet potatoes have a smooth pinkish skin. Sweet potatoes lose sweetness as they grow larger: The smaller the potato the sweeter it will be. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/29/2011
This was a big hit a couple Thanksgivings ago and I'm going to make it again. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/29/2011
Our old favorite holiday sweet potato dish was a butter-laden citrussy one from Paul Prudhomme. I've tried healthier ones in recent years but never was satisfied. I tried this one because of the citrus flavor and my family and I loved it. It's going into my cookbook for next year. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/29/2011
I made this yesterday for Thanksgiving and we all loved it. Easy to make and the orange flavor gave it that extra kick. It was difficult for me to not have those crusted marshmallows that I've always had on my sweet potatos but I figure I'll take some leftovers invert and top with marshmallows and stick under the broiler. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/29/2011
This was SO good made it for the first time on Thanksgiving. So simple and delicious - there were no leftovers! Read More
mycathatesme
Rating: 5 stars
10/29/2011
Yummy! I really enjoyed this recipe! I made it for a potluck Christmas dinner this past weekend and everyone raved about it! The orange zest definitely adds a different punch and it deviates from the taste of a traditional SPC but it's still delicious! I added marshmallows the five minutes of baking. Super gooey and good! I will definitely be making this again. Only 1 tbsp of butter!!!!! Pros: Much healthier less butter delicious topping Cons: A little more time consuming than traditional SPC Read More
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