This Simple Sweet Potato Casserole Has Over 500 5-Star Reviews

During the holidays, time often feels like it speeds up and slows down all at once. The rush of preparing meals, shopping and attending events makes the days fly by, but, if you're lucky, there are moments during the festive time of year when you can slow down and really reconnect with family and friends (and maybe even yourself).

And one of the best places to reconnect with your favorite people is over a long, leisurely meal, like Thanksgiving. All the time, energy and effort you put into the meal is rewarded when everyone sits down and digs in. Plus, you have leftovers for days (and days).

Many cooks have their preferred way of cooking a turkey and some non-negotiable sides. Maybe it's stuffing or mashed potatoes or green bean casserole. Another common side debate centers around sweet potato casserole. To marshmallow or not to marshmallow is often the question, but after seeing a TikTok video starring Food Network's The Best Sweet Potato Casserole we're firmly in the replace-the-marshmallows-with-pecan-crumble-topping camp.

In the video, it's mentioned that the recipe has more than 500 five-star ratings. After watching it come together we can see why. Here's what you need to know to bring it to your house this Thanksgiving.

Related: The 110-Year-Old Pecan Pie Recipe That Will Change the Way You Make the Classic Dessert

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What's So Great About Food Network's Sweet Potato Casserole?

This recipe has a lot going for it. First of all, it's simple, which is appreciated during the cooking rush that is Thanksgiving. It's also easy to make ahead. You can make the sweet potato mixture the day before and stash it in the fridge. When you're ready to bake it, just sprinkle on the pecan crumble, stick it in the oven and it's ready to go.

Speaking of, the crumble is really the star here. Sure it's sweet, but it's also nutty and crunchy, which is a nice foil to the sweet, creamy sweet potatoes. Marshmallow topping looks cute, but we find that it often adds more sweetness than we need from the dish and it's hard to get the marshmallows perfectly browned unless you keep a really close eye on them. When we're making Thanksgiving dinner, the name of the game is foolproof, and this is what this sweet potato casserole gives you.

Get the Recipe: The Best Sweet Potato Casserole

How Do You Make Food Network's Sweet Potato Casserole?

To make it, you will need to peel, cube and boil sweet potatoes until they are soft enough to mash. Make sure there are no lumps and add in melted butter, brown sugar, two eggs, vanilla extract and milk, mixing until well-blended. Transfer this to a greased baking dish.

Then, you will make a streusel topping with equal parts flour and brown sugar, mixing the two together with pecans and just enough melted butter to make it a wet sand consistency. Add the topping to the sweet potatoes and bake for 30 minutes. That's it!

What Are People Saying About Food Network's Sweet Potato Casserole?

Those 500+ five-star reviews are a sure sign of an enthusiastic fan base. And when you scroll through the recipe comments you'll definitely see that. 

"This was delicious. Not overly sweet, which I like. Topping was outstanding," said one fan. "Very good. I had to substitute crushed pretzels for pecans and my daughter in law said it was the best she’d ever had! One of my new favorites!" added a very enterprising cook.

Commenters on TikTok were also enthusiastic about the recipe. "I've made this several times and it's BOMB," said one commenter. "I fix this every year at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's a favorite," added another person. If it's good enough to make once a month, it seems it's definitely worth a shot.

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