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Our 2019 Thanksgiving Menu and Guide.
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Switching things up this Thanksgiving with this Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole with Sweet ‘n’ Savory Bacon Pecans. The classic sweet potato casserole we know and love, but topped with sweet and savory bacon pecans. These sweet potatoes are buttery, hinted with cinnamon, and lightly sweetened. The pecan streusel topping is just a touch spicy, perfectly sweet, herby, and a little salty too. When baked together the potatoes and topping create the perfect balance and make for the BEST sweet potato casserole. Make these ahead of time for an easy holiday side dish that everyone will love.
It’s the second week of November and I very much have Thanksgiving on my mind. Anyone else?
It’s been a little tricky to get my menu fully planned, photographed, and written up in between traveling for HBH Super Simple. But I’m excited to finally say that I will be sharing my full menu this week! Are you guys in planning mode? Hoping so, because I have some good recipes coming, and it all starts with this casserole.
I’m sure I have said this before, but when it comes to Thanksgiving I really love a traditional menu. Herby roasted turkey, buttery mashed potatoes, popovers, vegetable sides, and of course, sweet potato casserole. Some of you may be surprised to hear this, since I love to share all kinds of different recipes, but when it comes to both Thanksgiving and Christmas, I’m all about tradition. And the older and more traditional the better.
The classics keep things simple and perfect every time. It’s why we look forward to the holidays so much. All the traditions!
That said, every year I try to create a few new dishes that are spins on the classics. They still feel like the classics, just updated a bit. My brothers only care about the turkey, mashed potatoes, and rolls, so I keep those basic (but good). But when it comes to the vegetables? I have some room to play with, and have a little fun.
Enter this sweet potato casserole. It’s just like my grandma’s sweet potatoes, but with a sweet, savory, and salty pecan crumble topping…that everyone loves.
Let’s talk about the sweet potatoes…
Like most sweet potato casseroles, this bourbon sweet potato casserole is so simple and easy to make. The longest part of the process is roasting the potatoes. But nothing is hard and you might even have all the ingredients on hand right now.
So…start with the sweet potatoes. Yes, you can buy canned sweet potatoes, but I highly recommend roasting fresh potatoes for best flavor and color. If you have an instant pot, you can cook the potatoes quickly in there. If not, go the oven route. It’s my preferred method.
Once the potatoes are fork tender, peel away the skins (then use them to make these sweet potato skin chips) and then mash. Then add in a touch of light brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, melted butter, and a splash of bourbon, and that’s it. This is my grandma’s base recipe and it never fails. Simple, but so delicious, and not overly sweet, which I think is really nice.
Question: are you a sweet or savory, sweet potato casserole person? I prefer a savory casserole…with just a touch of sweetness!
Now about those bacon pecans…
While the potatoes are roasting, start working on the bacon pecans.
Oh, these bacon pecans. Basically, this is a topping of candied bacon with pecans, and it’s incredibly delicious. Sweet and savory with a little crunch from the pecans, and saltiness from the bacon. I added sage and a little rosemary to bring in some savory flavors and balance out the sweetness. These herbs may sound like an odd addition but go with me on this because it’s so GOOD.
Also, if rosemary isn’t your thing, or you’re worried it may overpower the other flavors, then simply leave it out. My dad’s not the biggest rosemary fan. He sometimes complains that it’s overpowering. Use your best judgment here and go with your own personal taste.
Put it all together…
Last up, layer the topping over the sweet potatoes in a casserole dish and bake. It’s simple, nothing too fancy, and so EASY. While this bakes, your house will smell incredible, just like Thanksgiving should. You’ll soon find out that every bite is just as delicious as it smells.
These potatoes are sweet and buttery and the topping is crunchy. It’s the sweet potato casserole your Thanksgiving table needs. Promise.
And finally, you can easily prepare this ahead of time and freeze, and yes, it travels well too. If you’re on side dish duty this Thanksgiving, this is your dish!
If you make this bourbon sweet potato casserole with sweet ‘n’ savory bacon pecans, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole with Sweet ‘n’ Savory Bacon Pecans.
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 426 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
- kosher salt
Sweet ‘n’ Savory Bacon Pecans
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups raw pecans roughly chopped
- 6 tablespoons salted butter melted
- 1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper using more or less to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped sage
- 1-2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Poke a few holes in the sweet potatoes and bake for 1 hour or until soft and tender. When the sweet potatoes are cooked, slice them in half and allow to cool.2. Meanwhile, make the bacon pecans. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain onto a paper towel. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, pecans, butter, cayenne, sage, and rosemary (if using). Stir in the bacon.3. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Peel the skins away from the flesh of the sweet potato. Add the sweet potatoes to a mixing bowl. Mash well. Mix in the brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, milk, butter, eggs, and bourbon until combined. Season with salt.4. Spoon the sweet potato mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over top. 5. Transfer to the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the pecans are golden. Serve warm topped with flaky sea salt.
Notes
To Make Ahead: Prepare the casserole through step 4. Cover and store the assembled casserole in the fridge for up to 2 days. To bake, remove the casserole from the fridge while the oven preheats, then bake as directed.
To Make Gluten Free: Use an equal amount of your favorite gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. I recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour.
This post was originally published on November 11, 2019
Made this for my Thanksgiving this year. I swapped out the cayenne for a mildly spicy hungarian paprika instead because my son dislikes spicy things. It was AMAZING. I will be making this every year from here on out. My favorite version of sweet potato casserole I’ve ever had by a large margin.
I am so happy you enjoyed this Kristen! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
This is amazing. It was everyone’s favorite side from Thanksgiving!
Thank you so much Mary Beth! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This dish was the star of our Thanksgiving table!
Thank you so much Courtney! xTieghan
An amazing addition to our Thanksgiving table this year!! Thanks for another incredible recipe. Going to hold onto this one for years to come!
Thank you so much Carly! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This was a family favorite between 13 adults and 3 kids they all loved it! I will be saving this and bringing it out every year. It’s sweet, salty, savory and the perfect hint of spice that everyone wanted more of. I did the rosemary which was optional but I think it was a wonderful additional. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!
Thank you for trying this one, Aubrey! I am really glad it turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I’ve now made this for two Thanksgivings in a row; it’s an easy-to-follow recipe and very tasty.
I do reduce the cayenne from 1/4-tsp to 1/8-tsp because my people do not like things too spicy, and this year, I skipped the rosemary – the sage is enough contrast and ties the other Thanksgiving table flavors together.
Thank you for sharing it!
Thank you Liz! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Phenomenal. Exactly what I was looking for in a sweet potato casserole — sweet and creamy, but with a complex, savory, crunchy/chewy topping. DELICIOUS. Thank you!!
I am so happy you loved this one! Thank you JoAnna! xTieghan
Love this recipe, has become a Thanksgiving staple since I first discovered it years ago! The only thing I do differently is I don’t put any brown sugar in the sweet potatoes and I use half the amount of sugar in the topping. It’s plenty sweet still and the savory becomes a little more pronounced.
I am so happy you have been loving this recipe, Jennifer! Thank you so much! xTieghan
I realllllllly want to make this for tomorrow but I am allergic to pecans. Any suggestions on substitutions? Thanks!
I love every single recipe of yours that I have tried! They are all so delicious.
Hey Hannah,
You could use walnuts. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
How about you leave out a dish of this for yourself w/out pecans (pistachios?) and make it as written for your guests?
Every year I would search for the perfect sweet potato recipe and be left underwhelmed aferwrads. I found and made your recipe a couple years ago and it is absolutely delicious. It is now my annual dish to bring to the holidays. I’m looking through your menu for this year to add to my round of delicious side dishes. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes.
Wow that is so amazing to hear! I am really glad you have been loving this recipe, Christina! xTieghan
do you think rice flour would work ok? we are getting that for a GF gravy and wanted to avoid more than one GF flour if possible
Hey Olivia,
I would use Cup4cup GF flour. I hope you love the recipe, Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! Thank you for this wonderful reciepe! I made it last night for my first ever Thanksgiving Dinner (I’m from Denmark, and we dont have Thursday off, so we celebrated Saturday instead) The casserole was awesome, Butt I made too much of the sweet and Sabroes bacon pecan toppoint – do you have another dish it could go with, so it doesnt go to waste?
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Hey Amalie,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you family enjoyed! I would top a salad with them:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I can’t remember if I commented or not, but I just have to say, this is the second year I will be making this recipe. It is so easy to make and the taste is just heavenly.
Hi Heather! Either way, I am so happy you have been loving this recipe and I hope it turns out amazing for you this year! Thank you so much! xTieghan
After baking can I freeze?
Hey Carolyn,
I would freeze before baking. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi! Do i chop the bacon up into the pecan mix? And am I only adding the pecans to the sweet potato mixture or is the bacon also being added and baked? this is going to be my dessert this year 🙂
Hey Richla,
All of the directions for the bacon are laid out in step 2:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan