Sweet Potato Cornflake Casserole
This sweet potato cornflake casserole is a homemade take on the old-fashioned recipe my mom made every Thanksgiving when I was growing up. Her version came from a newspaper clipping in the 1980s and called for canned sweet potatoes, a handful of warm spices, and a buttery, crunchy cornflake topping.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Makes: 10 servings
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Filling
- 3 lbs sweet potatoes (about 4 large), peeled and chopped
- 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, divided
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg*
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Topping
- 2 1/2 cups cornflake cereal
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Cook the sweet potatoes. Place the sweet potatoes in a pot and cover them with cold water. Bring them to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork. Drain the sweet potatoes and let them cool for 15 minutes in the colander.
- Brown the butter. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Continue to cook the butter, stirring occasionally, until it’s golden brown and nutty smelling. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heat proof measuring cup, scraping all of the browned bits into the measuring cup as well.
- Preheat an oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 10x8 or 2.5 qt baking dish.
- Make the sweet potato casserole filling. Transfer the cooked sweet potatoes to a mixing bowl and add the brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg and salt and use a hand mixer or potato masher to mash and mix the sweet potatoes until somewhat smooth. Mix in the eggs, heavy cream, and half of the brown butter.
- Bake. Spread the casserole filling in an even layer in the prepared baking dish. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Make the topping. Just before the sweet potato is done baking, mix the corn flakes, brown sugar, pecans, salt, and remaining brown butter together until well mixed. Spread over the top of the sweet potatoes and return to the oven. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the corn flakes are golden brown. Rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
*if you use pre-ground nutmeg, use 1/4 teaspoon.
Nutrition
Calories: 328kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 5gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 262mgPotassium: 560mgFiber: 6gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 19663IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 77mgIron: 3mg
