A sweet potato casserole with pecans that’s so good, you won’t miss the marshmallows! It’s sweet, with a great texture. Possibly my favorite holiday side dish!!

Sweet Potato Casserole

I’ve been making Thanksgiving dinner for several years now.  It’s my holiday.  I’m kind of a nerd about it.

A couple of years ago, I vowed to make sure our Thanksgiving was delicious and full of whole foods that everyone will enjoy.  Which meant I had to replace a couple of our traditional recipes.

I haven’t found the perfect replacement mac and cheese recipe yet… but I did master my Sweet Potato Casserole sans marshmallows.

This recipe is sweet, with a little crunch.  A perfect addition to your holiday spread.

Doesn’t it look so much prettier than a pile of marshmallows?

How to make sweet potatoes with pecans:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Peel and cube your sweet potatoes. Cover them with water and cook until soft.

While they are cooking, lightly crush your pecans.  I like a good mix of sizes.  How much you crush them is up to you.

Once your potatoes are done, drain and mash them.  Then mix in your butter, brown sugar, OJ, and cinnamon.

I prefer my sweet potatoes to have some texture to them, but if you like them silky smooth, now would be the time to break out your hand mixer.

Fold in about 1/2 cup of your pecans.

Place everything into a baking dish and bake for 25 minutes.

Serve your sweet potato casserole while it’s still hot, preferably alongside a nice slice of turkey and a heap of stuffing!

I swear…you won’t even miss the marshmallows!

Pin this Thanksgiving side dish to your favorite Pinterest board!!