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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 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 that everyone will love.

overhead photo of Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole with Sweet n Savory Bacon Pecans

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 topping…that everyone loves.

raw sweet potato with steam

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 soft, peel away the skins (then use them to make these sweet potato skin chips) and then mash. Then add in a touch of brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, 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!

Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole before adding the pecans

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.

Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole with Sweet n Savory Bacon Pecans before baking

Put it all together…

Last up, layer the topping over the sweet potatoes 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 yes, it travels well too. If you’re on sidedish duty this Thanksgiving, this is your dish!

overhead photo of Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole with Sweet n Savory Bacon Pecans with spoonful removed from casserole

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.

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
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.

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Ingredients

Sweet ‘n’ Savory Bacon Pecans

US Customary - Metric

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. 
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Comments

  1. I just put this recipe together through step 4 and will bake it tomorrow. We’re having a small gathering tomorrow, so rather than making a 9×13 pan, I divided it into 2 9×6.5 pans, thinking I can likely freeze one pan. The sweet potato didn’t fill the pans very full (maybe 1-1.5 inches) … does that sound right? Also, does baking time get adjusted? And lastly, my “roughly chopped pecans” were quite chopped but am now noticing whole pecans in your picture! Should I add extra to the top before baking?? Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi Erika,
      Sounds like you did everything correctly. You can chop the pecans or keep them whole:) I hope it’s delish! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hi Emma,
      Sorry to hear this, you could try adding more brown sugar. I hope you love the recipe. Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan

      Reply

  3. Just wondering how much 4 medium sweet potatoes would weigh? I bought 4 sweet potatoes on an order and they look giant to me… I don’t want to use to much or not enough so weight would be super helpful here. Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi Sheryl,
      I would say about 2-3 pounds. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try. Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan

      Reply

  4. I made this dish recently and it came out good but, not as wow factor as I had hoped based on the reviews tbh. Personally, I think leaving out the sage and rosemary will taste better and adding a teaspoon of maple extract as well as vanilla extract. Also, I love spicy food but, I think I’ll cut back a little on the cayenne. The spice is a nice touch though. I’m making this for Friendsgiving so crossing my fingers the minor changes will come out good. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  5. 5 stars
    This is THE best sweet potato casserole I’ve ever had. Followed the recipe exactly (minus the bourbon because I didn’t have any on hand) and it came out perfect! I’m not usually the biggest fan of sweet potato casserole but I could eat the whole pan of this!

    Reply

    1. Hi Megan,
      Thanks so very much for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan

      Reply

  6. I am vegetarian – would the sage, rosemary and cayenne be complimentary flavors to pair with the casserole without the conjoined savoriness from the bacon- or do you think it would all still work well together even without the bacon?

    Reply

      1. Hey there,
        Thanks so very much for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan

        Reply

    2. Hey Mag,
      I would just simply omit the bacon, no big deal! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

      Reply

  9. What would be the best way to make this ahead for Thanksgiving? Could I bake it earlier the day of and then reheat it in the oven when the time comes to eat it?

    Reply

    2. Hey Lilian,
      I would just make through step 4 and the bake when you are ready to serve. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try. Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan

      Reply

  10. What is a gluten free substitute for the flour I can use?

    I am wanting to make for Thanksgiving this week but have someone this year who is GF because of medical reasons.

    Reply

    1. Hey Carolyn,
      You can use an equal amount of GF flour. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

      Reply

    2. She put a GF recommendation at the bottom of the instructions where it says to make gluten free. I used almond flour and it came out good.

      Reply

  11. 5 stars
    Made this for a family thanksgiving and it was really good. I thought I had made it too spicy, but it was a nice balance. I did add the sage and didn’t get a overwhelming taste of it. I would make this again.

    Reply

    1. Hey Yesi,
      Awesome! It’s so great to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan

      Reply

  12. Can’t wait to make this!! To double recipe I read you said to put in separate dishes. Should the temp & time in oven stay the same?

    Reply

  13. 4 stars
    Really more-ish and love the sweet and salty combination. The pecans are the star of the show and I may even mix some into the sweet potato batter next time for extra crunch!

    Reply

    1. Hey Marissa,
      I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week! xTieghan

      Reply

  14. Okay wow, this is amazing. I’m not even into sweet potato casseroles and I loved it. Amazing! The cayenne and the bacon really take it to the next level. I hit it with the broiler for about a minute at the end to crisp it up.

    When I was mashing the potatoes after the first bake, I was nervous because there were lumpy bits that I couldn’t seem to smooth out. After the second bake, they were all gone.

    FWIW, my partner is allergic to sage so I didn’t include it. Didn’t miss it.

    Reply

  15. 5 stars
    So good. Just make it, don’t think twice about it. I would eat this and only this for Thanksgiving. Its like a dessert/side dish all in one. I am not a marshmallow sweet potato casserole person. I’ve made it several times for different groups and get rave reviews!

    Reply