Make Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole

Remember that time when our Thanksgiving dinner got so big that our table literally snaked through the dining room, across the foyer and into the living room?  Oh, yea.  That was last years Thanksgiving dinner in our house. 😂 By the way - if you were one of our guests last year for Thanksgiving, in case I forgot to say it, thank you for being so understanding of our unconventional dinner seating and crowded space.  

Big Thanksgiving dinners are awesome and we would like to invite EVERYONE to come and enjoy this special meal with us but unfortunately, unlike our hearts, our home only has room for a limited number of people.  I'm still trying to come up with creative ways to include more people in our Thanksgiving meal.  What do you think about a front yard, sit on picnic blankets and eat on paper plates kind of Thanksgiving?  

Regardless of how many people attend Thanksgiving dinner at my house, whether it's 4 or 24, I do a lot of the prep work ahead of time so I can reduce the amount of  cooking that I have to do on Thanksgiving day.  Sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, corn casserole, soups, homemade applesauce and stuffing are all great make ahead (and freezable) side dishes.  

There are as many varieties of sweet potato casserole as there are personalities around the Thanksgiving dinner table.  Some like it sweet and covered in toasted, melty marshmallows, others like it more savory and topped with a crunchy streusel.  As for me, I like a combination of both.  I like my sweet potatoes on the sweet side but I also like it topped with streusel.  Best of both worlds.  

Make Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet Potatoes
4 pounds sweet potatoes
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 Tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Topping
2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
​4 Tablespoons butter, melted

Poke potatoes with a fork and place on a foil lined baking sheet.  

Bake 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours at 400.  Cool 20 minutes. 

Remove potato peels.  Transfer flesh to a bowl and mash until smooth. 

Stir in butter, Grand Marnier, sugar, salt and orange zest. 

Transfer mixture to an 8" square baking dish. 

Cover dish with foil and refrigerate up to 24 hours.  

Bake, covered, 15 minutes at 400.

Whisk together flour, brown sugar, salt and cayenne. 

Stir in melted butter until pea sized clumps form.  

Remove foil and spread topping over potato mixture.  

Bake 25 minutes.  Let cool 25 minutes before serving. 

Are you hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year?  If you've got questions - I've got answers (and google).  😂  Send me your Thanksgiving questions and I'll do my best to help you out.  I don't have your grandma's secret pecan pie recipe but I do have one of my own that I think you'll like.  😉

​Ciao!

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