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make ahead sweet potato casserole Ruth Chris recipe in blue serving dish on striped napkin
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4.73 from 40 votes

Make Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole

This make ahead sweet potato casserole is a copycat version of Ruth Chris sweet potato casserole with pecan streusel topping.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
With Cook Time Added for Sweet Potatoes1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Ruth Chris, sweet potato casserole
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 553kcal
Cost: $7

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Filling

  • 7 Sweet potatoes *boiled or baked and peeled
  • 2 cups White sugar
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 tsp Vanilla
  • 4 Eggs lightly beaten
  • 8 tbsp Butter (1 stick); melted (optional)

Pecan Streusel Topping

  • 2 cups Brown sugar
  • ⅔ cups Flour
  • 2 cups Pecans chopped
  • ⅔ cups Butter melted

Instructions

Baking Sweet Potatoes in the Oven

  • Preheat oven to 425°.
  • Wash, dry, and prick potatoes with a fork, and place them on a baking sheet lined with foil.
  • Bake potatoes for 40-50 minutes or until soft and fluffed.

Preparing Ruth Chris Sweet Potato Casserole Filling

  • Turn oven to 350°.
  • In a large mixer bowl, combine all ingredients for sweet potato filling, starting with the cooked and peeled sweet potatoes and ending with butter (if using).
  • Mix until the filling is mostly smooth (though you may still see a few small lumps).
  • Pour the sweet potato filling into a greased 9x13 baking dish.

Preparing Pecan Streusel Topping

  • Mix pecan streusel topping in a second medium bowl, starting with brown sugar and ending with melted butter. (Note: if making this casserole ahead of time to be eaten later, do not add the butter at this time or proceed with the following steps. See notes below.)
  • Spread pecan streusel topping evenly over the sweet potato filling in the baking dish.
  • Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes.

Notes

Tips for Boiling or Baking Sweet Potatoes 

  • Choose 7 medium to large sweet potatoes which are similar in size for even cooking.
  • Boil or bake sweet potatoes (one hour of cook time is calculated into this recipe to account for cooking and peeling the potatoes).
  • The 7 medium potatoes should yield about 6 cups of mashed sweet potatoes for this recipe.
  • If you need to cook your sweet potatoes, obviously your prep time for this dish is longer than if you choose to use canned sweet potatoes (which you can do, if necessary). 

Tips for Make Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole

  • Prepare the sweet potato filling as noted in the recipe card.
  • Place the sweet potato filling in a greased 9x13 baking dish.
  • Cover the baking dish with a lid or with foil and place in refrigerator (for up to 3-4 days). 
  • Prepare the pecan streusel topping in a separate bowl (omitting butter for now). 
  • Transfer pecan streusel topping to a Ziploc bag or a Tupperware style container with a lid.
  • Stack sweet potato filling, pecan streusel bag/bowl, and a stick of butter together in fridge so you do not forget any of the three items when it is time to transport or prepare your sweet potato casserole for serving. 
  • When ready to bake, melt 2/3 of the butter in the microwave or on the stove top. 
  • Pour melted butter into the bowl with the pecan streusel and mix together. 
  • Evenly spread pecan streusel over the sweet potato filling.
  • Bake the casserole (without lid) in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. 

Nutrition

Calories: 553kcal | Carbohydrates: 101g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 1850mg | Potassium: 620mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 18830IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 2mg