Crock Pot Sweet Potato Casserole
Try this Crock Pot Sweet Potato Casserole recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Crock Pot Sweet Potato Casserole recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 713.238510837675 g
- Cholesterol 2153.31916666667 mg
- Fat 647.292971732982 g
- Fiber 10.4640004246478 g
- Protein 356.087128342792 g
- Saturated Fat 270.802754672361 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (3023g)
- Sodium 3544.95400023547 mg
- Sugar 702.774510413028 g
- Trans Fat 47.6550816697765 g
- Calories 10002 calories
Step-by-step
- Peel sweet potatoes and cut into even 1-2 inch cubes. Place the potatoes into your crock pot and add the chicken broth and sprinkle the cubed butter on top.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours, or until the sweet potatoes are soft enough to mash. (*see notes)
- Use a potato masher and mash the potatoes to your desired consistency.
- Add the lightly beaten eggs, brown sugar and vanilla to the crock pot and stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl combine the topping ingredients and stir to coat. Sprinkle over the mashed sweet potatoes, replace the lid and continue to cook on high for 2 more hours.
- Serve warm right out of the crock pot. Enjoy!
Replacing the chicken broth with full-fat canned coconut milk alters the cooking medium entirely, introducing medium-chain triglycerides that coat the starch molecules and prevent the tubers from releasing too much free liquid during the initial three-hour steam. Slow cookers trap moisture efficiently, meaning that starchy root vegetables soften through moist heat rather than dry convection. Cutting the tubers into uniform 1-to-2-inch cubes guarantees that they absorb the simmering liquid at an identical rate, preventing outer edges from turning mushy before the centers are fully tender. When evaluating doneness, press a cube against the side of the ceramic insert with a fork; it should yield instantly with zero resistance.
Mashing the softened tubers directly inside the ceramic insert integrates the residual cooking liquid with the added fats, creating an emulsion that holds its structure when beaten. Incorporating lightly beaten eggs at this stage requires the mixture to have cooled slightly below 140 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent premature protein coagulation, which would otherwise create rubbery yellow streaks rather than a smooth, uniform base. Vanilla extract contains volatile compounds that vaporize easily, so adding it alongside the brown sugar just before the final heat phase protects those aromatic oils from escaping into the kitchen too quickly. Stirring vigorously with a potato masher breaks down stubborn cellulose walls, yielding a dense, velvety consistency capable of supporting a heavy pecan crust.
Combining the remaining brown sugar, flour, cubed butter, and chopped pecans in a separate vessel creates a distinct structural layer that relies on physical separation to achieve proper texture. The flour coats the butter proteins and pecan surfaces, absorbing moisture released during the final two hours of high-heat cooking so the topping remains crisp rather than soggy. Pecans contain high concentrations of oleic acid, which toasts slowly under the sustained ambient heat of the slow cooker lid, developing deep, nutty pyrazines that contrast sharply with the sweet earthiness of the potatoes below. This dry topping must be scattered evenly across the surface without pressing it down, allowing steam to vent freely through the gaps between the nuts.
Pairing this sweet and rich dish with roasted pork loin or bitter braised greens provides essential sensory contrast, cutting through the dense sugars and high fat content with lean protein and sharp acidity. Slow cooker inserts retain thermal energy long after being unplugged, making the vessel an efficient serving station that keeps the casserole warm for up to forty-five minutes without requiring a secondary serving dish. Leftovers should be transferred within two hours to an airtight glass container and refrigerated for up to four days, where retrogradation will firm the starch matrix further. Reheating individual portions in a conventional oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for fifteen minutes restores crispness to the pecan crust that moisture-retaining storage inevitably softens.
