Ruth Chris Sweet Potato Casserole {The ULTIMATE sweet potato casserole recipe!} (2024)

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If you love Ruth Chris Sweet Potato Casserole, you can now have it at home! This Ruth’s Chris Sweet Potato Casserole recipe is a fantastic side dish for your holiday dinners. It’s creamy, delicious sweet potatoes are topped with a crisp, pecan streusel topping making for an amazing side or dessert to any holiday meal!

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Ruth Chris Sweet Potato Casserole {The ULTIMATE sweet potato casserole recipe!} (1)

If you’ve ever dined at a Ruth’s Chris Steak House, you’ve likely had, or at the very least, heard of their famous Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping. I must say, it’s pretty awesome!

Their patrons have been known to order this rich side for dessert and have it topped with vanilla ice cream. I decided as soon as I enjoyed this decadent side dish in the restaurant that I must figure out how to make it at home!

Ruth Chris Sweet Potato Casserole {The ULTIMATE sweet potato casserole recipe!} (2)

There are two aspects to this dish that make it extraordinary! The creamy, tender sweet potatoes and the crisp, pecan topping. It took a while for me to get both of these components the right texture, but I think I finally got it spot-on to restaurant quality!

What do I need to make Ruth’s Chris Sweet Potato Casserole?

Here’s a quick-reference checklist of the ingredients you’ll need to make this delicious sweet potato casserole recipe. I’ve linked all of my preferred ingredients that I shop for at Target, where you can place a quick pick-up or drive-up order:

  • Sweet Potatoes – I don’t recommend buying canned yams or sweet potatoes. Buy fresh sweet potatoes from the produce section. They will make a huge difference in the quality and texture of your potatoes.
  • Brown Sugar – you can use light or brown dark sugar. If you’re looking to reduce the refined sugar content, I recommend using Swerve Brown Sugar alternative, which is great for baking!
  • Half and Half – Half and half consists of half cream and half milk. This will make your potatoes wonderfully creamy.
  • Butter – either unsalted or salted butter is helpful in creating creamy sweet potatoes.
  • Egg – the egg will provide the necessary binding to help the potatoes hold their shape and not be runny when baked.
  • Vanilla – good vanilla extract is great for the flavor of the potatoes.
  • Salt – salt is essential for seasoning and bringing out the flavor of the potatoes.
  • Chopped Pecans – you can purchase pre-chopped pecans or buy pecan halves.
  • Flour – flour is a necessary ingredient for your crumble topping.
  • Cinnamon – cinnamon is an excellent addition to the pecan crumble topping flavor.
  • Nutmeg – nutmeg is also great for the flavor of the topping.

For exact ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions be sure to reference the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Thanks!

Ruth Chris Sweet Potato Casserole {The ULTIMATE sweet potato casserole recipe!} (3)
Ruth Chris Sweet Potato Casserole {The ULTIMATE sweet potato casserole recipe!} (4)

How do I make sweet potato casserole with pecan crumble topping?

First, being by peeling and dicing sweet potatoes. Cut the sweet potatoes into 1″ cubes and place into saucepan. Cover with water and boil the potatoes until fork tender. You could also steam the potatoes.

Ruth Chris Sweet Potato Casserole {The ULTIMATE sweet potato casserole recipe!} (5)
Ruth Chris Sweet Potato Casserole {The ULTIMATE sweet potato casserole recipe!} (6)
Ruth Chris Sweet Potato Casserole {The ULTIMATE sweet potato casserole recipe!} (7)

How do I get sweet potatoes creamy and fluffy?

To achieve creamy, fluffy sweet potatoes start by adding butter, half and half, brown sugar, an egg and vanilla. Mash together with a manual potato masher. The egg sounds a little unconventional, but it actually works as a binding agent for the potatoes.

Using a regular potato masher to get the sweet potatoes to just the right, creamy (but not over processed or gluey) texture. If you were to use a hand-mixer they would become a little over-processed. I would recommend sticking to the potato masher. It’s much easier to gauge the right texture this way.

From here, spread the creamy sweet potato mixture into the bottom of a medium-sized baking dish. The baking dish I’m using here is 7 x 10″, but any medium sized oval or rectangular baking dish will work well. You could also use a 9×9″ square pan

Ruth Chris Sweet Potato Casserole {The ULTIMATE sweet potato casserole recipe!} (8)
Ruth Chris Sweet Potato Casserole {The ULTIMATE sweet potato casserole recipe!} (9)

How do I make brown sugar pecan crumble for sweet potato casserole?

To make a brown sugar pecan crumble topping for sweet potato casserole, you’ll need brown sugar (or Swerve brown sugar), flour, chopped pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg and melted butter. Mix all of these together in a bowl until the mixture becomes crumbly and gravel-like.

Sprinkle the crumble topping over the top of the sweet potato mixture. When baking, make sure to cover the baking dish loosely with foil. This will allow the casserole to bake evenly without overbrowning the pecans.

Ruth Chris Sweet Potato Casserole {The ULTIMATE sweet potato casserole recipe!} (10)
Ruth Chris Sweet Potato Casserole {The ULTIMATE sweet potato casserole recipe!} (11)

Once the dish comes out of the oven, it will look and smell incredible! This Ruth’s Chris Sweet Potato Casserole will be the most popular side on your holiday table.

You’ll want to forget the turkey or prime rib, and dig right in to this! The beautiful bright orange potatoes underneath the crisp, golden pecan topping will be a show-stopper for any holiday dinner.

FAQ’s about making Sweet Potato Casserole:

Is sweet potato casserole a dessert or side dish?

Both. (That’s the safe answer.) This is a hotly contested question. Ingredients for sweet potato pie and sweet potato casserole are identical. One is considered a side and the other a dessert. Both pie and casserole contain quite a bit of sugar and sweetness, therefore making it a reasonable contender for a dessert.

How do you reheat sweet potato casserole?

If you’re reheating the entire casserole from being refrigerated, do it in the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and cover loosely with foil. Reheat in the oven for 25-35 minutes or until heated through completely. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes to crisp up the top crust.
If you’re reheating an individual serving of sweet potato casserole, I recommend simply reheating in the microwave. Heat on 30 second increments until heated through completely.

Can Sweet Potato Casserole be frozen?

Yes, sweet potato casserole can be frozen. This is a great way to save some time when cooking your holiday meals. Create the sweet potato casserole and assemble in a baking dish or pan. Without baking, wrap tightly with well-sealing plastic wrap (I like press-and-seal wrap). Freeze for up to a month in advance.
When ready to bake before your dinner, allow time for thawing. Take out of the freezer the night before to ensure the casserole is thawed. Bake as directed before your dinner.

Can I make sweet potato casserole in advance for a holiday meal?

Yes, sweet potato casserole can be made in advance. For best results, make the sweet potato mash and add to the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap. Make the pecan crumble and store in a separate container. This will ensure the crumble topping doesn’t become mushy. Refrigerate. Before your meal, add the topping to the casserole, cover with foil and bake as directed.

What’s the difference between sweet potatoes and yams?

Sweet potatoes will have a reddish skin and bright orange flesh. Yams have a dark brown skin and have a lighter beige colored flesh. Yams will also grow much larger in size than a sweet potato.

If you loved this fantastic sweet potato casserole with pecans, be sure to check out some of my other holiday favorites:

  • Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar Pecan Crumble Topping
  • Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
  • Healthy Green Bean Casserole
  • Everything Thanksgiving Stuffing
  • Cranberry Fluff Salad
  • Pumpkin Meringue Pie
  • Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie
  • Easy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
  • Apple Cider Turkey Brine + How to Brine a Turkey
  • How to Dry Brine A Turkey
  • Citrus Turkey Brine

Ruth Chris Sweet Potato Casserole {The ULTIMATE sweet potato casserole recipe!} (14)

Ruth’s Chris Sweet Potato Casserole

Erin Indahl-Fink

If you love the famous steak house Ruth's Chris Sweet Potato Casserole, this recipe is for you! This delicious sweet potato casserole with brown sugar pecan crumble topping is the perfect side dish for any holiday meal!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Salad and Sides

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 503 kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs. sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup half and half
  • 1/4 cup butter melted
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Brown Sugar Pecan Crumble Topping:

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium baking dish, spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

  • Wash, peel, and boil the sweet potatoes, over medium high heat. (Depending on how large or small they are cut, this takes 14-18 minutes.) To test the potatoes for doneness, pierce with a fork or knife. If the potato piece breaks apart easily, they are done.

  • Transfer the cooked potatoes to a mixing bowl, and add the brown sugar, half and half, butter, egg, vanilla and salt. Using a potato masher, combine the ingredients and mash until mostly smooth. Small lumps are okay. Transfer the potato mixture to the prepared baking dish.

  • In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, pecans, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir together to combine. Pour the melted butter into the brown sugar mixture, and stir until crumbly. Sprinkle the pecan crumble evenly over the top of the potatoes, covering completely. Garnish with some pecan halves, if desired. Cover the baking dish loosely with foil.

  • Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes to allow the pecans to toast. (Total bake time is 45 minutes.)

  • Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Baking dishes and pans: baking dishes oven vary widely in size. For this recipe I used a 7 x 10" rectangular baking dish. Feel free to use an oval baking dish of comparable size. You could also use a 9×9" square pan or baking dish.

Making in advance for a holiday meal: For best results, make the sweet potato mash and add to the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap. Make the pecan crumble and store in a separate, resealable container. This will ensure the crumble topping doesn't become mushy. Refrigerate. Before your meal, add the topping to the casserole, cover with foil and bake as directed.

Reheating Instructions: If you're reheating the entire casserole from being refrigerated, do it in the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and cover loosely with foil. Reheat in the oven for 25-35 minutes or until heated through completely. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes to crisp up the top crust. If you're reheating an individual serving of sweet potato casserole, I recommend simply reheating in the microwave. Heat on 30 second increments until heated through completely.

Storage: store any leftovers in the baking dish and cover tightly with plastic wrap. You can also store in resealable, airtight container. Will keep for 3-4 days refrigerated.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 503kcalCarbohydrates: 76gProtein: 6gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 250mgFiber: 7gSugar: 44g

Keyword Ruth Chris sweet potato casserole, Ruth Chris Sweet potato casserole recipe, Ruth’s Chris sweet potato casserole, sweet potato casserole with brown sugar pecan crumble

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Ruth Chris Sweet Potato Casserole {The ULTIMATE sweet potato casserole recipe!} (15)

You Might Also Like These Recipes

  • Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole
  • Beef Enchilada Casserole
  • Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
  • Garlic Herb Roast Beef
  • Pumpkin Meringue Pie
  • Thanksgiving Turkey Casserole
Ruth Chris Sweet Potato Casserole {The ULTIMATE sweet potato casserole recipe!} (2024)

FAQs

How do you make sweet potato casserole not watery? ›

You should always bake sweet potatoes. Baking intensifies the flavors. Boiling drains out flavor and also makes the sweet potatoes wet. If you bake the sweet potatoes and don't add liquid, you will not have watery sweet potato casserole.

Why add eggs to sweet potato casserole? ›

The egg is the all-important binder in a sweet potato casserole: it enriches and stiffens the mixture without making it heavy. Make sure to cool the mash slightly before adding the egg so it doesn't scramble, and to stir well so there are no streaks of cooked egg white in the finished dish.

What is sweet potato casserole made of? ›

Whisk together the butter, mashed sweet potatoes, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and eggs in a large bowl. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. For the topping: Combine the flour, brown sugar, butter and salt in a medium bowl until moist and the mixture clumps together. Stir in the pecans.

Why do Americans put marshmallows on sweet potato casserole? ›

Most people point to a 1917 pamphlet by the Angelus Marshmallow Company as the first time sweet potatoes and marshmallows came together. This company is believed to be the first to commercially-produce and sell the squishy white marshmallows we know, roast, and snack on today.

Why is my sweet potato casserole so watery? ›

(Another hot tip if you're boiling your sweet potatoes: Don't overcook them! They tend to absorb water, which could make the filling watery.) So, say you do have some undercooked bits of sweet potato. You have two choices: Pick them out or bake your sweet potato casserole long enough to soften the underdone pieces.

How can I thicken my sweet potato casserole? ›

Mix the sweet potato mixture thoroughly until creamy. Mix in the brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and butter. Add in the flour to thicken if needed and mix well.

What makes sweet potatoes taste better? ›

14 Ways To Add More Flavor To Sweet Potatoes
  1. Slather with cinnamon butter. Siims/Getty Images. ...
  2. Drizzle with tahini. ...
  3. Roast with savory chili sauce. ...
  4. Sprinkle on some good ol' salt and pepper. ...
  5. Pan fry with ginger and orange. ...
  6. Rub with garlic and rosemary. ...
  7. Dip in honey mustard. ...
  8. Sweeten with brown sugar and pecans.
Feb 17, 2023

How do you make a casserole taste better? ›

Try different herbs for added flavour: sage or lemon thyme work wonderfully well. For a meatier casserole, add chopped sausage or pancetta when cooking the chicken. Stir wholegrain mustard through the casserole at the end of cooking (to taste); this is especially good if you have sausage in the casserole.

What does adding an extra egg do to baked goods? ›

However, if you add too many eggs to your cake batter, then your end result could be spongy, rubbery, or dense. Like flour, eggs build structure in a cake, so they make a cake batter more bonded and dense.

What variety of sweet potato is best for casserole? ›

Jewel. With copper skin and deep-orange flesh that's moist and tender when cooked, the jewel is a go-to potato for traditional baking and casseroles.

Are candied yams and sweet potato casserole the same thing? ›

While both are sweet sides, they are different. Sweet potato casserole involves mashing the potatoes, turning them into a custard of sorts, and then topping them with marshmallows and/or pecans before baking. We don't do any of this when making candied sweet potatoes!

How do you know when sweet potato casserole is done? ›

you should see it firm, but still paste like. Once it bulges and you start to see cracks, it will be overcooked. You don't need anything of those fancy gadgets for casserole! You can grab a potato masher or whisk and mash them up.

Why do African Americans eat sweet potato pie? ›

After emancipation, when African American cooks gained more access to their own equipment and refined ingredients, they continued the tradition of baking with yams and sweet potatoes — especially the pie. These deep roots became the foundation of a strong tradition in African American food culture.

What's the difference between sweet potato pie and sweet potato casserole? ›

The difference is that sweet potato casserole can either have a toasted marshmallow top or a crunchy brown sugar/nut top and is made with brown sugar in the casserole. Sweet potato pie is made with white sugar, has nothing on top, but can be served with whipped topping.

What culture eats the most sweet potatoes? ›

China is the world's biggest producer and consumer of sweetpotato, where it is used for food, animal feed, and processing (as food, starch, and other products).

How do you fix a watery casserole? ›

10 Tips To Fix Or Prevent Watery Casseroles
  1. Prep Vegetables Ahead Of Time. Vegetables boiling on a stove - Solstock/Getty Images. ...
  2. Add A Starch. ...
  3. Experiment With Pasta Or Grains. ...
  4. Take The Lid Off. ...
  5. Drain Fat From Meat. ...
  6. Choose A Dry Or Low-Fat Cheese. ...
  7. Sprinkle Seeds Into Your Bake. ...
  8. Remove Excess Liquid.
Oct 29, 2023

How do you make a casserole less liquidy? ›

Make a cornstarch slurry for a fast and easy thickener.

A few minutes before your casserole is done, add it a little at a time until you are happy with the thickness. Then, let the casserole finish baking. You can also substitute chickpea flour for cornstarch. Chickpea flour is an excellent thickener for savory dishes.

How do you remove excess water from sweet potatoes? ›

Freezing sweet potatoes drives excess water out of the potato, resulting in an interior with more concentrated flavor. Freezing also lowers the starting temperature of the potato, allowing more time for amylase enzymes to convert starch to sweet-tasting maltose.

Is sweet potato casserole supposed to be watery? ›

If your sweet potato casserole turned out “watery”, its usually because you forgot to add eggs; you didn't let your casserole have enough time to set up after baking or you used fresh sweet potatoes and didn't boil them long enough before mashing.

References

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