3-Ingredient Sweet Potato Casserole With Maple Pecans

Yield: Serves 8–10
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients

• Olive oil (for pan)
• 5 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 1/2" pieces
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more
• 1 1/4 cups pure maple syrup, divided
• 2 cups pecan halves (about 7 ounces)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil a 3-qt. baking dish. Cook potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until very tender, about 12 minutes. Drain; let sit in colander 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 1/2 cup syrup in a large skillet over medium-high. Add pecans, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until syrup has evaporated and pecans are glazed, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and let cool.
• Purée potatoes, 1 1/2 cups water, and remaining 3/4 cup syrup, 1 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a food processor until smooth. Transfer potato mixture to prepared baking dish.
• Coarsely chop pecans and sprinkle evenly over potato mixture.
• Bake casserole until top is lightly browned, about 40 minutes. Let sit 15 minutes before serving.

Do Ahead
Casserole can be assembled, without topping, 2 days ahead; cover and chill. Candied pecans can be made 2 days ahead; store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

• nuts were a sticky mess; hard to cut; find a separate recipe for nuts next time