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a sweet potato casserole with a light toasted walnut-and-panko crust over a soft orange filling in an ordinary baking dish
Rachel Kim

Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole

Bourbon belongs in the filling where its woody flavor can mingle with butter and dark brown sugar, not poured over a finished pan like a last-minute sauce. Briefly simmer it with the sugar before adding the potatoes, and expect some alcohol to remain rather than treating cooking as a guarantee that it's gone. The walnut-and-panko crust is deliberately light, leaving the soft filling as the main texture instead of turning the casserole into a tray of candied nuts; give it a few minutes to settle before serving so the first scoop holds its shape.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 10
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lbs sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter for filling
  • 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp bourbon
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 tsp fine salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted, for topping
  • 1 tsp unsalted butter for the dish

Method
 

  1. Cover the sweet potatoes with water in a large pot, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes until soft. Drain well and let steam dry for 3 minutes.
  2. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 2-quart baking dish. Melt the filling butter with brown sugar in a saucepan, remove from the heat and carefully stir in bourbon.
  3. Return the saucepan to low heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Mash the potatoes with this mixture, cream, salt and cinnamon; cool until warm, then beat in the eggs.
  4. Spread the filling in the dish. Toss walnuts and panko with the topping butter and scatter evenly over the surface.
  5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the crust is golden and the center reaches 160°F. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.