Dolly Parton makes her sweet potato casserole with a nutty twist.
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To make Parton and her sister's sweet potato casserole at home, you'll need:
5 large sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 cups miniature marshmallows
½ cup chopped raw pecans
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature, plus more for greasing
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
First, I preheated the oven and prepped my potatoes and baking pan.
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I set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and buttered a 9-inch by 13-inch pan, per Parton's instructions.
I also washed, peeled, and quartered my sweet potatoes.
I placed my sweet potatoes in a large pot and covered them with cold water.
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I brought the pot to a boil over high heat, then lowered the heat to maintain a low boil for 20 minutes while the potatoes cooked.
Parton said you'll know the potatoes are ready when they're "fork tender."
I drained the potatoes, placed them in a large bowl, and added the butter and seasonings.
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I threw in the brown sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and butter, adding the latter in knobs so it'd be easy to mix.
Then, it was time to mash.
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Parton recommends using a potato masher to mix the ingredients until they're "well combined." I don't own one, so I simply used a big wooden fork — it worked like a charm!
I transferred my mashed sweet potatoes to the baking pan, smoothing the top.
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I sprinkled the pecans on top before evenly covering the casserole with my miniature marshmallows.
I covered my pan with aluminum foil and threw it in the oven.
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Parton says you should bake your sweet potato casserole for 20 minutes.
Once the 20 minutes were up, I removed the foil and baked the sweet potato casserole for five more minutes.
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Parton says your marshmallows should be "golden brown" once the five minutes are up. My marshmallows were still white as snow, so I turned on the broiler and baked the casserole for two additional minutes to give them some color.
I let my sweet potato casserole cool for 15 minutes before serving. Then everyone dug in!
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I was slightly disappointed when the sweet potato casserole came out of the oven. The marshmallows got a little overcooked by the broiler and now only covered half of the casserole. Next time, I think I'll skip Parton's aluminum foil trick and just let the marshmallows cook uncovered the entire time.
Unphotogenic marshmallows aside, this sweet potato casserole was delicious. The crunchy pecans added a delightful twist, and the combination of the brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon was well-balanced. The texture was satisfyingly creamy, and the dish made my kitchen smell delicious.
I brought this to a Friendsgiving and the pan was empty within minutes — despite having a lot of competition!
So, with one little tweak, I think the Parton sisters' sweet potato casserole will be a hit on your holiday menu.