Can You Freeze Sweet Potato Casserole?
Yes — but there are a few important rules to follow.
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Great news for make-ahed Thanksgiving prep: sweet potato casseroles freeze very well. Follow our step-by-step guide for a gorgeous, tasty outcome.
Can You Freeze Sweet Potato Casserole?
This is a resounding yes! All you need to do is follow a few simple rules. The most important thing to remember? You need to cook sweet potatoes before freezing them. That’s because raw sweet potatoes contain a lot of water, and when they freeze, their cells burst, creating mushy, watery sweet potatoes when thawed. Read on for the full how-to.
How Do You Freeze a Sweet Potato Casserole?
- Assemble the sweet potato casserole. Follow the directions for your sweet potato casserole recipe up to the point of adding the topping and giving the dish a final bake in the oven.
- Wrap the casserole. You can freeze the casserole in the dish you’re planning to serve it from. Cut a piece of parchment to fit the top of the casserole and put it over the sweet potato. Wrap the entire casserole in foil and then wrap it in foil again. Write the directions for making the topping and baking the casserole on a post-it or notecard and put it on top; place the casserole and the note in a zip top bag.
- Freeze the topping separately. Make the topping ahead of time and stash the unbaked clumps in a zip top bag. It will hold up in the freezer as long as it’s not touching the sweet potatoes.
How Do You Defrost a Frozen Sweet Potato Casserole?
Take the sweet potato casserole out of the freezer and put it in the fridge, leaving its wrappings on, at least 24 hours before you’ll be baking it. It is important to defrost in the fridge because of the raw eggs.
How Do You Reheat a Frozen Sweet Potato Casserole?
Take the casserole out of the fridge 2 hours before baking it; it should be at room temperature when it goes in the oven. You don’t want the casserole dish going into the oven cold, as a drastic temperature change could cause it to crack. Follow the rest of your recipe’s directions for baking and topping, checking with an instant read thermometer to make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Can You Freeze Leftover Sweet Potato Casserole?
As long as you’ve followed the safe thawing and reheating techniques detailed above, it’s okay to freeze leftover sweet potato casserole. Transfer the leftovers to a snug airtight container and keep in mind that the topping will get soggy in the freezer — there’s no way around it.
The Best Sweet Potato Casserole
We opted for a nutty crumb topping over marshmallows to create a pleasantly crunchy contrast to the creamy and soft mashed sweet potatoes. The filling gets a pumpkin pie-like treatment, with brown sugar and vanilla for a deep caramel flavor and butter and eggs for richness. This recipe is bound to become a holiday staple.
More Ways To Make Sweet Potato Casserole
We took this classic holiday dish and made it vegan-friendly, nixing the heavy cream and butter in favor of rich, creamy coconut milk.
Armando Rafael
This recipe brings all the goodness of loaded sweet potatoes, minus the need to carefully assembling them.
Matt Armendariz
Putting a casserole in ramekins gives them a major wow factor and makes them friendly for a smaller crowd. Everything you want from a sweet potato casserole in a perfect small package.
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