Ruth’s Chris Sweet Potato Casserole – creamy, smooth sweet potatoes topped with a crunchy brown sugar and pecan crust, just like the steakhouse. The perfect make-ahead side dish for your holiday meal!

Ruth’s Chris Steak House is one of those special-occasion restaurants where everything is served à la carte, and the sides are just as famous as the steaks. It’s kind of the bar I set for my Sous Vide Steak at home. If it can be as good as theirs, I’m happy! One of their most-loved sides is this sweet potato casserole, and let me tell you, it is worth all the hype. The sweet potato layer is silky and almost soufflé-like, and the brown sugar pecan topping bakes into a crunchy, buttery crust.

 

My copycat version stays close to the restaurant recipe with one change: I use 4 cups of sweet potatoes instead of 3. The topping is very sweet, so a little extra potato balances it out and makes enough to feed 8. It’s become a regular on our Thanksgiving table, and because you can prep almost all of it the day before, it’s one of the easiest holiday sides to fit in around the turkey.

What’s In Ruth’s Chris Sweet Potato Casserole

• Sweet potatoes: You’ll need 4 cups of cooked, mashed sweet potato. Measure after cooking so you get the right amount. You can bake, boil, or pressure cook them. My favorite method is Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes because they cook perfectly while you do something else.
• Granulated sugar: Sweetens the filling. This is a sweet casserole, just like the restaurant version.
• Butter: You’ll use softened butter in the filling and melted butter in the topping.
• Egg: Helps the filling set up as it bakes so it holds its shape when you scoop it.
• Salt and vanilla extract: A little of each rounds out the flavor and keeps the filling from tasting flat.
• Light brown sugar: The base of the crumb topping. It caramelizes as it bakes.
• Chopped pecans: Give the topping its signature crunch. Walnuts work great too.
• All-purpose flour: Holds the topping together so it bakes into a crust instead of melting into the potatoes.

You can find the original recipe on the Ruth Chris website. My version uses more sweet potato to balance out the sweetness of the topping.

How To Make Sweet Potato Casserole

1. Cook the sweet potatoes. Bake, boil, or pressure cook them until they’re completely tender. Once they’re cool enough to handle, scoop out the insides. You need 4 cups of cooked sweet potato.
2. Prep the oven and pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 2-quart baking dish (or 9-inch baking pan) with non-stick spray.
3. Make the filling. Add the sweet potato, sugar, softened butter, egg, salt, and vanilla to a mixing bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy. A stand mixer makes quick work of this and gets the texture really silky.

1. Spread it in the dish. Spread the sweet potato mixture evenly in your prepared baking dish.
2. Make the crumb topping. In a separate bowl, mix the brown sugar, pecans, flour, and melted butter until well blended.
3. Add the topping. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the sweet potatoes.
4. Bake and rest. Bake for 35 minutes, until bubbly and hot. Let it stand for 10 minutes before serving so it sets up and is easier to scoop.

Can You Make This Sweet Potato Casserole Ahead

Absolutely! There are a few ways to get a head start:

• Cook the sweet potatoes ahead. Cook and scoop the sweet potatoes, then store them in the fridge until you are ready to make the casserole.
• Assemble the filling the day before. Make the filling, spread it in the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate. Add the crumb topping right before baking. I find this method gives you the absolute best results.
• Assemble the whole thing. You can also fully assemble the casserole, topping and all, then bake it the next day. The topping doesn’t bake up quite as crisp, but most likely no one will know the difference.

If you start with a cold casserole, increase baking time by 5 minutes.

Storage & Reheating

• Fridge: Store leftovers covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
• Reheat: Warm the casserole in a 350°F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, until heated through. Cover it with foil if the topping starts to get too dark. Single servings can be reheated in the microwave, though the topping will soften.
• Freezer: Sweet potato casserole is commonly frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap it tightly, thaw it overnight in the fridge, and reheat in the oven. Expect the pecan topping to be softer than when it was fresh.

Recipe Tips

• Swap the nuts. If you don’t have pecans or want to try something different, walnuts are a great option.
• Use a stand mixer. It whips the sweet potatoes super smooth and creamy, just like at the restaurant, in a minute or two.
• Measure after cooking. Measure 4 cups of the cooked, mashed sweet potato rather than counting whole potatoes, since sizes vary a lot.
• Drain boiled potatoes well. If you boil your sweet potatoes, drain them thoroughly so the extra water doesn’t make the filling runny.
• Don’t skip the rest. Letting it stand for 10 minutes after baking helps it set so it scoops cleanly.

More Holiday Side Dish Recipes To Try

• Sausage Stuffing
• Green Bean Casserole (no cream soup)
• Sous Vide Mashed Potatoes
• Scalloped Potatoes
• Twice Baked Potato Casserole
• Corn Casserole