Can You Freeze Sweet Potato Casserole?
Quick Answer
You can freeze sweet potato casserole for up to 4 months. It’s easy to freeze either before cooking or with leftovers. Just make sure to cool it completely, store it in a sealed container, and label it for best results when reheating.
Read on for more detail
When it comes to holiday sides, we love to have all of the things. From homemade stuffing to green bean casserole to that fresh-baked ham and then, of course, sweet potato casserole. Not everyone loves sweet potato casserole but itโs warm, sweet flavor is just something you canโt pass up!
You can certainly enjoy your sweet potato casserole at any time of year but holiday dinners seem like the perfect excuse to enjoy this dish. Plus, it has sweet potatoes which have a lot of health benefits so you might as well partake!
A little bit of sweet potato casserole goes a long way. It seems like there is always an abundance of leftovers. What do you do with them?
Can you freeze sweet potato casserole? The good news is, you can freeze your sweet potato casserole and it freezes quite simply for up to 4 months. There are a couple of different ways to do so. You can freeze it before itโs cooked if you want to make it ahead of time and save it for later. Or, you can freeze your leftovers when itโs already been cooked.
In this guide, we will cover everything you need to know about sweet potato casserole. We will provide specific insight and instruction as to how to freeze your sweet potato casserole and any tips you should know for handling it directly after freezing it.
Keep reading to learn how to freeze sweet potato casserole and more.
A Guide to Freezing Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet potato casserole is one of those dishes that you just never know if itโs going to freeze well. But the truth is, it really does freeze well and itโs incredibly simple to freeze and work with.
Sweet potato casserole has sweet potatoes and marshmallows, often mixed with a few other ingredients. Everything freezes well and you can make it ahead and freeze it or you can freeze it after youโve cooked it. The process is relatively the same and there are no changes.
You might have heard sweet potato casserole also referred to as yams or yam casserole. Itโs all essentially the same thing. You can mix up your ingredients and toppings easily. For instance, some people add pecans to theirs while other people incorporate a breadcrumb topping.
Traditionally, sweet potato casserole is made with a marshmallow topping but you can truly make it however you want to. Nearly any dish can be personalized to your own tastes and preferences.ย
How Sweet Potato Casserole is Made
Sweet potato casserole can be made in a variety of ways. We are going to share a basic recipe as we feel it is relevant to understanding how the various ingredients could affect your freezing efforts.
Remember that this recipe is just sharing a traditional method for sweet potato casserole. You can use any recipe variation and still follow the freezing instructions we provide you later in this guide.
- You will need sweet potatoes (peeled, and cubed), brown sugar, softened butter, salt, vanilla, marshmallows, and any additional items (like pecans).ย
- Boil the sweet potatoes 10-15 minutes until theyโre nice and tender. Drain them and let them cool slightly.ย
- Mash the sweet potatoes and blend with sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla.ย
- Layer into a baking dish.ย
- Cover with marshmallows.ย
- Sprinkle a layer of pecans over the top (optional).ย
- Bake the casserole mix at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes or until the marshmallows are turning golden brown.ย
Making sweet potato casserole is really quite easy. A single recipe makes a large portion that will typically feed at least a dozen people, if not more. Most people enjoy small servings of sweet potato casserole because it is very sweet and warm.
Using Sweet Potato Casserole Leftovers
If youโre not quite sure what to do with your leftover sweet potato casserole, we have some options for you. Maybe you already froze it and reheated it and you still have some left or maybe youโre just not quite ready to freeze the leftovers.
Whatever stage youโre at, itโs important to know your options. You can use some and freeze some. Why not take full advantage of everything that is available to you?
Here are a few ideas of simple things you can do with leftover sweet potato casserole.
- Muffins
- Oatmeal
- Cheesy potato cakes
- Cake
- Waffles
- Soup
- Quesadillas
- Scones
- Egg hash
These are just a few easy ways to change up that sweet potato casserole. Not only do you get to use that delicious dish for something else that is equally delicious but you get to change it up so youโre not eating the same thing over and over.
How to Freeze Sweet Potato Casserole
I will let you know that the process we share here will work universally for either make-ahead or leftover cooked sweet potato casserole. There is no difference. You donโt have to leave off the marshmallows (although you can) because it does not make a significant difference in the overall process.
You can store your sweet potato casserole in the fridge for several days and it will stay fresh. Be sure that you have it covered well. Then, you can enjoy it cold or reheat it when you are ready to use it.
Sweet potato casserole will remain good in the fridge for up to 5 days and itโs super easy to work with as a leftover dish.
Remember, there are a lot of options for using up that sweet potato casserole if you need some ideas to help you use it up.
Here are your steps for freezing sweet potato casserole.
- Allow the casserole to cool to room temperature. Do not leave it sitting out for more than 2 hours as bacteria can quickly begin to grow.
- Store sweet potato casserole in a sealing container, if possible. We recommend using something that will be oven-safe to keep it simple when you are ready to use it.
- If you do not have an oven-safe container with a lid, top the container with a layer of plastic wrap and then follow that up with a layer of aluminum foil.
- Label and date the packaging.
- Store sweet potato casserole in the freezer for up to 4 months.
You can potentially store your sweet potato casserole for longer than this but for the best flavor and results, 4 months is the maximum recommendation.
When youโre ready to use that frozen sweet potato casserole, there is no need to thaw it out although you can if you want to.
You can take the casserole straight from the freezer to the oven and heat it back up. This process is very simple. You donโt have to tire of those leftovers or struggle with finding ways to eat it so you donโt have to waste it.ย
Put your freezer to the test and use it for what it was intended for โ freezing those leftovers so you can enjoy them later!
Trust us, your friends, family, and taste buds will thank us when you get to enjoy that dish again later.
Related Questions
We hope that youโve found this guide to freezing sweet potato casserole to be a valuable and informative resource for your needs. If you had any concerns about freezing your casserole, let them go because the process is simple and effective.
We invite you to take a look at the following question and answer section. It contains some common question information that may prove to be useful for you as well.
Do You Reheat Sweet Potato Casserole with Foil?
We do recommend that you leave your sweet potato casserole covered with foil during the majority of your reheating process. This will help keep your toppings from darkening too much or burning during the reheating process.
How Long Can Sweet Potato Casserole Be at Room Temperature?
With nearly any dish that needs to be stored in the fridge or refrigerator, the rule of thumb is to not leave the dish at room temperature for more than 2 hours. This is because bacteria tend to grow most rapidly when dishes are between 40 and 140 degrees.
2 hours is the safest protective time frame. If your sweet potato casserole is left out longer than 2 hours, you should consider discarding it for safety purposes.
Are Sweet Potato Casserole and Candied Yams the Same Thing?
Sweet potatoes and yams are essentially the same things, right? Yams come from the same family as sweet potatoes but really they are quite different when you buy them fresh. While they are often associated as being the same thing, they are not truly the same.
Do Marshmallows Get Soggy When Reheated?
Because the marshmallows were previously cooked and browned, you shouldnโt have to worry about anything becoming soggy or distasteful during your reheating process.
You can keep your pan covered in foil to prevent excessive cooking but sogginess should not be an issue.