Food

I made Dolly Parton's sweet potato casserole for Friendsgiving and it disappeared within minutes

Dolly Parton with Duncan Hines products
Dolly Parton's sweet potato casserole was a hit at my Friendsgiving. Sebastian Smith
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Dolly Parton has always loved whipping up feasts of Southern comfort food for her loved ones, including her goddaughter Miley Cyrus.

She also loves cooking with her family, even releasing a cookbook with her sister Rachel Parton George in 2024.

"Good Lookin' Cookin': A Year of Meals" features a section dedicated to Thanksgiving dishes. When I saw the Parton sisters had their own sweet potato casserole, I knew I had to make it for Friendsgiving.

Here's how it went.

Dolly Parton makes her sweet potato casserole with a nutty twist.

Ingredients for Dolly Parton's Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients for Dolly Parton's sweet potato casserole. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

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.

Peeled and quartered potatoes for Dolly Parton's Sweet Potato Casserole
I quartered my sweet potatoes after peeling them. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

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.

Boiling potatoes for Dolly Parton's Sweet Potato Casserole
I cooked the potatoes for 20 minutes. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

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.

Adding seasonings to potatoes for Dolly Parton's Sweet Potato Casserole
Seasoning my sweet potatoes. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

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.

Mashed sweet potatoes for Dolly Parton's Sweet Potato Casserole
My mashed sweet potatoes. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

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.

Adding marshmallows to potatoes for Dolly Parton's Sweet Potato Casserole
I covered the top of the pan with marshmallows, as Dolly instructed. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

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.

Covering Dolly Parton's Sweet Potato Casserole in aluminum foil for baking
My covered pan. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

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.

Melted marshmallows on top of Dolly Parton's Sweet Potato Casserole
My sweet potato casserole after 20 minutes in the oven. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

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!

Dolly Parton's Sweet Potato Casserole
I would make Dolly Parton's sweet potato casserole again, with one little tweak. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

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.

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Anneta Konstantinides
Anneta Konstantinides is a lifestyle correspondent at Business Insider, with a focus on food and travel. She loves taking readers inside Michelin-starred kitchens and exploring the world of fine-dining, and she's always trying to find the best Ina Garten and Gordon Ramsay recipes. Her second home is LAX, where she's often catching a flight and reviewing airlines.Anneta has also been reporting on the pageant industry for the last six years and has interviewed every Miss USA and Miss Universe winner since 2019. She was a finalist at the LA Press Club Awards for her investigation into the  2022 Miss USA scandal and was featured in The New York Times Presents episode "How to Fix a Pageant" on Hulu in September 2023. After graduating from UCLA with a B.A in English Literature and a minor in film & television, Anneta worked as a journalist in London, Sydney, New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. You can reach Anneta at akonstantinides@bjinnox.com.