I made Dolly Parton's sweet potato casserole for Friendsgiving. It disappeared within minutes.

Dolly Parton's sweet potato casserole was a hit at my Friendsgiving. Sebastian Smith Dolly Parton always loved whipping up feasts of Southern comfort food for her loved ones, including her goddaughter, Miley Cyrus.The late country icon loved it so much that she even wrote a cookbook with her sister, Rachel Parton George, which came out in 2024.My favorite section of "Good Lookin' Cookin': A Year of Meals" is dedicated entirely to Thanksgiving dishes. And the best recipe of the bunch is Parton's sweet potato casserole.Here's how to make it. Dolly Parton's sweet potato casserole has a nutty twist. Ingredients for Dolly Parton's sweet potato casserole. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider To make the sweet potato casserole at home, you'll need:5 large sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered2 cups of miniature marshmallows½ cup of chopped raw pecans½ cup of light brown sugar, packed½ cup (1 stick) of butter at room temperature, plus more for greasing1 teaspoon of vanilla extract1 teaspoon of salt1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon First, I preheated the oven and prepped my potatoes and baking pan. 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.I also washed, peeled, and quartered my sweet potatoes. I placed my sweet potatoes in a large pot and covered them with cold water. 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.You'll know they're ready when the potatoes are fork-tender. I drained the potatoes, placed them in a large bowl, and added the butter and seasonings. 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. My mashed sweet potatoes. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider The recipe 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 serving fork — it worked like a charm! I transferred my mashed sweet potatoes to the baking pan, smoothing the top. I covered the top of the pan with marshmallows, as Dolly instructed. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider I sprinkled the pecans on top, then evenly covered the casserole with my miniature marshmallows. I covered my pan with aluminum foil and threw it in the oven. My covered pan. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider The recipe says you should bake your sweet potato casserole for 20 minutes. Once the 20 minutes were up, I baked the casserole uncovered for five additional minutes. My sweet potato casserole after 20 minutes in the oven. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider The marshmallows should turn golden brown, but mine were still white as snow after five minutes passed. 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. 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 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 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!I'll definitely be missing Dolly during this holiday season. Serving up a casserole that's warm and sweet seems like a fitting tribute. Read next Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Anneta Konstantinides is a lifestyle correspondent at Business Insider and has spent nearly 10 years reporting in the lifestyle space. Her focus is on food and travel, where she's known to take readers inside Michelin-starred kitchens or to the hottest new Las Vegas hotel. Sometimes it's Anneta doing the cooking, leading readers through the best recipes by Gordon Ramsay or Ina Garten. Anneta has also been deeply reporting on the pageant industry since 2019, interviewing dozens of Miss USA and Miss Universe winners. She was a two-time finalist at the LA Press Club Awards for her investigation into the 2022 and 2024 Miss USA scandals 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. She currently lives in Los Angeles. Thanksgiving Food