Sweet Potato Casserole with Coconut and Pecans

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, place potatoes and bake until tender, about 1 hour. (TIP: You can also boil peeled, cubed sweet potatoes in water for 15 minutes, or until tender, and drain.)
2. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with coconut oil.
3. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and discard skin. Working in batches, if necessary, transfer to a food processor and purée until smooth.
4. To a large bowl, transfer purée. Add milk, half of coconut oil (6 tbsp), maple syrup, 1¼ tsp salt and 1 tsp nutmeg; stir to combine. Stir in eggs. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and smooth top with a spatula. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare pecan topping: On a baking sheet, spread pecans and bake for 5 minutes, until lightly toasted. Transfer pecans to a cutting board and coarsely chop. In a bowl, toss pecans with coconut flakes, maple sugar, cinnamon and remaining half (6 tbsp) coconut oil, remaining ½ tsp nutmeg and pinch salt.
6. Remove foil from casserole. Distribute small clumps of pecan mixture all over sweet potatoes. Bake for 40 minutes longer, until topping is golden and sizzling. Let casserole stand for 20 minutes before serving. (You can also bake casserole up to 4 hours in advance and serve it warm or at room temperature.)

Prep It Ahead: Make the entire recipe through Step 4 up to 1 day in advance; cover and refrigerate. Toast pecans and prepare pecan topping; keep in an airtight container. Remove casserole from the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to bring to room temperature. Distribute topping over top and bake as directed.