Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole

Last year, at Thanksgiving, I was told that I needed to bring something to the Thanksgiving dinner.   In the 28 years before that my Mom would always bring something and I wouldn't have to worry about it, but since I have been living on my own for so  many years now, they decided that I should start bring something.  Even though I cannot cook very well, it didn't matter to them.  I am a 'grown up' now and I needed to start bringing something. BOO!

My grandma suggested I bring the sweet potato casserole since it was easy.  Hmm, OK.  So I reached out to my friends on Facebook and Mr. Google to find a recipe that would work.  My friend Krista saved the day and sent me a recipe from AllRecipes.com for a wonderful sweet potato casserole.   I made it the day before Thanksgiving and crossed my fingers hoping it would turn out OK.  Well, let me tell you...everyone was RAVING about it.  There wasn't any leftover at all and my grandma talks about it all the time.  It does have a lot of sugar in it (a lot!), but it is pretty tasty.

This year, I am hoping to have a repeat success with the recipe.  Wish me luck! :)  I AM NOT a good cook so I am not sure how it will turn out this year, but the actual recipe is great!  I did some things that might now make it such a success this year, so I am a bit worried.

See recipe and measurements below.  Last year my neighbor Carol helped me make it, but this year I am living on the opposite side of town and she is not here to help so I am on my own. :(  I didn't remember if I boiled, baked, or microwaved the sweet potatoes last year so this year I started to bake them (then that didn't work out so I boiled them-skip the baking and just boil them!). 

First, I removed all the skins and chopping them up into chunks.  They were taking FOREVER to bake so after awhile I boiled them (hopefully they weren't overcooked after doing both).  After I boiled them I mixed all the ingredients in the bowl and started to mix them together.

After I proceeded to get the mixture everywhere, including the paper towels, stove, fridge, and me I put the mixture in the casserole dish and added the topping.  I only showed one casserole dish, but I sort of doubled the recipe and put 3/4 of the recipe with pecans and 1/4 of the recipe in a separate dish with marshmallows.  Tomorrow when I get to my parents house I will bake them both for the 30 minutes.

Gourmet Sweet Potato Classic

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour 5 Minutes

Ready In: 1 Hour 25 Minutes

Servings: 8

 

Ingredients:

5 sweet potatoes 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup butter 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup white sugar 2 tablespoons heavy cream 1/4 cup butter, softened 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2.	Bake sweet potatoes 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until they begin to soften. Cool slightly, peel, and mash.
3.	In a large bowl, mix the mashed sweet potatoes, salt, 1/4 cup butter, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, sugar, and heavy cream. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
4.	In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup butter, flour, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Mix with a pastry blender or your fingers to the consistency of course meal. Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture.
5.	Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until topping is crisp and lightly browned.

 

 Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!  

My favorite Thanksgiving items are black olives and deviled eggs.  What are yours?