Photo by NatalieMaynorDish of the Week: Sweet potato casserole
Thanksgiving… foodie holiday… blah blah blah. But of course, it is my favorite holiday, not just because of the food, but because of the focus on family. My mother is a fantastic cook. She makes the best scallion pancakes. Her technique is so flawless that family members can tell the difference between the pancakes she rolls out and the ones my aunts roll.
But sometimes my mom likes to “experiment.” Now there’s experimentation within reason, substituting brown sugar for white sugar, adding a touch of almond extract to a dessert that doesn’t call for it. And then there’s her special brand of experimentation. She’s done fun things like adding hazelnut coffee syrup to chicken stir fry, and dried cranberries in sushi rolls. (We were lucky we got away without that same sushi featuring large chunks of walnuts.)
So what does this have to do with sweet potatoes? As you might have guessed, my mom is not one for “recipes” and tends to wing making sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving. That usually meant additions like orange juice, and lots of burned marshmallows. It also meant that I grew up hating sweet potatoes. Though we all know they’re really just a vehicle for toasted marshmallows.
Luckily, I’ve discovered a recipe from my sister’s mother-in-law that I love. It eschews the usual marshmallows for a streusel-like pecan topping. And the half cup of butter helps.
Share with us your favorite Thanksgiving dishes, “experiments” and disasters with us in the comments.
Sweet Potato Casserole
29 oz Canned Sweet Potatoes, Mashed
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Butter, Melted
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Topping:
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Flour
4 Tbsp Butter, Melted
1/8 tsp Allspice
1/8 tsp Cinnamon
1 Cup Chopped Pecans
1. Mix yams, sugar and salt. Add 1/2 cup butter and vanilla blending well. Pour into greased 1 1/2 qt baking dish.
2. Mix brown sugar, flour, butter, allspice, cinnamon and pecans. Spread over yam mixture.
3. Bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the top is a golden brown.
