Thanksgiving Recipe: Sweet Potato Heaven

I’m pulling this recipe out of the archives because I just have to give it to you again. Because Thanksgiving at my house can’t happen without these sweet potatoes. If you’re a sweet potato hater, please just give me a chance, here. I used to be a hater, too, you see. This recipe changed me forever.

I grew up hating sweet potatoes. The flavor, the texture, all of it was just yuck to me. It didn’t matter how much brown sugar and butter was swirling around them. It didn’t matter if they were topped with marshmallows. No matter how they were dressed up, they grossed me out.

Then I encountered this praline-topped sweet potato purée, and I was hooked.

Now that I’m all grown up, I love baked sweet potatoes with butter and a drizzle of maple syrup. I occasionally experience intense cravings for spicy sweet potato oven fries, and always keep a few sweet potatoes on hand for that reason. I’ve come a long way, and it all started with this recipe.

I’ve tried several slightly different versions of this over the years, but the recipe below is the one I’ve settled on. My dad requests it every Thanksgiving and Christmas. I made it for my Cooking Club last November, and my friend Michelle, who never eats sweet potatoes, took seconds.

“This isn’t sweet potatoes,” she said. “It’s dessert with candy on top.”

She’s basically right. The ingredients should probably mandate that this be relegated to the dessert table, next to the pumpkin pie. But I figure if you can get some dessert on your dinner plate next to your turkey and cranberries, you ought to just go for it.

If Heaven were a sweet potato, this is what it would look like.

Sweet Potato Heaven
40 ounces cooked sweet potatoes, drained
1/2 cup evaporated cane juice or sugar
2/3 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted sweet cream butter

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat the sweet potatoes until mashed but still a little chunky (or mash by hand with a potato masher). Beat/mix in the evaporated cane juice, milk, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Spread into a deep casserole or 9″ x 13″ baking dish.

In a separate bowl, mix together the brown sugar, pecans, and flour. Using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until the mixture is thoroughly combined, and the butter is well-distributed. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the sweet potatoes.

Bake 30 minutes, or until golden-brown.

Ooh and ahh appropriately.

Here’s the printable recipe. Enjoy!