Thanksgiving: Sweet Potato Casserole

For Thanksgiving, my parents make the turkey and cornbread dressing, and my sister and I split up all of the other sides. I love Thanksgiving Eve...I crank up the music, pour a glass of wine, and cook!

I wanted to make something new this year, so my sister traded me the sweet potato casserole. (I also made green bean casserole and squash casserole.)

I'm sure everyone has their particular version of this holiday standard. I chose this recipe from Taste of Home, one of my favorite sites, because it a) used canned sweet potatoes (I wasn't about to peel, cube, and cook pounds of fresh ones!) and b) used a pecan/brown sugar topping and not marshmallows.

This was perfect...smooth and creamy with a sugary, crunchy top. And easy to make, to boot!

Printable recipe

2 cans (40 ounces each) sweet potatoes, drained

8 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

   

TOPPING:

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped pecans

 1/4 cup cold butter, cubed

In a large bowl, mash sweet potatoes. Add the eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla and salt; beat until smooth. Transfer to a greased 9x13 baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour and pecans; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over sweet potato mixture.

Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 60-70 minutes.