Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet potatoes are one of the many healthiest foods we can eat. They contain vitamins A, B6, C, and D. They also contain iron, magnesium and potassium. Sweet potatoes are high in carotenes, which mean they help slow the aging process and fight cancer. Did you know the sugar in a sweet potato is released slowly in our bodies and won't cause our blood sugar to spike? No wonder these tubular roots are considered a superfood.

Sweet Potato Casserole

A fun fact, not ALL sweet potatoes are orange; there are also white/yellow sweet potatoes.  I used white sweet potatoes in the pictures below.

As much as we love sweet potato pie and the casserole that I'm sharing with you today, we love them mashed! Add a little molasses, butter, salt and pepper and you have a wonderful side dish. Who am I kidding, just give me a bowl of mashed sweet potatoes and I'm a happy camper!

I have my sister to thank for this recipe. She and her husband ate at a steakhouse in Atlanta for their anniversary one year and she told me about this sweet potato casserole they ate. Well, she went home and figured out how to make the recipe and shared it with me. YAY! Now, I'm sharing it with you.

Pecans (Pee-Kahn) are the way to go for this recipe. I'm sure some have tried walnuts, but for this southern girl, pecans are it. I'm a potato boiler for this recipe, because it is usually only made during the busy holidays. But, if I decide to make this at a different time during the year, I bake the sweet potatoes and just scoop out the insides. Baked sweet potatoes... they are melt in your mouth good.

Seriously, who would not want to try something that was sweet, crunchy, and oh, so delightful?

When we first moved here, I noticed  my oven does not bake according to time and temperatures. Any time I bake something at 350 degrees, I add an extra 10-15 minutes on the baking time. This recipe is no different for this oven, I baked this pan for 45 minutes.

Sweet Potato Casserole

 Ingredients:

• 4 cups mashed sweet potatoes
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs beaten
• ½ cup milk
• ½ tsp salt
• ⅓ cup butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla

Topping:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup flour
• ⅓ cup butter, melted
• 1 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix together and pour into a 13x9 baking dish. * Topping: mix all the topping ingredients, this should be crumbly. Sprinkle over potato mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Enjoy!