Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Sweet Potato Bake



I have made this recipe for Sweet Potato Bake for many years.  I originally found this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine. 

I didn't grow up eating sweet potato casserole so this was new for me.  (When I was little in the south, we normally ate sweet potatoes that were baked and served split in half with butter - with the potato cut in hatch marks so that the butter would soak in). 

When Taste of Home first came out, I LIVED by every issue.  I loved pouring over the magazines and finding new recipes for comfort food to serve to my family.  This is one of the recipes that has survived many family dinners!  Believe it or not, every time I make Sweet Potato Bake, I drag out ALL of my magazines to find the recipe (I write my favorite recipes on the covers in permanent marker).  It's a huge process because I have so many magazines!   Thinking ahead, I am blogging this recipe so I can find it easier.  

I have tweaked the recipe a bit to fit my tastes.  I will link to the original recipe HERE.  I prefer a more dense amount of sweet potatoes so I use less eggs and since the sweet potatoes provide a delicious amount of sweetness on their own, I have also decreased the sugar.  You can make it according to the original recipe or according to my version here, but I can guaranty this will be a winner-winner at your next family dinner!

Here's how I make Sweet Potato Bake AT HOME MY WAY:

Sweet Potato Bake

  • 3 large sweet potatoes
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup 2% milk
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
TOPPING:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons cold butter

Directions:

Bake sweet potatoes @ 350 degrees for 1 hour or until they start oozing goodness from the skins.  (Let cool completely before mixing.)  This means they are ready.  (Just place them whole, in a pan, uncovered, unwrapped, peeling still on - to bake.)  (You can do this ahead of time.)

Peel and/or scoop out all of the sweet potato into a mixing bowl, mash or mix with a mixer.  Add remaining ingredients (except topping ingredients) and blend with a mixer until smooth.  Place in a sprayed casserole dish.

Topping:  Cut cold butter into brown sugar and flour until crumbly, stir in pecans.  Sprinkle over the unbaked casserole.  You can double the topping if you like more of this nutty sweetness!

BAKE at 325 degrees (preheated oven) for 45 minutes.