Soul Sweet 'Taters

Welcome to mom's table.  Make yourself a plate.

Okay, I know Thanksgiving is seven months away, but bear with me on this one.  ShopRite had sweet potatoes on sale for $2.99 for a 5 lb. box, so I had to do something with them.  I made two Sweet Potato Pies for Easter and then I decided to try The Pioneer Woman's Soul Sweet 'Taters.  (I'm spending way too much time on this woman's blog, I can't help it!)

The sweet potato mixture comes together in less than five minutes.

I made this as a side dish for Easter and I know that it's probably too heavy for your spring and summer menus, but please keep it in mind for when the weather turns cold again, because it will.  I think this side dish knocks any other sweet potatoes out of the park.  Yes, it's as sweet as dessert, but it's also nutty and crunchy and it's a great compliment to all those savory dishes on your plate at a family gathering.  The next time you go to a cool weather potluck, try this one.  You can assemble it in advance and bake it right before serving.

The topping is sweet, crunchy, brown and a little bit sticky.

Soul Sweet 'Taters
from The Pioneer Woman
serves (at least) 10

4 whole Medium Sweet Potatoes
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Milk
2 whole Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Pecans (walnuts or almonds work fine - I used almonds)
½ cups Flour
¾ stick Butter

Wash 4 medium sweet potatoes and bake them in a 375-degree oven until fork tender, about 30-35 minutes. When they are finished cooking slice them open and scrape out the flesh into a large bowl.  You could also microwave your potatoes like I did in my Sweet Potato Pie recipe, or you could pressure cook them for 5 minutes.

Add 1 cup of (regular grandulated) sugar, 1 cup of milk, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of salt. With a potato masher, mash them up just enough—you don’t want it to be perfectly smooth.

Now, in a separate bowl, add 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup nuts, chopped (that means measure a cup of pecans, then chop them), ½ cup flour, and ¾ stick of butter. With a pastry cutter or fork, mash together until thoroughly combined.

Spread the sweet potato mixture into a regular baking dish and sprinkle the crumb mixture all over the top.

Bake in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.  If you desire a crunchier, browner topping, put the dish under the broiler for 1-3 minutes before serving.