This makes a baking dish of hearty, hot, sweet potatoes that serves about 12-14 people. In my family, these are also called Labor-Inducing Sweet Potatoes.
“You can't call them Labor-Inducing Sweet Potatoes.” - my lawyer
Ingredients:
POTATOES:
10 large sweet potatoes - cooked and peeled (OR: Take the easy route and use eight 15-oz. cans of sweet potatoes. Or substitute frozen sweet potatoes that you've thawed.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, well-softened but not melted
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup white sugar
4 Tablespoons heavy cream
TOPPING:
1/4 cup flour (I use a gluten-free blend)
1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup butter, well-softened but not melted
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease (or spray with cooking spray) a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- In a large bowl, mash your cooked or canned sweet potatoes well. Add salt, 1/3 cup butter, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, white sugar and cream. Mix well.
- Pour into baking dish and spread evenly.
- In a medium bowl, combine 1/3 cup butter, flour, brown sugar and chopped pecans. Mix with a fork, pastry blender or (clean) fingers until it's course but blended. Sprinkle evenly over potatoes.
Cook & Serve:
Bake in 350 oven for about 40 minutes, or until the entire sugar-crumble mixture on top is bubbly and melty. The time will vary, depending on your oven and the depth of your baking dish.
A Little Backstory:
I never liked those marshmallowy sweet potato dishes that aren't quite sure if they're a side dish or a dessert. This is so good that it won over the "I don't like sweet potatoes" side of the family. So ... a few years back, we all gathered at the house of my niece, Randi Kay, for Thanksgiving. She loves these potatoes and went back to eat the leftovers after dessert -- and then she gave birth to her baby, three months early. Coincidence? Or ... sweet potatoes? We think Levi got his first taste of this dish and couldn't wait to get out so he could have some for himself. (The preemie grew to be a healthy, chunky kid, BTW. Thanks, sweet potatoes.)
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