Let’s talk Thanksgiving sides, shall we?  I like to keep my sides traditional (with the occasional slight update) for the Thanksgiving meal because there is something nostalgic about well loved dishes that bring back memories of time with family and friends.  However, I’ve always felt like that old fashioned marshmallow topped sweet potato casserole needed an overhaul.  Insipidly sweet and corn syrup laden, the marshmallows almost mask the earthy and wonderful taste of the sweet potato.  I think the sugar needs to be dialed back just a few notches!  

  A few years ago, while I was pregnant with my first child, my mother-in-law introduced me to a new-to-me version of sweet potato casserole and I think I ate almost half of it!  It’s now a staple on my Thanksgiving table and I hoard the leftovers for myself.  I’ve reduced the sugar in the original recipe even more over the years and I love the balance of earthy sweet potato with the nut and brown sugar topping.   Pretty sure you should save those marshmallows for hot chocolate.

   Begin by baking 4-5 large sweet potatoes until soft.  You will need about 3 total cups of mashed sweet potatoes.  Allow the potatoes to cool slightly.

   Meanwhile assemble the crumb topping by mixing chopped pecans, flour, brown sugar and butter.  Set aside.

  Mix the cooled sweet potatoes with eggs, vanilla, milk, butter and salt.  Whip until light and fluffy and pour into a greased casserole dish.  Top with the crumble and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

4-5 large sweet potatoes

2 tbsp white sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 c milk

1/3 c melted butter

1/4 tsp salt

1 c brown sugar

1/3 cup flour (I used gluten free)

1 c chopped pecans

4 tbsp solid butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Bake potatoes for 1 hour or until soft.  Cut open the tops and allow to cool.  Meanwhile, mix brown sugar, flour, pecans and solid butter until crumbly.  Set aside.  Place potatoes, white sugar, eggs, vanilla, melted butter and salt in a mixing bowl and mix until combined.   Increase mixing speed and whip until light and fluffy.  Pour into a greased baking dish and top with the crumb topping.  Bake for 45 min until topping is browned.