Sweet Potato Casserole: A Family Tradition

As traditions are filling your minds in the next two months, my mind is always on the food traditions in my family.

It is a known fact in my family that at every Thanksgiving and Christmas celebration there will be a sweet potato casserole.

At my parent’s house it is always topped with loads and loads of marshmallows. But, at my husband’s parent’s house it’s a guarantee that it will be covered with pecan streusel.

I feel in love with the crunch and caramelized bite that every spoonful gave me. Genius!

No matter your family’s traditions, it’s always nice to look forward to old traditions as well as to start new ones.

Cheers to traditions…and loads of sweet potatoes!

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Sweet Potato Casserole

adapted from my mother’s recipe

Ingredients

• 4-6 medium sweet potatoes (enough for 4 cups mashed)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup melted butter, cooled
• 1/2 cup low fat evaporated milk
• 1 cup brown sugar (topping)
• 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour (topping)
• 1 cup chopped pecans (topping)
• 1/3 cup melted butter (topping)

How-To

1. In a large pot over high heat, bring water to a bowl.
2. Meanwhile, peal and dice your sweet potatoes.
3. Boil the sweet potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
5. Meanwhile, in a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), mix the sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, whole wheat flour, cooled butter and evaporated milk together. Set aside.
6. In separate bowl, combine the topping mixture. Mix the brown sugar, unbleached all purpose flour, pecans and melted butter together. Set aside.
7. Once the potatoes are done, drain and add them into the bowl of sugar, eggs, etc. Beat with either a hand mixer or your stand mixer until all of the potatoes are mashed and the mixture is fully blended together.
8. Pour into a 9″x13″ pan (I used a ceramic 9 1/2″ bowl).
9. Sprinkle the topping over the sweet potato mixture.
10. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and brown.
11. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes before serving.