Get ready for Thanksgiving…Granny’s Sweet Potato Casserole with Praline Topping

Last week I shared my Granny’s pecan pie recipe.  Desserts are my favorite part of any meal, but this is  a recipe for a side dish that is so good it could be the dessert.  This is another standby that just makes Thanksgiving, well…..Thanksgiving.  It just isn’t Turkey Day without it!  If you have a whole mess of people coming over to eat, trust me and double this one.  You won’t regret it.

Sweet Potato Casserole (so good you will slap your Momma)

What you will need:

5 Large Sweet Potatoes

1/2 butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup chopped pecans

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Scrub the sweet potatoes well. You can cook them however you want, see below for information on that.   When they are cool enough to handle, scoop them out of the skin.  Mash well, this should be about 3 cups.  Mix the softened butter into the potatoes along with the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and milk.  Pour the mixture into a casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray.  Next, bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan.  Add the brown sugar and stir until it dissolves.  Cook this mixture over medium heat until it reaches the soft-ball stage on a candy thermometer.  Remove from heat and beat in the melted butter and pecans.  Pour this mixture over the sweet potatoes and bake until very hot and beginning to brown.  Be sure to have someone nearby to administer the smelling salts when you taste it, cause you just might pass out from the deliciousness.

Tips from Granny’s Kitchen:

*Sweet potatoes:  some people like to bake them, some zap them in the microwave.  I have found the EASIEST way to do it is to drop them into a big ol’ pot and cover with water.  Set the pot on to boil and boil them until you can easily stick a fork in them.  Drain and let cool.  They literally slide right out of the skin when cut lengthwise.  But, if you have a favorite way, go to town!  Granny wouldn’t care!

*Variation for the kids:  Make the potato part as is and leave off the praline topping.  Bake until hot.  Once hot, top with a bag of miniature marshmallows.  Return to oven and bake for a few more minutes until marshmallows begin to puff up and turn brown.  Watch them carefully!

Enjoy!  Come back to Granny’s Kitchen next week to find another dish perfect for your Thanksgiving table!