Sweet Potato Casserole

I’m digging into my North Carolina roots with this recipe, also known in my family as Aunt Shirlee’s Sweet Potatoes. This dish has graced our thanksgiving table EVERY year since I’ve been alive, and I love keeping the tradition going. There are no fancy bells and whistles, just good sweet potatoes, a little butter, a pinch of pumpkin pie spice, and a whole lotta love.

Sweet Potato Casserole

prep time: 1 hourcook time: 45 minstotal time: 1 hours and 45 mins

ingredients:

6 cups cooked sweet potatoes (depending on size, 5-6 sweet potatoes)
1 cup evaporated milk
6 tablespoons butter, melted
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

TOPPING
1.5 cups roughly chopped pecans
1.5 cups crushed cornflakes (If starting with whole cornflakes, you'll need to start with ~3 cups cornflakes and crush them)
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Scrub the sweet potatoes and boil in a large saucepan or wrap with foil and bake in the oven until very tender and easily pierced with a knife. Depending on the size of your sweet potatoes, this can take 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  2. Cool, peel and mash the sweet potatoes. Measure out 6 cups of mashed sweet potato into a large mixing bowl. 
  3. Stir in the evaporated milk, butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, and pumpkin pie spice into the sweet potatoes and mix well. I typically use a handheld electric beater to get the mixture nice and fluffy, but a whisk and strong arm muscles will also do the trick. Pour mixture into a greased 9x13 casserole dish. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes.
  4. While the casserole is baking, combine the topping ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix well. 
  5. Remove the casserole from the oven after 30 minutes of baking, then spread the pecan topping evenly across the casserole. Bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy warm or at room temperature. 
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