I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – I love sweet potatoes. Love them! And this year for Christmas I served ham. And along with the ham I wanted to serve some type of sweet potato dish because ham and sweet potatoes are just a fabulous combination. But I didn’t want a pecan topping on my sweet potatoes this time, because I was serving a salad (Roasted Beets, Candied Pecans, and Feta Cheese Salad with a Balsamic Vinegar Dressing) which included pecans as an ingredient. So, my Sweet Potato Casserole with Butter Pecan Crumble Topping would have been just a bit too much pecan.

I decided instead, to just prepare the sweet potato part and leave the pecan topped version for another dinner. And oh am I glad I made this dish to serve along-side the ham. Sweet and delicious, and a perfect creamy textural compliment to the crunchy pecans in the salad. I also tried a new cornbread muffin recipe to complete the menu. You will not be seeing that recipe on this site because the muffins simply did not live up to my expectations. (See, I can be polite when I choose to be!)

So, for all of you out there who love sweet potatoes, give this simple recipe a try. It can be prepared a day or two in advance, so it is perfect for dinner parties, or holiday meals, or anytime preparing a dish ahead of time helps keep chaos in check on the day of the event.

As always, keep smiling and stay positive. And stay tolerant of your own foibles, as well as those of your family members. After all, it’s those idiosyncrasies that make us human. And ultimately make us lovable. Peace and love to all. And HAPPY NEW YEAR.  

2 very lg. ruby or garnet sweet potatoes (sometimes labeled incorrectly as yams)

⅓ c. brown sugar, packed

2 T. whole milk

¼ c. (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 lg. egg

½ tsp. vanilla

¼ tsp. kosher salt

Bake sweet potatoes in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for about 90 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool to touch. Remove peel and throw the flesh into your food processor. Add the brown sugar, milk, butter, egg, vanilla, and salt. Whirl until smooth. Pour mixture into a buttered baking dish.

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degrees for 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes before serving.