Sweet Potato Casserole with Bacon Brown Sugar Pecan Topping

Prior to hosting Thanksgivings at the Blue House (so about 5 years ago), I’d never made sweet potato anything before. I don’t really have an aversion to sweet potatoes, it just isn’t something my family served. But when we started hosting Thanksgiving for a large number of people, and learned that some people do expect a sweet potato dish, I decided I should at least research the dish.

Through Pinterest, I found this yummy looking slow cooker recipe. My friend Chelsea shared a recipe she felt I had to try, which was nice because it allowed me to understand what people who eat sweet potato dishes were actually looking for. I created a mash-up (ha-ha) of the two and the end was pretty incredible. This is hands down the recipe that people request most often. So either it’s really really good, or people who like sweet potatoes over mashed potatoes have no taste. Jury is still out.

INGREDIENTS

4 Large Sweet Potatoes
¼ cup butter, softened
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup milk
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Bacon Brown Sugar and Pecan Topping

1 ¼ cup pecan chips
¾ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
¼ cup white flour
¼ cup butter, softened
6 Slices of crispy cooked bacon, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

Peel and cut sweet potatoes; add to a pot of salted water, boil until fork tender. Drain the sweet potatoes.

Add the sweet potatoes, butter, brown sugar, pinch of salt, and orange juice into a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Set aside and cool for ~20 minutes.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork. Pour in the lightly beaten eggs, vanilla extract, and milk into the mixing bowl. Add cooled sweet potato mixture. Beat until completely smooth. Add mixture to your baking dish and smooth the mixture with a spatula.

In a mixing bowl, combine all of the topping ingredients. Spread the topping mixture evenly on top of the sweet potatoes.

Cover dish and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake (you can make up to 3 days in advance).

Bake in a 325F oven for 30-45 minutes, until topping is golden and the casserole is warmed through.