This is my most-requested recipe for the holidays. My family has been making this dish for many years, and we never get tired of it. It is typically served as a side dish but can also be enjoyed as a decadent dessert. And one more thing about this dish – there is rarely any left over!
Ingredients
For the base:
3 medium sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
½ t. salt
2 eggs
3 T. butter, melted
½ cup whole milk
1 t. vanilla
For the topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 stick (4 T.) butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup oats
1 cup chopped pecans
You will also need:
Baking pan or cookie sheet for sweet potatoes
Parchment paper
Potato masher or food processor
Baking dish or individual baking dishes
Medium-sized bowl
Large spoon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line the baking pan or cooking sheet with parchment paper.
Wash and dry the outside of the sweet potato skins. Place them on top of the parchment paper on the baking sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes, until caramelized and soft. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and set aside to cool.
Reduce the temperature in the oven to 350°F.
Peel the sweet potatoes and place them into the bowl of a food processor. Add the sugar, salt, eggs, butter, milk and vanilla. Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Note that you can use a potato masher for this step instead of a food processor, if you prefer.
Pour the mixture into a baking dish or individual baking dishes.
Place all topping ingredients into a medium-sized mixing bowl and mix well.
Mixture should be moist and lumpy. Scatter this mixture evenly over the top of the sweet potatoes in the baking dish(es). Bake at 350°F for about 35 minutes.
You can make this dish ahead of time by refrigerating the sweet potato mixture in the baking dish and then adding the topping just before baking.
Serves 6-8 people as a side dish.
