Sweet Potato Casserole

A definite must-have at Thanksgiving dinner or if you love sweet potatoes.  This recipe is just sweet enough and thick.  I prefer the pecan topping over marshmallows, but if you prefer marshmallows you can omit the pecan topping and cover with mini-marshmallows during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

You can substitute the sweet potatoes with cooked butternut or acorn squash.  This substitution lowers the calories significantly since you're eating a vegetable instead of a starch.

If you love the topping, try doubling it.  You could also use it on top of a homemade apple pie instead of a crust topping.

Serves 8-12

INGREDIENTS

1 can 40oz sweet potatoes (yams) in light syrup, drained

1 can 29oz sweet potatoes (yams) in light syrup, drained

1 C white sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 C butter, melted

1/3 C evaporated milk

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 C butter, melted

1 C chopped pecans

1 C packed light brown sugar

1/2 C all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, mash the sweet potatoes, make them as chunky or smooth as you like.
2. Add the 1 cup sugar, salt, 1/2 butter, 1/3 milk, 2 eggs and vanilla.  Mix thoroughly by hand.
3. Spread the sweet potato mixture in a 9x13x2 pan
4. In a small bowl, mix the last 4 ingredients.  The mixture will be thick and crumbly.
5. Evenly place the crumble mixture over the top of the sweet potato mixture.
6. Bake at 350* for about 45 minutes.  Be sure the top is in the center of the oven to prevent burning.

TIPS

• Instead of evaporated milk, you can use whole milk, half & half, or heavy whipping cream.
• To make it slightly chunky, don't mash it too much.
• To make this a less guilt free and lower calorie dish, use butternut squash or a ripe acorn squash.  The color is a little lighter, but the taste is on point.