Butter-Pecan Sweet Potatoes

We love these sweet potatoes and eat them year round. I like to make them for our Thanksgiving feast as a healthier verison of sweet potatoes. They never disappear at Thanksgiving because there are to many other choices to fill up on, but at a regular meal there are rarely any left.

Butter-Pecan Sweet Potatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Peel and dice 1-2lbs sweet potatoes into small cubes

(the size of my cubes depends on much time I have for them to cook usually 1/2"x 1/2" works well for quick baking).

Toss diced potatoes with Olive Oil

Season with Coarse Salt (I use Kosher Salt)

Transfer to a large baking cookie sheet/jelly-roll pan.

Cook until potatoes are tender, tossing occasionally (25-30 minutes).

When tender sprinkle with

1-2 Tablespoons butter

2 packed Tablespoons brown sugar

1/3 cup pecans pieces

Two shakes cayenne pepper (1/16 tsp.) If you want more heat add up to 1/8 teaspoon.

Bake until sugar is caramelized and hard about 10 minutes. Gently toss and serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Crunch

I never enjoyed sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving time. Everyone in my family loves my mom's sweet potatoes layered with butter, brown sugar, and marshmallows, but for some reason I have never acquired a taste for them to this day. It is nothing against my mom's cooking because she is a fabulous cook and I am always calling her with cooking questions. It wasn't until I had these yam/sweet potatoes at my sister-in-laws Echo's that I learned to like yams. So the honest truth is this dish is more like a pie--maybe that's why it won me over. It is a very southern style dish. If you like sweet potatoes this dish will have you asking for seconds. If you don't like traditional sweet potatoes with roasted marshmallows this one might win you over like it did me.

SWEET POTATO CRUNCH
2 Large Cans Yams/Sweet Potato, drained and mashed. (I use Bruce's Brand)
3 eggs (I only use 1 Egg if making half a recipe)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix sweet potatoes, eggs, sugar, milk, margarine, and vanilla. Put in a 9 x 13 (or 2 1/2 quart.) baking dish.
Topping:
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup flour
1 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup margarine, melted

Mix brown sugar, flour, pecans, and margarine together. Put over the sweet potatoes in baking dish. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

Yields: 8-10 servings
May be prepared early in the day or the day before.