Sweet Potato and Pecan Casserole

 

 Every year, when I'm looking for new holiday dishes, I always seem to work my way back to sweet potatoes. What can I say? I just love 'em! But here's the thing... and this may be a divisive statement... I will never understand why people put marshmallows on top of sweet potatoes. I know, I know, Crazy, right? But I said what I said. Someone was clearly not in their right mind when they came up with that one. I mean, I gave it a try, truly, I did. I've even posted recipes, (well, at least one that I can think of) with sweet potatoes and marshmallows, just for the people who do enjoy it. But if I had my druthers, I'd druther have a sweet potato casserole with pecans and NO marshmallows. Not so sweet that it wants to be a dessert, but just sweet enough. And THAT brings us to this recipe. 

 I first saw it on a website called Just a Pinch, but then of course I changed it to the way I like it. That's really the bottom line, right? We should cook the way we like it!

 It's super easy and comes together in a snap. I always pressure can my own jars of sweet potatoes, so it was even easier. You just stir everything together and bake! It's perfect for your holiday table, and there are definitely NO marshmallows involved, thank you very much!! I suppose you could put some on top if you REALLY feel strongly about it, but there's really no need. It's already perfect just as it is! 

Hope you like it!

 

 

 

6 sweet potatoes, boiled or roasted and peeled
6 tbs butter, melted
2 eggs, whisked
1 tsp rum extract or a tbs of rum
1/2 c sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped pecans 

 

 

Heat oven to 350ºF.

Mash the potatoes by hand. Stir in remaining ingredients, except for chopped pecans. Pour into a baking dish. Cover and bake for about 45 minutes. Uncover. Sprinkle pecans over the top. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Done!

 

 

 

Tips:

The original recipe included the zest of an entire orange. When I first tried it, all I could taste was orange, and for me, it ruined the whole dish. Not that I don't like orange in my sweet potatoes. I do, just not that much. Maybe next time I'll add just a teaspoon. Or maybe just a splash of orange juice. Actually, when I make my Candied Sweet Potatoes, the secret ingredient is a tablespoon of orange marmalade. You could add that to this recipe, if you want!