This is a very classic recipe, unapologetic in its use of butter and sugar, and I did not alter the recipe a hair, but for adding salt to the purée. Had I spoken with my mother prior to making them, I might have halved the brown sugar in the topping, which would have left it plenty sweet, and I might have omitted the small amount of brown sugar in the filling, too. Friends, if you’ve been reading for awhile, you know this is not the sort of recipe that typically makes my heart sing, and in previous years I might be inclined to revisit it, to “healthify” it, to update it with less rich, more nuanced seasonings. But not this year. If there is a time and a place for this sort of festive, nostalgic ensemble, it’s on the 2021 holiday table. One bite of the silky smooth, brilliant hued purée brought me back to Thanksgivings of yore, surrounded by siblings and grandparents, aunts and uncles, and dear family friends. I cannot wait to bust this classic out one week — eek! — from today. I hope all of your holiday preparations are going well. PS: Thanksgiving Menu 2021 PPS: 25 Thanksgiving Side Dishes Note: I’ve changed the title here to sweet potato casserole, because I have not used yams here, and it’s likely Great Aunt Phyllis didn’t either. The words yam and sweet potato are often used interchangeably, but they actually are different vegetables:
Yams are starchy, not sweet root vegetables and have a rough, brown tree bark-like exterior. Sweet potatoes are — wait for it — sweet root vegetables and have a reddish skin and a creamier, darker interior. Most American supermarkets are selling sweet potatoes, not yams.
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole, Step by Step
Gather 4 pounds of sweet potatoes. Give them a wash if they are dirty. Transfer to a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a simmer. Boil for 40 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are completely soft. Meanwhile, zest an orange; then juice it. You’ll need 2/3 cup of orange juice. Once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, purée them in a food processor or blender. Transfer the purée to a large bowl. Add the filling ingredients: orange zest and juice, butter, brown sugar, ginger, and egg yolks. Whisk to combine. Transfer to a 9×13-inch baking dish. To make the topping, gather the ingredients: brown sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, and pecans. Stir them together. Then spread them over the sweet potatoes and transfer the pan to the oven for about 45 minutes… … or until the top is beginning to caramelize at the edges. Let sit 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy! 5 from 10 reviews After speaking with my mother, I learned she has reduced the brown sugar in the topping to 2/3 cup sugar as opposed to 1 1/3 cup sugar, which I would recommend doing, and she also omits the brown sugar in the filling. The filling itself does not taste too sweet to me, but it is not wanting for flavor either.
