Southern Sweet Potatoes
This side dish is based on a recipe from Great Grandma Lena. Grandma was a proper southern lady. Born 11 August 1901 in Missouri, at three years old her family moved by covered wagon to Dover, Arkansas. The slow journey took over a week. At 17, she married Wilmer (Sr). Grandpa (Jr) was the youngest of their four children. In 1936, the family moved to Southern California. They made the trek in a car with a rumble seat.
Grandma Lena’s recipe for Southern Sweet Potatoes is a Thanksgiving tradition. The celebration just wouldn’t be the same without them!
INGREDIENTS
4 cups sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
½ cup white sugar
4 eggs beaten
1¼ cubes butter melted
2 cups half-and-half
¾ tsp cinnamon
¾ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp allspice (optional)
2 tsp vanilla (optional)
Topping
4 cups chopped pecans
2 cups light brown sugar packed
1½ cups melted butter
DIRECTIONS
Combine sweet potato ingredients; pour into 9×13 pan and bake for 30 minutes at 375° to 400°. Remove from oven. Combine topping ingredients and spread over sweet potatoes. Return to oven and bake an additional 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot.
(Revised Dec 2022)