Cooking Classics
The Technique
Sweet Potato Casserole
Thanksgiving, or in many cases, the Christmas meal isn’t complete unless this classic pecan topped dish graces our bountiful table. Ruth Pilgrim is my grandmother, Nana, for which Buttermilk Lipstick is dedicated. Nana was a vivid story teller & spoke often of the grand parties she would host near the bay in south Alabama. We knew of her friends like they were characters in the movies as she would recount specific details of the clothing they wore, their personality traits & the tales of an unassuming little town. Her spirit in the kitchen, in the garden & around the home serves as the inspiration for many of the ideas you’ll find here. She was a very savvy entertainer, hosting fabulous soirees with limited resources in many cases. She was the type of hostess I strive to reflect whether sharing recipes & cooking techniques on television or having guests in my own home. We are a rare breed taking on all of the event tasks ourselves… Because we enjoy it. It is a lot of work but that is our gift to you. It is just what we do. Menu planning, shopping, cooking, cleaning, creating a beautiful table, flower arrangements, making sure guests feel comfortable during the gathering & yes, cleaning again once the soirée has wrapped are all tasks filled with joy. When we share these gifts with others, the gifts God has blessed us with, we are complete.
Nana lived during a time of wonderful growth & opportunity but through much hardship as well. She survived The Great Depression, two World Wars & the rations that came with them plus countless natural disasters but she always held onto faith. You see. Faith is the solid foundation for which all great things are built. Nana was the magic. She took things into her own hands & rebuilt every time with a grateful heart because God & family is what always remained after each trying encounter. It was her hard work & dedication that always led to a beautiful life. Someone doesn’t give you a beautiful life. You must go out & create it. Having Nana’s Classic Sweet Potato Casserole on the Thanksgiving & Christmas menu is much like having her at the table. Follow my detailed instructions & get ready to start your own holiday traditions.
Classic Sweet Potato Casserole
makes 6 servings
This is a smaller version of the recipe Ruth Pilgrim, my grandmother, used to prepare during the holidays. The recipe easily doubles to feed a larger crowd. Bake in an 11 x 7-inch casserole dish or a 10-inch cast iron skillet until the center is hot.
2 large sweet potatoes {about 2 lbs}
Pecan Streusel
3 Tbsp melted butter
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup whole buttermilk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
A pinch of kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pierce the sweet potatoes a few times with a fork & place on a foil-lined half sheet pan. Bake for 1 hour & 15 minutes or until soft when pierced with a fork. Let stand 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the Pecan Streusel as directed. Chill.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Whisk together the melted butter, the brown sugar, the buttermilk, the egg & the vanilla in a large bowl. Remove the skins from the potatoes & place in a medium bowl. Mash them just a bit with a fork. You should have approximately 2 1/2 cups of packed sweet potato. Fold the mashed sweet potatoes into the buttermilk mixture & blend well. Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 1-quart casserole dish. Generously sprinkle the Pecan Streusel over the top of the casserole. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the center is hot & registers 165 degrees.
Pecan Streusel
makes about 2 cups
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
6 Tbsp butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
Combine the flour & the butter in a medium bowl. Add the brown sugar & combine with a pastry blender until sandy & coarse. Add the pecans & toss through the mixture until coated & crumbly. Use as directed in recipe applications.
FROM THE KITCHEN OF BUTTERMILK LIPSTICK
{testing notes}
How To Make Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet potatoes are prized for their signature sweetness & versatility in recipe applications. Cooked, mashed sweet potatoes can be added to cake batters, muffins, pancakes & a variety of other goodies offering delicious flavor & wholesome nutrients. Select blemish-free potatoes & store in a cool, dry area if you’re not going to use them right away.
The Technique
A mildly sugared potato interior carried by a well-balanced crunchy pecan candy top. In the South, we consider sweet potato casserole a side dish but you may well think otherwise as it holds similar characteristics to a tasty pie brimming with sweet goodies. No matter the classification, it’s absolutely scrumptious. Follow my tips to make your best sweet potato casserole to date.
No. 1
The Sweet Potatoes
You may encounter a bin of sweet potatoes at your local market that range in size from 5-oz to 16-oz each. The main takeaway is to choose several vegetables of the same size for even baking in the oven. Use the recipe time as a guide as the true indicator of when they are fully cooked through is how the sweet potatoes gives when lightly pinched with your fingers or if they piece easily with a fork.
The Baking
Baked sweet potatoes are the most simple way to prep a side dish of this nature. Pierce the potatoes several times with a fork & place them onto a foil-lined baking sheet. As they bake, you may notice the sugars breaking down & releasing through the holes. They will bake onto the potato skins & in some cases burn in little spots over the foil. This is normal. Simply avoid it when prepping the recipe.
The Scooping
Once the potatoes have cooled enough to handle, slice them in half & scoop the pulp with a small spoon. The potato should be relatively soft.
You will notice the caramelization of the sugars on the inside of the bottom portion of the potato skin that baked directly on the sheet pan. This is normal. You can add the darker bits or avoid it– it’s up to you.
The Measuring
Sweet potatoes are sometimes stored for several months before they make the trek to your corner grocery. During this time, the starches are breaking down into sugars. This can effect the yield in recipes– not terribly but when measuring the cooked flesh of an 8-oz sweet potato you may encounter a little more or less at times. You may even pick up on the slight variance of “sweetness” too. The good news about a recipe of this nature is that it’s forgiving. If you bake a mess of potatoes & have an extra 1/2 cup of cooked flesh, by all means toss it in & it will bake up just fine.
Once the potato flesh has been removed from the skin, run a dinner fork through the mixture in a stirring motion several times. The result is “mashed” sweet potato. Pack the mixture tightly in a measuring cup.
No. 2
The Pecan Streusel
One of our family’s favorite things about this particular recipe is the Pecan Streusel as it bakes into a buttery candy over the top of the sweet potatoes. The ratio of filling to topping for this particular recipe is approximately 1:1. If you prefer, you can cut the Pecan Streusel mixture in half or double the filling & bake in a larger dish– or just enjoy it as is.
The Blending
Butter, flour, dark brown sugar & pecans combine for a rich crumb topping. Begin the procedure by combining the flour, butter & brown sugar with a pastry blender until coarsely combined. Add the pecans, remove the pastry blender & finish the task by hand.
The Prepared Streusel
When blending the ingredients, be certain to leave several large chunks throughout the mixture. Sift the mixture through your fingers until crumbly in texture. The pecans should be mildly visible within the sugar based mixture but coated nonetheless. Place the bowl in the refrigerator until needed for topping the casserole.
No. 3
The Sweet Potato Filling
The Blending
Fold together the mashed sweet potato with the remaining ingredients in a large bowl just until everything is combined using a rubber spatula– that’s the beauty of a simple casserole. The key point to know is that you should not over mix it for the lightest, fluffiest texture. The coloration will change slightly due to the addition of dark brown sugar & vanilla extract.
The Divvy
Portion the filling into a casserole dish. Bakeware can be scarce when getting ready to feed a crowd. Whether you prefer foil pans or ceramic vessels, casseroles lend themselves to settle in just fine into whatever you decide to bake them in. Divide the mixture between 2 smaller casserole dishes if you would like to. Two 8-inch pans or several smaller gratin dishes would be fine. Bake on half sheet pans for easy depositing & retrieval from the oven. Adjust the bake time & temperature. If the depth is smaller cook them for less time. Use the baking temperature & times as your guide.
No. 4
The Make Ahead Instructions
Nothing quite beats the ease of sliding a casserole, or several, into the oven without a second thought. Preparing casseroles for the freezer makes feeding large crowds easy & makes entertaining effortless leaving your valuable focus on other tasks closer to the gathering. The key to remember when planning meals is that there should be a well balanced menu of ultra fresh recipes to counterpoint a humble casserole as those items may need your attention just before serving.
The Freezer Method
Prepare the casserole as directed, adding the Pecan Streusel. Do not bake. Cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap. Freeze up to one month. Thaw the casserole in the refrigerator over night. Let stand 30 minutes on the counter top before baking as directed.
The Refrigerator Method
Prepare the casserole as directed, adding the Pecan Streusel. Do not bake. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate up to two days ahead of time. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator. Let stand on the countertop for 30 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap. Bake the casserole as directed until crisp on the top & heated through. Use the time as a guide, adding 5 to 10 minutes of bake time, if necessary.
No. 5
The Baking
Use baking times in recipes as guides. Our oven models are different so it may be ready for you on the low end of the range. Take into consideration other items that may need to be baked or warmed durning meal prep. It may take a touch longer to bake if other items are in the oven as well. Casserole dish surface area will affect the bake time as well. If the vessel has higher sides or conversely a greater overall surface area, adjust accordingly.
The Tune
“When The Sun Comes Out” Ella Fitzgerald
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Be sweet.
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