Tasty Tuesdays: the 23rd edition

Song, song of the south. Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth. Gone, gone with the wind. Ain't nobody lookin' back again.

Can you see where this is going? In case you're a bit dense, today's Thanksgiving recipe is my version of sweet potato casserole. Once again, this is based on a recipe from Cooking Light, but have no fear or trepidation my friends, it is anything but light. In fact, I will typically have just a scant serving with my actual meal and then really pile it up when I make my dessert plate. It is truly that rich and decadent.

I will always remember this dish at Thanksgiving at my Mimi's house. At the time, I had an underdeveloped palate (sad day indeed) which was unable to appreciate the delicious goodness of sweet potatoes; therefore, I would surreptitiously scrape the toasted marshmallows off the top and leave the shunned sweet potatoes behind. I was so stealthy back then. Oh, how the times have changed!

Now, there may be some who would want to taint their dish with pecans or some other unwelcome intruder, but I am firmly against this. And call me crazy, but I would also be more than happy to forgo the marshmallow topping, but I believe that would be committing sacrilege according to my family. I suppose some things are sacred...

Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole (and I shut my mouth)

Ingredients
5 large sweet potatoes, baked (using my method as posted on a previous Tasty Tuesday: use a fork to poke holes, wrap in foil and bake at 450 degrees for an hour and a half) and peeled
3/4 cup half-and-half (or milk, depending on desired richness)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 T butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Cooking spray

Topping:
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add half-and-half, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, butter and vanilla. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.

3. Add the eggs and beat well to combine (mixture will be thin).

4. Place mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

5. To prepare topping, combine flour, brown sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

6. Bake at 375° for appox. 30 minutes.

7. Remove from the oven and top with marshmallows. Broil until golden brown.

I guarantee this will be a hit among your Thanksgiving spread. I mean, honestly, butter, brown sugar, half and half...as Ina Garten would say, "how can that be bad?" Even if you don't follow my recipe for the actual sweet potatoes, I highly recommend mixing up the topping and sprinkling it over your own sweet potato recipe. It provides such a lovely caramelized top that can't be beat.

I hope you have enjoyed the Thanksgiving recipe installments over the past few weeks. Get ready for some Christmas recipes coming at ya in the weeks to come!

P.S. It should be noted that my sister was royally miffed and highly cheesed off at the fact that I do not necessarily follow my recipes implicitly. She was rattling off 20 questions regarding my homemade cranberry sauce and couldn't believe I did not note in the recipe that I didn't always grate lime peel or use freshly minced ginger. Oh the horror! So, for what it's worth, feel free to forgo the lime peel and use ground ginger in my cranberry recipe.

Cooking should be a creative endeavor, so I say, go with the flow. This might be scary at first, but it is so much more fun. If you feel inclined to throw in a shot of triple sec (like I did this past weekend), go for it! If you don't feel like grating lime peel, don't bother! Make recipes your own and constantly taste your product throughout the cooking process to see what you think should be added to make it unique and extra special!