A Thanksgiving House Divided

In my adult life, I have learned that smelling the turkey roasting in the oven and making my own dressing and sweet potato casserole gives me the greatest joy and satisfaction. I also love experimenting with different side dishes, although this sweet potato casserole is a must-have at our family's Thanksgiving table. 

However, we’re a house divided when it comes to topping — half love the gooey soft marshmallows, the other half the sugary crunch of the pecan topping. So, I split the casserole right down the middle – and do half and half ... a mother’s way of keeping all her boys happy!

One thing we all agree on: we omit the traditional added cup of sugar in the recipe because we think our Southern sweet potatoes have a sweetness that’s just about perfect.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sweet Potato Casserole
• 6 medium sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
• 1 stick of butter
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup of milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Combine well and pour into a glass baking dish about 2 inches deep.

Casserole Topping
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 cup of chopped pecans

Combine together well and sprinkle on top of potatoes (or on half of casserole and use marshmallows on the other half).

Bake at 350ºF for 30-35 minutes and serve.

A special thanks to the folks at Saveur ... whose image above is far better than any I have on file.