Sweet Potato Casserole with Crunchy Nut Topping

I get calls this time every year for this recipe, which I tweaked from a recipe I got years ago in catering school.  It makes a great take-along dish!  Just for the sake of being more "technically correct," I changed the name to Sweet Potato Casserole instead of Sweet Potato Souffle, as it was originally called.  It must be a "Southern thing":  the term "souffle" was often loosely used in school.  So here we are, just in time for Thanksgiving!

 

Freezes well - Thaw before adding the topping and cooking.

Serves 6-8

The Filling: 

• 2 c. mashed, cooked sweet potatoes*
• 3/4 stick (6 TB) margarine or butter
• 1 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. canned evaporated milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. mace

*Use about 1 and 3/4 lbs. sweet potatoes: wash and boil or bake whole, with the skin on, until fork tender; place in a bowl of cold water for about a minute, peel and mash - or use a 40 oz. can of yams in syrup (drain well). I've used either, but my daughter and I have found the canned yams work equally as well as the fresh sweet potatoes.


In a heavy-duty mixer, combine the potatoes with the margarine or butter.  Add all the other ingredients and mix well.  Spray a shallow, approximate 9 x 1 1/2 (nine by one and one-half) inches round oven-to-table cookware dish with a butter- flavored cooking spray. Spoon the mixture into the dish.

The Topping:

You can make a day or two ahead and keep in a container in the pantry, if you like.

• 3/4  c. crushed*  frosted corn flakes - about 1 1/2  (one and one-half ) cups whole flakes 
• 1/2 c. light brown sugar (firmly packed)
• 1/2 stick (4 TB) butter, melted (You'll want to use butter here!)
• 1/2 c. coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts 

*Tip:  Crush the corn flakes (not too fine) in the blender, or between two sheets of wax paper with a rolling pin.


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine with a fork the corn flakes, sugar and melted butter. Add the nuts and mix well. (My daughter and I traditionally sneak a couple of tablespoons to nibble - the cooks' reward - yummy!)  Sprinkle the corn flake topping over the sweet potato mixture and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown. Gobble Gobble!


What's That Got to do with This?

A sign of the times, or time?
While getting dressed one morning recently, I was "half" watching a rerun of an old "Lassie" TV show from the 1954 series.  "Gramps," played marvelously by George Cleveland, was sitting at the dining room table with his hand to his head, pondering (another) Lassie/Jeff dilemma. I thought he was on his cell phone, until I saw him get up to use the old wall crank phone!  That made me wake up!  

 

I hope you and yours enjoy a "Norman Rockwell" Thanksgiving like one you know "Gramps," Jeff and his mother, Ellen, would have had!