Okay, confession time. These sweet potatoes, often hailed as my “Pioneer Woman” creation, are actually my mom’s recipe. And truth be told, she snagged it in New Orleans over 30 years ago while pregnant with either me, my brother, or some other family member – the details are a bit hazy. My memory of those days is, shall we say, a little fuzzy.
Originally dubbed “Soul Sweet Taters,” this dish is unbelievably delicious. My siblings and I would devour the entire pan every Thanksgiving, single-handedly meeting our yearly beta carotene quota in one go. Honestly, when you glance at the ingredient list, you might chuckle. In fact, you might laugh, tease, criticize, and then laugh again. Because while I’m presenting this as a Thanksgiving side dish, it’s as rich and indulgent as any dessert. Still, in my book, it belongs right there on the Thanksgiving plate alongside the turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. We wouldn’t want to outshine Aunt Bessie’s pecan pie, now would we? That would just be impolite.
So, shall we dive in?
Here’s what you’ll need: Sweet Potatoes, Milk, Sugar, Vanilla, Eggs, Salt, Butter, Pecans, Flour, and Brown Sugar. See? How innocent does THAT sound?
First off, give 4 medium sweet potatoes a good wash and bake them in a 375-degree oven until they’re fork-tender, about 30 to 35 minutes.
Alt text: Fork tender baked sweet potatoes, split open and ready to be scooped for Pioneer Woman’s sweet potato recipe.
Once they’re cool enough to handle, slice them open…
And scoop out that glorious orange flesh. If we stopped right here, we’d have a super healthy dish. But, alas, we’re not stopping. We’re going full steam ahead. So, add 1 cup of sugar and let’s just get it over with.
Now, pour in 1 cup of milk, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla…
Alt text: Close-up of sweet potato mixture ingredients being added: milk, eggs, and vanilla, for Pioneer Woman sweet potato recipe.
And 1 teaspoon of salt.
Grab that potato masher you probably just used for my very low-calorie, nonfat mashed potatoes, and give the sweet potato mixture a quick mash.
Alt text: Mashing cooked sweet potatoes with milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt for Pioneer Woman sweet potato side dish.
No need to go overboard; it’s actually better if they’re not perfectly smooth.
Now, in a separate bowl, combine 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 cup of chopped pecans (that means measure a cup of pecans, then chop them), 1/2 cup of flour, and 3/4 of a stick of…you guessed it…BUTTER. Can’t live without it.
Alt text: Ingredients for crumble topping: brown sugar, chopped pecans, flour, and butter, for Pioneer Woman’s Thanksgiving sweet potatoes.
Using a pastry cutter or a fork, blend everything together until it’s thoroughly combined and crumbly.
Spread the sweet potato mixture evenly in a standard baking dish…
Alt text: Sweet potato mixture spread in a baking dish, ready for the crumble topping for Pioneer Woman’s sweet potato casserole.
Then, generously sprinkle the crumb topping all over the sweet potato base. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, or until it’s beautifully golden brown and bubbly.
Alt text: Golden brown baked Pioneer Woman sweet potatoes with a pecan crumble topping, fresh out of the oven.
And voilà! This is what you’ll get! The magic is in the topping – the very top layer is delightfully light and crumbly, but underneath, right against the sweet potatoes, it becomes buttery and caramelized.
Now, locate the biggest serving spoon you can find…
Alt text: Serving a generous portion of Pioneer Woman sweet potatoes, showing the creamy sweet potato layer and caramelized topping.
And dish yourself up a massive helping. You’ve definitely earned it.
See that dry topping sitting atop the melted, caramelized topping, which is atop the creamy, dreamy sweet potatoes? (I just love saying “atop.” Makes me feel a bit like Martha Stewart. Sigh. I adore that woman.)
And I absolutely LOVE these sweet potatoes. And you will too, I promise.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Ree, aka The Pioneer Woman, is a former city dweller who fell head-over-heels for a hunky cattle rancher, traded city life for his ranch in the middle of nowhere, and has spent the last decade mastering the art of cooking for men who believe a perfect meal consists of steak and potatoes.
