There is one thing that I love the MOST about Thanksgiving dinner…POTATOES! Carbs. Carbs. Carbs. There really is nothing like them. There is also nothing like watching your thighs grow while eating them. Yuck. Self control, Lauren, self control.

If your going to make ANY of the recipes in this series, please, I beg you, make this sweet potato recipe. You will have your guests begging for more. Having said that, I often double this recipe, just to make SURE that there are leftovers. My mamma has made this recipe for years and it is always a family favorite. I never liked sweet potatoes as a young girl. For some reason, I had this uncanny belief that they were yucky and for old people. But when my mom started making this, my life was forever changed. Great big thanks to my mom for changing my mind.

 

OK, let’s get going with the sweet potatoes and then we will jump to the mashed potatoes.

 

1. Mix together 1 cup sugar, 2 cups processed yams, 2 beaten eggs, 1/4 cup milk, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg. After it’s all mixed, pour it into your food processor and blend it until it’s a smooth, creamy consistency.

2. Next, try and not run your finger around the rim of the food processor and take a lick. Dare you.

3. Pour the mixture into your casserole dish. I like to use my old, round ceramic dish.

4. Cut up a couple of TBSP of butter thin and push the butter down into the mixture.

5. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes, uncovered.

6. While your dish is baking, in a glass bowl, throw in 3/4 stick of butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Put the bowl on the stovetop and let the warmth of the oven get everything nice and soft in the bowl.

7. The last 10 minutes, of cooking, mash the contents of the glass bowl together and sprinkle the mixture on top of your casserole. Pop it back in the oven and watch the magic happen. That’s it!

 

So, I have to admit, I have nothing super special about my mashed potatoes. I just boil about 3 1/2 pound of them (peeled and cubed) for about 20 minutes, mash/whip them up and add a stick of butter, a cup of milk and lots of salt and pepper. If you REALLY want to be bold and daring, add a block of cream cheese and a couple of sour cream dollops. Again, I can feel my thighs growing as I’m typing this. Yikes!

 

I hope you enjoy these yummy potato recipes. This next week, I’ll go over the gravy recipe when I share my turkey and stuffing recipe. Oh my goodness. Best gravy ever – hands down!