PrintPioneer Woman's Sweet Potatoes
And the Pioneer Woman's back with one of her patented visual recipes—this time for sweet potatoes so rich and decadent that they're almost dessert. —The Serious Eats Team
OK, so they’re my mom’s sweet potatoes. And OK, they weren’t even hers to begin with; she picked up the recipe in New Orleans more than 30 years ago when she was pregnant with me or my brother or someone in my family, I’m not sure who. I don’t remember those days very clearly.
Known originally as "Soul Sweet Taters," this dish is so deliciously divine, my sibs and I would gobble up the entire pan every Thanksgiving and meet our annual beta carotene requirements in one sitting. And really, folks, when you look at the list of ingredients in this dish, you’re going to laugh at me. No, really. You’re going to laugh and ridicule and mock and criticize and laugh again. Because while I’m passing this off as a Thanksgiving side dish, it’s every bit as decadent as a dessert. Still, I think it needs to stay on the plate with the turkey, dressing, and mashed potatoes, as you wouldn’t want to do anything to upstage Aunt Bessie’s pecan pie. That would be really rude.
Let’s get started, shall we?
Here’s what you’ll need: Sweet Potatoes, Milk, Sugar, Vanilla, Eggs, Salt, Butter, Pecans, Flour, and Brown Sugar. How bad can THIS be?
First, wash 4 medium sweet potatoes and throw them in a 375 degree oven until fork tender, about 30-35 minutes.
Then slice them open…
And scrape out the yummy orange flesh. If you stopped right there, the dish would be super healthy. Problem is, we’re not going to stop. We're going to keep going and going. So add 1 cup of sugar and get it over with.
Now add 1 cup of milk, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla…
And 1 teaspoon of salt.
Now, find that potato masher you just used to make my very low-calorie, nonfat mashed potatoes, and give ‘em a quick mash.
Don’t go nuts or anything; it’s best if they aren’t perfectly smooth.
Now, in a separate bowl, add 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup pecans, chopped (that means measure a cup of pecans, then chop them), 1/2 cup flour, and 3/4 stick of…you guessed it…BUTTER. I don’t leave home without it.
With a pastry cutter or fork, mash together until thoroughly combined.
Now, spread the sweet potato mixture in a regular baking dish…
Then sprinkle the crumb mixture all over the top. Now bake at 400 for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
And this is what you’ll have! The yummy thing is, the topping is light and crumbly on the very top, but underneath, right next to the sweet potatoes, it’s buttery and caramelized.
Now, find the most enormous serving spoon you can…
And dish yourself up a huge helping. You’ve earned it.
See the dry topping atop the melted/caramelized topping atop the creamy, dreamy sweet potatoes? (I love saying “atop.” It makes me feel like Martha. Sigh. I love that woman.)
And I LOVE these sweet potatoes. And you will, too. I promise.
Happy Thanksgiving, Serious Eaters!
Ree, aka The Pioneer Woman, is a former city girl who met and married a hunky cattle rancher, moved to his ranch in the middle of nowhere, and spent the next decade figuring out how to cook for men who think the sun rises and sets in a steak and baked potato.
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27 Comments:
I do a sweet and spicy rub and then bake. My people like chunks not mashed. The secret ingredient....ginger snaps (2 of them) I pulse them in the food processor. I add to that some pecans, brown sugar, salt, pinch of cayenne, orange zest, bit of chili powder. Roll the chunks in it and then cover with a splash of grand marnier and butter and bake.
The sweet and spicy is a big hit here.
About 4 years ago I decided to use the ginger snaps because I was running short on time. They add a nice brown color and loads of flavor.
JerzeeTomato at 9:00AM on 11/15/07
Is this served as a veggie or a dessert? : )
Jerzee, love the gingersnap addition!
NanaJoie at 9:18AM on 11/15/07
While most of Pioneer Woman's recipes appear to be very good, is there any way that the RSS feed for them be shrunk to just include the description? I'm sure that I'm not the only one that dislikes having to scroll through 20 pictures to get to the next Serious Eats article in my RSS reader.
(OK, sorry about the nit-picking...)
(Gingersnaps sound really good, too.)
jd7979 at 10:27AM on 11/15/07
Oh, heaven on a spoon! I do add cinnamon to mine and a touch of orange juice.
How much weight do YOU plan on gaining at Thanksgiving? Me? I refuse to get on the scale for two weeks after.
Kirschstra at 10:31AM on 11/15/07
I'm sure there are numerous variations of this recipe. Pioneer Woman's is very similar to the one my family makes every year for the holidays [Thanksgiving and Christmas]. It's delicious and is often a dessert option for family rather than a side dish. It's super yummy and always gets rave reviews. One recommendation--take the time to roast/bake your own sweet potatoes. Substituting the canned variety really ruins the dish.
Happy eating!
plain_jane at 11:46AM on 11/15/07
Ratio of sugar to sweet potatoes is like 5:1 good god! There's so much sugar how can you NOT like these. I'm thinking this would do better in a crust served as a pie rather than served all alone.
esspressomeup at 11:53AM on 11/15/07
I always cut back on the sugar. There is so much natural sugar in the sweet potatoes that is intensified when you bake them. Add to that the brown sugar topping and it's a diabetic's heaven/hell. You can certainly play with the amount of sugar without seriously compromising the flavor.
My two-cents...been making this dish for 20 years!
plain_jane at 11:57AM on 11/15/07
oh yummy! I love your recipes so much Ree, I'll add this one to the collection and I know it will be a big hit this Thanksgiving. Though....I might have to add a healthy splash of bourbon to the potatoes, it's my secret ingredient for all holiday foods!
elderberry44 at 2:46PM on 11/15/07
This looks really good. I will definitely have to try this Thanksgiving. My brother in law likes sweet potatoes, but I have never really known what to do with them. And I love the pictures along with the instructions. It really adds to the description. Thanks for posting Ree!
hunterswife at 3:45PM on 11/15/07
I know it must be a bit inconvenient having to scroll a bit through the photos, but the wonderfulness of Ree's recipes is that she shows step-by-step how to prepare her recipes ... a great bonus for those of us who are are visual learners and not natural cooks! Keep those recipes and photos coming! :)
txmom2jami at 3:47PM on 11/15/07
My Mom makes these as well...she got the recipes years ago from her friend, from whom it came from that lady's Grandmother.... something along those lines....
She cuts the sugars in about half though.... still mighty sweet :)
kiniwoman at 7:55PM on 11/15/07
Since I love sweet potatoes, this is a no-brainer. I just roast the potatos, peel off skins, mash the potatoes and put marshmallows on top. Then put in the oven til the marshmallows start turning a little brown. Yum! Good way to get kids to eat them. Sometimes I do the Ree thing and add vanilla, eggs and a little cream and cinnamon. The nuts do make them tast divine!
densogirl at 9:25PM on 11/15/07
My boyfriend's mother has been making this for years(we eat it as dessert). Few additions--nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice whipped into the sweet potatoes and she had the genius idea to add shredded coconut to the topping mixture. It is extremely good and just one more week until we're enjoying this.
michellelikestoeat at 1:20AM on 11/16/07
Only thing that would make this any better is a splash (or four) of bourbon!! Thanks for the recipe!
redcattex at 11:57AM on 11/16/07
JT--gingersnaps!
I make a good impromptu dessert using crushed g'snaps mixed with cinnamon and melted butter sprinkled over a dish of canned Barltlett pears. Bake and serve with vanilla ice cream. So unbelievably good! Glad to hear your rendition of cubed, "rubbed" sweet potatoes. Gonna try them out tonight!
teejay at 12:58PM on 11/16/07
I'm totally making these for BirdDay. I've done a couple fo Pioneer Woman's recipes and they've worked out wonderfully. This though - this is gorgeously obscene. Thank you PWC!
rockykay at 3:47PM on 11/16/07
I make this every year on Thanksgiving just for the big hug my nephew gives me for it. His mom, my sister is one of those no sugar, no fat people so he suffers all year. I promise people will lick you for making these.
mommydearest at 11:24PM on 11/16/07
Hey Pioneer ......think i could sub crushed gingersnaps for the pecans >
onepercent99 at 2:31PM on 11/17/07
oooh I used to make a dish very similar to these but have lost it in all the moves I have made over the years.....Thanks Pioneer Woman!!!...the only thing I see different is I used cinnamon in the potato part...This looks soooo down home southernly good. Great with the turkey, stuffing and veggies.....it adds sweetness to the plate...I am sooo overly excited to have this recipe...I can't wait to make it...(even tho it will be Tues not Thurs...ppl are sick 365..so nurses have to work). This will make enough to take to work to share!!! I tried the sinnfully mashed potatos already...OMG!!! they are to die for. Thank goodness they work off all those calories working hard on that ranch. I would rather put in a few..ok..a lot of extra exercise instead of depriving myself of the good stuff!!
sweetlilmagnolia at 8:14PM on 11/17/07
I make a very similar dish named after a lady from Alabama, Betty Haney.
In her/our version you boil and mash the sweet potatoes. In the best ones I've made the topping melted to a praline consistency. Her final touch was to put pecan halves all the way around the edge of the caserole which are added in the last twenty minutes or so. Thank you Betty!
Bernie Bearnaise at 12:58PM on 11/18/07
This recipe was passed along to my mother from a family friend (Margaret) and has become a regular part of the Thanksgiving repertoire at our house. The one thing that is ever so slightly different is that Margaret's recipe uses self-rising flour. It makes the topping puff just ever so slightly, which makes the texture of the topping just slightly crispy, and more consistent throughout, but also makes that crispy topping melt in your mouth the second it hits your tongue.
And yes, in the South, this is very much a "side dish"! Just because it has (a LOT) of sugar does not mean that it has to be a dessert and can't appear on a plate along side the turkey.
kanga131 at 9:34AM on 11/19/07
I make this recipe every year and my family would hurt me if I didn't. It was originally published in Jill Conner Browne's "God Save the Sweet Potato Queens" on page 217. She says that she sometimes adds coconut to the topping as well.
Wide Lawns at 7:13PM on 11/19/07
this sounds so good! but i'm addicted to my eggnog sweet potatos. my family adores them. i roast potatoes, mix in a cup of eggnog, a swig of bourbon and some allspice. they are SO good! i may try making some with these yummy nutty topping this year! thanks ree!
nicolah at 11:55PM on 11/19/07
Making mine in a pie crust. Will send an update once it's eaten!
jamieforrest at 10:29PM on 11/20/07
Mmmmmm... I'm sitting here right now with a plate full of food, and these sweet potatoes are a wonderful addition to tonight's dinner! I don't usually care for them, but this recipe is absolutely delicious. Thanks for taking the time to add the photos and all. They were really helpful.
KarenSue at 10:38PM on 11/20/07
i'm making this recipe right now... have to say i must have done something wrong because it is taking waaaaay longer for the potatoes to be tender. i've upped the oven to 400 and wrapped the baking dishes they're roasting in with foil. maybe i was supposed to do that anyway! the kitchen sure smells good and i can't wait for the finished product.
tallchicksrule at 12:39PM on 11/21/07
I love these...my mother made this exact recipe when I was growing up, and now I do it every year for Thanksgiving...I just melt the butter for the topping though...so yummy!!!
Linnea at 8:11PM on 12/27/07