I prefer using fresh sweet potatoes over the canned variety. However, not everyone feels this way. Around the fall holidays, towering mountains of canned yams are constructed in grocery stores throughout the South. Truth is, the contents are not yams at all. What is often labeled and sold as yams are actually sweet potatoes. Botanically speaking, yams are tubers and a member of the lily family; sweet potatoes are the root of a member of the morning glory family. Yams originated in Africa, whereas sweet potatoes are New World plants. There are many varieties of both that differ in size, taste, shape, and color. When I doubted Mama about the amount of butter and sugar in this dish for a mere four sweet potatoes, she laughed and said, “Y’all always like it this way.” Feel free to reduce the amount of sugar and butter in the sweet potato base should your conscience (or waistline) see fit.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6 to 8

　　1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish, melted

　　4 sweet potatoes, scrubbed

　　1/2 cup granulated sugar

　　2 large eggs, lightly beaten

　　1/3 cup whole milk

　　1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

　　Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

　　1 cup all-purpose flour

　　1 cup chopped pecans

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush an ovenproof casserole with some of the melted butter.

　　

Step 2

Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast until very tender, about 1 hour. Cool to room temperature. Peel the potatoes, discarding the skins. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and mash until smooth.

　　

Step 3

To the sweet potatoes, add 1/2 cup of the melted butter, the granulated sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into the prepared casserole. Set aside.

　　

Step 4

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of melted butter, light brown sugar, flour, and pecans. Stir until combined. Sprinkle over the reserved casserole.

　　

Step 5

Bake until bubbly and heated through, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly before serving.

　　From Bon Appétit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories From Three Generations of Southern Cooking, © 2008 by Virginia Willis. Reprinted by permission of Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book from Amazon or Abe Books.