The Catholic Foodie

Sweet Potato Pudding: Thanksgiving Sides

Jeff Young -

Sweet Potato Pudding – A Family Favorite Thanksgiving Side

Yesterday I posted one of our favorite Thanksgiving sides, a side dish that we serve every Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter: Creamed Spinach. And I mentioned that my wife posted an article about our two favorite sides last year, and included the recipes for each of them. However, since Thanksgiving is just a few days away, I want to break these two recipes up and serve them to you as separate posts: Creamed Spinach and Sweet Potato Pudding. They each deserved to be listed as separate recipes, and doing so will make it easier for readers to find them.

So yesterday was Creamed Spinach and today I want to share with you the recipe for Sweet Potato Pudding. This recipe was adapted from a recipe in Emeril Lagasse’s Louisiana Real and Rustic, and it tops any other sweet potato dish I’ve tasted.

The recipe calls for sweet potatoes that are already baked. To perfectly bake sweet potatoes, place washed, unpeeled, unpricked, uncut potatoes in a pre-heated 400° oven for 30 minutes. To avoid a mess, I like to bake mine in old, thin pie plates, in case the sugary sweetness bubbles out. Reduce the heat to 375° after 30 minutes, and continue to bake for 45 minutes or until tender.

We are tempted to say that it’s the bourbon that makes this dish, but the butter and pecans and Steen’s are all team players! I think you’ll love it! It’s so good, you could skip dessert!

Sweet Potato Pudding: Thanksgiving Sides

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 pounds sweet potatoes, baked*
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • ⅛ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup pecan pieces
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 T Steen’s 100% Pure Cane Syrup
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 T bourbon
  • ½ stick butter, softened

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
  2. Mash the potatoes in a mixing bowl until smooth.
  3. Add eggs and milk and mix well.
  4. Add the nutmeg, cinnamon, ½ cup brown sugar, syrup, salt, vanilla, and bourbon. Mix well.
  5. Pour the mixture into a 1-1/2-quart round baking dish.
  6. Combine the pecans, remaining brown sugar, and butter and mix well.
  7. Dot the top of the potato mixture with the butter mixture.
  8. Bake for appoximately 45 minutes, or until bubbly.

NOTES

This recipe calls for sweet potatoes that are already baked. To perfectly bake sweet potatoes, place washed, unpeeled, unpricked, uncut potatoes in a pre-heated 400° oven for 30 minutes. To avoid a mess, I like to bake mine in old, thin pie plates, in case the sugary sweetness bubbles out. Reduce the heat to 375° after 30 minutes, and continue to bake for 45 minutes or until tender. I’d say it’s the bourbon that makes this dish, but the butter and pecans and Steen’s are all team players! I think you’ll love it! It’s so good, you could skip dessert!