My Grandmother's Recipe for Sweet Potatoes

Everybody asks me if I put crack in my sweet potatoes, because they are so yummy and addictive.  I laugh and tell them no but there is a secret ingredient which I will divulge later in this post.

This recipe for sweet potatoes is the one I learned to make from watching my grandma make them countless times for our holiday dinner. I was always eager to help out in the kitchen but being too little to really do anything substantial I was given the job as the taste tester. My job was to taste all the food and let her know what else something needed, more salt, more sugar, more milk, etc. Through observation and my special job as taster I was able to learn all my grandmother's recipes.  Making her sweet potatoes is my way of staying connected to her especially during the holidays since my grandmother is severely debilitated and lives permanently in a nursing home. I miss those special times in the kitchen with her and making this recipe brings back so many great memories.

I got the highest compliment from my mother last year when she said "You make the sweets just as good as momma used to make." That bought a huge smile to my face and is the best compliment I have ever gotten on my cooking.

Warning - this recipe is not for anyone trying to watch their figure. This is good old southern cooking at its best and it has the secret deadly ingredient of a lot of southern recipes, namely butter and sugar and LOTS of it. People are so surprised at how good they are but really its just the fact that they are so rich with real butter and sugar, something people appear to be afraid to cook with these days. Well I say live a little once in a while, especially during the holiday.

Also please note that I do not know exact quantities for this recipe and frankly I am too scared to measure. I just don't want to have any concept of the caloric intake of this dish.

Grandma Young's Sweet Potato Pudding 

• Sweet Potatoes
• Unsalted Butter (most times I use at least 1 stick)
• Whole Milk
• Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Vanilla Extract
• Large Eggs (1-2 depending on how large a batch you are making)
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg

I prefer to prepare this the night before and bake right before serving. I think preparing a day ahead enhances the flavor.

1. Cut potatoes into quarters or eighths and place into boiling water

2. Once potatoes are fully cooked (skin will be slightly peeling away and fork will insert easily into potato) drain and run cold water over them

3. At this point the skin will easily peel away from the potato (I hate peeling potatoes and this is the lazy way to remove the skin). Peel all skin from the potato and place in large bowl

4. With potato masher begin to mash potatoes. Cut butter into chunks and mash into potatoes (I like to do this while the potatoes are hot so the butter melts easily.)

5. Add in sugar, brown sugar, milk, vanilla, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon continuing to mash the potatoes.  Keep mashing potatoes until they are creamy and smooth. I try to eliminate any major lumps. You may add more milk to get them creamier. But be careful so as to not make potatoes runny, should have the consistency of pudding almost. (I add ingredients till I get the desired consistency and taste. Since I have seen them made and made them myself so many times I just know the right balance. Really it's about what you prefer. For example I tend to add more cinnamon than what my grandmother did and I modified the recipe to also incorporate brown sugar)

7. Place in casserole dish and bake at 375 for about 45 minutes. They will get slightly brown on top.

My mother who is more health conscious now used to put additional butter on them on her plate to get them extra rich. Now I think that is just INSANE!