Although I’m a dinky di Aussie, I’m also a true blue American. A sweet potato casserole with pecan topping is ALWAYS on my Thanksgiving table (which ends up being Spring here) and if I’m honest it would be on every table I sit down at if it weren’t for that quick but frightening peek of my lard ass in the mirror every morning.
This casserole is a wonderful way to take a perfectly delicious, healthy vegetable and turn it into dessert you can eat with your meal. Even my non-sweet eating Aussie husband will eat this but he does mutter something about “Americans” under his breath and “sweet.” I ignore him.
I remember telling John that the only toys I don’t own were a potato masher and a sous vide machine and one of my dreams was coming true. He laughed and went back to work. A short minute later he peered around my office door and said, “You bought a sous vide???”
“No, but the Masha people are sending me an electric potato masher to try out,” I said. He turned around and as he left he said, “Good to see your dreams come true, dear.”
While I waited for it to arrive I wondered what I could do with it. I saw a lot of mashed potato recipes on the net and a few people used it to to make dips but all I could think of was my sweet potato casserole. I wouldn’t have to wait until Thanksgiving or feel guilty for packing on the calories. It was my JOB to test it, right?
By the time my Masha arrived I had all the ingredients and I’d even prepped the topping. I dashed to the dining room and snapped a few photos and ripped that box open. At this point I was still thinking, “A one-use gadget isn’t really practical, is it? Where do I keep it?”
I put the potatoes on to boil and read the instructions and washed the mashy bit and then plugged it in. I did test it and I wondered if you could use it as a fan. Not really but I doubt that’s what it was intended for.
After draining the potatoes I put them in a large bowl and I was set to mash. Ummm…. Hello…. about 2 seconds later, this lovely potato mash is squeezing through the side holes like a potato ricer and what seemed 2 seconds later I was done. The masher end just snaps off and a quick rinse leaves it looking brand new. The potatoes were light and fluffy and perfectly mashed without that whipped texture I don’t enjoy.
So the verdict is, I’ll keep it handy and use it for potatoes, dips and anything else that needs to be gently mashed.
- 3 cups boiled and mashed sweet potatoes
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup milk
- salt and white pepper to taste
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup flour
- ⅓ cup butter
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- Just a quick grate nutmeg (optional) - a little goes a long way
- Preheat oven to 160C / 325F
- Boil potatoes in salted water until soft enough to mash. Drain and place in a mixing bowl.
- Mash potatoes and then mix in all the other potato ingredients and place in a casserole dish.
- Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle on top of the mashed potatoes.
- Bake for 30 minutes until the topping is lightly browned.
Disclosure: I received a free Masha for review but the words are all my own. (who else would write like this?)
Maureen, my dear Maureen!!! This is my favorite American casserole. I cannot imagine any Thanksgiving without it… My dream is also have a sous vide. Don’t worry about time when I am cooking my meats and get them perfectly cooked is something that I wish to have accomplished. :):) Take care and eat this casserole for two: you and me!!! 🙂
I love that now I’ve met John I can picture the scene exactly. I think I can even see his facial expression!
Seems like a handy gadget although I can’t imagine the trouble I’d be in if I brought home another gadget.
You Americans! When we were staying with a sweet older friend in Seattle one night she made us a ‘salad.’ It was, to us, like a lemon delicious but over there it was called salad and served as a side. I don’t have an objection though!
Was it an ambrosia salad with fruit, whipped cream, walnuts and coconut? it’s very common over there. John said, “dessert with dinner? that’s nuts!”
“No, nuts are in the salad, shut up and eat.”
John and I have the best relationship. We are each other’s biggest fan. I roll my eyes at the geeky things he wants and he just accepts that I’m going to do whatever makes me happy. The old saying, “When momma’s happy, everybody’s happy,” is really true.
I love sweet potatoes! Never had them with a pecan topping though – great idea. Have you ever made sweet potato pie? Real similar to pumpkin pie. I’ll bet the pecan topping would work real well if you turned this into a pie. 😉 I love gadgets too. We usually just make our mashed potatoes in the mixer, but this looks way cool. Fun post. Don’t tell John how much a sous vide machine is or you’ll never get one!
John had no problem with the Thermomix that was $1939 so as soon as we can afford it, the sous vide will be mine. 🙂 I can’t believe I’ve never made a sweet potato pie but it’s true.
Love the casserole Maureen! And you can never have too many gadgets. This looks like a great little contraption now that winter is approaching. And you and I must be having the same dream…I lust for a sous vide machine too!
if only we lived closer, Peter, we could share a sous vide 🙂
Well, I absolutely love sweet potatoes : on the menu 2-3 times weekly! And, no, I have not made them the US way, tho’ pecans appeal a whole heap more than marshmallows, which oft seem to be the topping. And I seem to have one of these funny mirrors also! But, US friends residing in Sydney [100 km N] are coming to visit next month – would this not be a surprise, Thanksgiving or not!!!
absolutely, they would have eaten it before!
You made me chuckle with the “lard ass” sentence. I think if there were no mirrors all I would do is eat! And this casserole would definitely be on the table every-single-night! xx
We’re sisters, Ashley !
Yum! Looks delicious! Especially the topping.
dessert for dinner 🙂
What a handy little gadget! I love sweet potatoes.
I was quite pleasantly surprised how much I liked it. The texture is very much like using a potato ricer.
Oh thank goodness this looks so much tastier than the sweet potato pudding with marshmallows on top that I made once! 😛
I could never get into the southern marshmallow topping but I ate it plenty when I lived in the South.
bahaha I don’t have a Masha but I do have a sous vide 😛 looks delicious!
you are such a tease. If you look out your window and you see a little woman with her hands cupped around her eyes like binoculars gazing longingly at your sous vide, it might be me 🙂
this post made me smile, no matter where we live our comfort food from home makes us happy as a treat 🙂
we understand one another completely 🙂
Yum! Thanksgiving sides are my favorite part of Thanksgiving, and this casserole looks mighty delish. Love the name of the “Masha!”
It certainly has a descriptive name 🙂
Your American roots are still intact! 😉 Love the pecan topping!
That’s like saying your slip is showing. I met a woman today who said “Where are you from?” and I replied, “Minyama.”
She said, “no, really, where?”
She was from Montreal and she picked up my accent in two words.
I read this post’s title and immediately thought “Thanksgiving!” With your weather changing to cooler temps, Maureen, a dish like this would be perfect, even without a holiday to celebrate. I’ll bookmark it and come back in several months. 😉
lol I’ve been known to sneak this in occasionally 🙂
How cool is this thing Maureen?? I love riced potatoes, it seems when you change the texture with a ricer, the humble potato is elevated to a new status. Since you’re having Thanksgiving now, can I borrow it in November, please? 🙂
Only if you have a power converter, Chris 🙂
Yummy, Maureen, interesting toy too! ; )
I love toys. I’m trying to think about what else I could make with it. I’ve used it 3 times already.
Okay Maureen, that looks fabulously delicious but is it a dessert or did I read correctly and it’s a side accompaniment for dinner?? I love the idea of veggies as sweets, it’s up there with having breakfast for dinner for me. xx
Americans would eat this as a side dish during Thanksgiving dinner – it’s traditional for many many people. I’m all about memory food and when I got the Masha that was the first thing that came to mind.
Never give up the roots my friend, especially if you get such delicious food out of it 😀
This casserole looks awesome!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I’m sure it’s the same in your family, Uru. We go back to that wonderful comforting feeling at the first bite.
I love a good sweet potato casserole and hate that no one eats it outside of Thanksgiving! I think I’ll be a rebel and make one this week. 🙂
I think we’d eat it a lot more often if it wasn’t for the lard ass effect, Joanne 🙂
The first thing I noticed when I looked at the photo was that the sweet potatoes looked to be the perfect texture for this dish — I guess that little gadget does its work well! A tried and true lover of pecan topping, I think I could eat it on just about anything. Yum.
I’ll admit that I ate some topping before the potatoes were done.
This is, to a ‘T’ what my family has always called Sweet Potato Souffle. Forget it’s not a real souffle, it does have eggs right?
I’ve been making it for over 30 years and our Thanksgiving table would not be the same without it.
I’m happy to call it a souffle 🙂
My husband is a Southern boy and he came equipped with a sweet potato casserole recipe when I married him. There is no Thanksgiving without it and he would probably eat it everyday but I won’t make it everyday because of the whole ass thing.
Your casserole looks delicious and incidentally, is almost identical to our recipe.
Nazneen
It’s sad about that ass thing. I could enjoy a lot more food if I never had to look in a mirror or at a camera 🙂
I have a potato masher too, it’s called my husband. 😉 But I have to say, sweet potatoes are my favorite dish at Thanksgiving. Who needs turkey?
I *need* a turkey at Thanksgiving but I don’t need to eat any as long as I have stuffing. 🙂
ahhaaha true blue America, Maureen! 🙂 Loved sweet potatoes and totally coveting that masher! 🙂
you are too cute 🙂 I’m so glad we’re friends.
I’m just wondering if it is a dessert or a savoury accompaniment. I love the look of that masher. Mine is terrible so I often use the food processor but that can turn vegetables almost to liquid.
I tried doing mashed potatoes in my Thermomix and everyone tells me they’re wonderful but I found them a bit too whipped for my liking.
Now I’m wishing it was Thanksgiving! I love sweet potato casserole too! Thank you for sharing. A delicious end to a good evening. I hope you have a blessed weekend!
I’ve decided that I can always pretend 🙂
At first I was very skeptical – but if the potatoes come out the side holes like a ricer – well that IS a very cool little tool!! What would it cost to ship to NYC?
the problem is the 240v power 🙂 We don’t use 110v here. We go for the full cream variety of electricity in Australia.
The only way I will eat mashed sweet potatoes is when they are topped with this pecan topping! Like your little gadget!
The potatoes are pretty boring without the topping 🙂
The casserole looks fabulous, and I must try this one out. Come to think of it, I have never had a sweet potato casserole. Looks like I am missing out on a lot.
I would love to have a serving, and that potato masher as well!
What kinda American are you if you haven’t had sweet potato casserole? LOL It’s okay, I don’t eat vegemite either. 🙂
My (half American) grandmother introduced my mother, and in turn me, to a sweet potato pudding that is still one of my favourite desserts. Your casserole looks like it with bonus topping, which sounds even better!
What makes it so traditionally American is that my casserole is not a dessert – it’s served with the meal. 🙂
Its a pie..no its a vegetable..no its a pie… I also think of this delicious thanksgiving treat whenever I think of a good ole American Turkey feast. Love the crunchy topping and the creamy sweet yams. I pinned it as love your toppings!
Thank you so much and is there any meal more American than Thanksgiving? or more over the top? LOL
Well…I had a wonderful aunt in NZ and whenever she cooked kumera (as it’s called there) she always did roasted it in brown sugar. It was a favourite of mine and I used to ask my mother to make it that way but she was against us having our food sweetened. Such a shame, really. I love the look of this and I can just imagine it with a wonderful free-range roasted turkey xx
Kumera in NZ is legendary 🙂 I can still taste the kumera fries from the local fish ‘n chippery in the Bay of Islands
with every visit I am more and more amazed at how much you are growing constantly…Every post is more and more beautiful….besides being useful…I love the way you transform food into …an invitation :).
oh you sweet, sweet woman. What a kind comment to give to someone.
Maureen I never thought of sweet potato as a dessert which is silly because it is indeed sweet and I’ve certainly had pumpkin before in sweet dishes. This looks fabulous and I’m certainly interested in giving it a go
Me either but this dish is served with the meal 🙂
I can just smell the terrific aroma of this sweet potato casserole with pecans! My family will enjoy this. Bookmarking it to try soon. Thanks for sharing, Maureen & the nice blog visit 🙂
You are so cute! I love visiting you.
What a perfect dish for the holidays… but actually any time. I love sweet potatoes. 🙂 I also love the potato masher… can’t have enough good kitchen gadgets. 🙂
I used to say that until I had to set up a room full of shelves to put them on 🙂
‘Lard Ass’:-)…that’s british humour at its peak! I need to spend thanksgiving with you
I say it typically American but around here it would be lard arse and it just doesn’t have the same ring to it 🙂
Sweet potatoes with pecans is a favorite at our Thanksgiving table. Yum.
see what I mean about memory food 🙂
I have to say I never do anything for Thanksgiving but I eat sweet potatoes all season (autumn & winter) long. But casserole? This looks like dessert! It looks so scrumptious! Wow!
I’ve had several folks ask if it WAS a dessert. I love having a big Thanksgiving dinner for people who’ve never experienced it. You can almost hear their chins drop when they see the table.
Such a cute gadget but as I already have a potato ricer, I wouldn’t have ANY excuse to get one. 🙂 What a shame. I first started eating sweet potatoes about 20 yrs ago and still can’t convince myself to add sugar to them though I touch of maple syrup has been known to sneak in there along with a bit of butter.
I cannot live without potatoes and sweet potatoes! Wherever we end up living, we always come back to the comfort food we grew up with. The topping is really appealing. I want to make this!
I didn’t know sweet potatoes were a big item in Japan. I need to learn more 🙂
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (optional) 3 tbs. flour 2 Tsp Wheat Germ (8 months) 1/2 tsp nutmeg and 1/2 tsp cinnamon (8 months) 2 Tbs butter* (if baby doesn’t dairy issues, butter is a great source of the fats that babies need) 1/2 cup chopped pecans (not for those under 2 years old or as directed by your doctor) 4 cups mashed sweet potatoes 2 cups of fresh mashed peaches Combine sugar (optional), flour, wheat germ and spices. Cut in butter until you achieve a texture like bread crumbs. Add nuts (optional). Arrange yams and peaches in 1-1/2 quart casserole; sprinkle with butter mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes.
Sounds very interesting, Louise!