Nanny Blalocks Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole

 

 

First off, let me just tell you how A-MA-ZING this casserole is! It's heaven...in a dish! This recipe is a family favorite. My Nanny Blalock made this casserole every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. She was a wonderful cook and I will be sharing quiet a few of her recipes on here. I asked her when I was little how she learned to cook so well and she told me that when she was little she had the option to stay in the kitchen with her Mama and cook for their family or she could pick cotton in the fields. She said that she hated picking cotton because her fingers would get cut up from the bristles on the cotton plant and it was very painful after a days work. I am so thankful that she did because she spent many hours with me in her little kitchen baking and preparing for our traditional Sunday dinners after church. When she passed away, my Mom gave me all of her recipes and I CAN'T wait to share them with everyone, they mean so much to me!


Ingredients:
4 large sweet potatoes cooked
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick of margarine, melted
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. all-spice (can use ginger, nutmeg or pumpkin pie spices instead)
pinch of salt

Cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave or in the oven. I prefer the microwave and to do this I wrap them in Saran Wrap and microwave for about 15 minutes (depending on size). Test them by sticking a knife into the center to make sure it's completely soft. Peel all of the skin off and toss into your mixing bowl.

Next, combine the rest of the ingredients into your mixing bowl and beat on low speed until everything is completely mixed and the consistency is smooth. I like to use a mixer because it gathers all of the strings inside the sweet potatoes and they wrap around the mixer attachment. But if you prefer it to be a little more chunky just use a potato masher and decrease the cooking time of the potatoes in the microwave.

After everything is mixed together, spread into a greased 9x9 baking dish and set aside.

Topping:
1 cup of brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 stick of margarine, melted
1.5 cups of coconut flakes
1 cup of pecans

Mix all of the topping ingredients and spread evenly on top of the sweet potato mixture. Bake for 30 minutes at 350*.