Pecan Praline Sweet Potato Casserole

Our private label Pecan Praline Honey Pecan butter is a great addition to many things other than just spreading on toast or biscuits.  You can stir it into oatmeal, use as a glaze on roasted root vegetables, on top of baked sweet potatoes in their jackets, and also mix it into mashed sweet potatoes.  For this casserole I’ve roasted the sweet potatoes instead of boiling them.  Roasting will cook off some of the moisture from the interior and intensify the sweetness of the flesh.  You can prepare the casserole part a day or two ahead of when you plan to serve it but wait to do the topping just before baking so it doesn’t become soggy.   You could also serve this for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and call it “sweet potato cobbler”.

Yield:  8-10 Servings

Casserole:

3 lbs. sweet potatoes

1 12-oz. jar Chef Darin’s Kitchen Table Praline Pecan Honey Butter

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 eggs

Topping:

1 pkg (approx. 14 oz. depending on brand) Gingersnap cookies

1 cup pecan halves or pieces

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon dry ground ginger

4 tablespoons butter, melted

Casserole:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (400 convection).

Wash sweet potatoes and prick with a fork multiple times all around the sweet potato.  This will allow some of the moisture to cook out and concentrate the flesh on the inside.  Once pricked, place sweet potatoes on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet (to catch juices that drip out) and place in oven to roast for about 45-60 minutes.  Potatoes are done when a fork can easily pierce into the flesh of the potatoes.  Turn oven down to 350 degrees.

Remove potatoes from the oven and allow to rest until cool enough to handle.  While potatoes are cooling, spray a

2-3-quart baking dish or 10-inch cast iron skillet with non-stick spray and set aside.  When potatoes are cool enough to handle but still warm, split in half lengthwise and scrape the interior of the potatoes into a large mixing bowl.  Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or spatula.  If you want a smooth consistency, pass the potatoes through a food mill or potato ricer.  Add the Praline Pecan Honey Butter and salt to the sweet potatoes, mixing well to combine.  Stir in the eggs, blending well.  Pour potatoes into the prepared baking dish and set aside while preparing the topping.

Topping:

Open the ginger snaps and using your hands, coarsely break up the cookies by squeezing the bag.  Add about half the gingersnaps to the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel chopping blade.  Grind the first half of the gingersnaps into a fine crumb.  Pour ground gingersnaps into a medium mixing bowl.  Add the remaining gingersnaps and pulse until the cookies are coarsely broken up.  Add the coarse gingersnaps to the fine crumbs.  Add the pecans, cinnamon, ginger, and melted butter and mix to blend well and incorporate the butter.  The crumb mixture will not be very moist.  Pour the crumb and pecan mixture on top of the sweet potato casserole, spreading with your hands to cover completely.

Bake casserole in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 45-60 minutes, or until heated through.