Sweet Potato Casserole

The sweet potato is an excellent source of vitamin A, and a good source of vitamins C and B-6. It also has significant antioxidant capacities. And it tastes like dessert! Especially when you add all these other ingredients. This casserole will serve about 15-20 people, so decrease or increase amounts as you need to. This isn't a recipe that has to be exact. One particular thing I do is, after the potatoes are mashed up a little, I beat them with a hand mixer. It will pull out any stringy pieces (which I think are gross). I sit the mixing bowl by the sink, and I will beat the potatoes for about 30 seconds at a time, then rinse the beaters under running water, then repeat the process until the beaters come out clean. This also makes the casserole very smooth. I have had sweet potatoes prepared dozens of different ways, and this recipe is by far my favorite. I hope you enjoy it.

Sweet Potato Casserole
8 medium-large sweet potatoes
1 stick butter, melted
1-1/4 cups sugar
2 tbsp vanilla
2 eggs

Topping:
1 lb box dark brown sugar
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup flour

Boil sweet potatoes until tender. Remove from pot and allow to cool. Cut ends off potatoes and slide peelings off. Remove any brown spots or imperfections. In a large bowl, mash with potato masher or wire whisk. Beat with mixer until all strings are removed. Add butter, sugar, and vanilla, and beat until blended. Taste to make sure it is sweet enough - some potatoes are sweeter than others. Pour into a greased 15 x 10 casserole dish. (You could also divide it between 2 smaller casserole dishes and freeze one of them). Combine topping ingredients until well blended and crumble over the top of the casserole. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. If it is straight from the refrigerator, you may need to bake it a little longer.