Cousin Leah's Southern Style Sweet Potato Casserole With Bourbon Option (The BEST!) ~ Family

A delicious & fluffy sweet potato
casserole topped with candied pecans.

Casserole Ingredients:
5 to 6 medium sweet potatoes
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 - 2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
Topping Ingredients:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Method:
Preheat oven to 350*. Scrub the outside of the sweet potatoes. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes, or pierce with a fork and bake for an hour. (The potatoes are cooked when they are tender and soft inside.) Cool. Peel and mash. Stir  in the sugar, butter, vanilla, milk, eggs and bourbon. Mix well  Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 inch dish with butter. Spread the sweet potato mixture evenly in the prepared dish.
In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour and butter. Stir in the nuts. Sprinkle evenly over the sweet potato mixture. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the topping is browned.
Makes 12 servings.

This dish can be prepared 3 to 5 days before serving. Before baking, allow the sweet potatoes, in the 9 x 13 inch pan, to cool and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Store the topping, covered, in a separate bowl or baggie. When ready to bake, sprinkle the topping on top of the potato mixture and bake until heated through and browned on top.

Notes: Cousin Leah received this recipe from a coworker who grew up in a southern state of the USA. She loved it enough to add it to her Thanksgiving table and the family is very glad that she did! 

Cousin Leah and myself
2018