The Covered Dish: Sweet Potato Soufflé

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Debbie Dance Uhrig

It’s always fun to take a recipe you’ve made for years and re-invent.  This week I’m looking at a sweet potato soufflé that originated as a butternut winter casserole.  This dish is so delicious you’ll be comparing it to a pie!  Actually that’s what it tastes like minus the crust.

The best part about the dish is how nicely it will freeze.  For example, if you want to serve this for Thanksgiving I’d make it now!   Wrap in saran and then foil.  Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator and then bake.  This will be one less ‘mess’ you’ll have to deal with over the holidays.  For a dinner group of say six persons a half   recipe should be adequate.  Frequently I split the recipe in half freezing one for later and baking one for the present.

I’m rejoicing because I have a few days away from the office.  Looking forward to mostly cleaning and getting ready for the holidays.  My husband, Ervin, is also off so we’re busy making our lists.  There’s also going to be a few ‘naps’ on that list!

I’m actually excited about cleaning out the freezers!

The flavors of sweet potato, pumpkin and butternut squash are easily flipped in many fall dishes.  Sometimes folks can’t even tell which one they’re eating!   With the long days of summer/fall that we’ve been having in the Ozarks, I’m still grilling pumpkin and squash on the grill.  All three of these vegetables can be made into soups, stews, breads and entrees.  This summer I even cubed butternut squash and used it in casseroles.  Today I made a vegetable bisque soup, (next week’s column) and it too included butternut.

When you bake with the sweet potato, pumpkin and butternut keep in mind the dough is sometimes very wet.  You will also find foodies use it in place of eggs or the ‘fat’ in many recipes.   It’s a healthy alternative over excessive carbohydrates.

I don’t know what we’ll do when the temperatures here in the Ozarks finally drop.  Everyone around southwest Missouri says we don’t have any color in our trees because we’ve never had a frost.  I’m still moving in all my plants this week.

Our family is excited that ‘mom’ is off tomorrow and we’re preparing to go to

early church services at 8:30am.  Then back home for a big breakfast.  I love these times, they are indeed special.  And…Ervin may finally enjoy his promised birthday dinner from almost two weeks back.  The main entrée will be a tri-tip on the grill.

Embrace this beautiful weather, and like my friend, Sharon, said to me last night.  Sit down and enjoy the moments.  Last evening we had impromptu pizza and I can’t tell you how much fun it was just to be totally laid back with our friends.

You truly don’t need a fancy meal to savor special moments with each other.  We sat in the late afternoon sunshine and just enjoyed.

Simply yours,

The Covered Dish

www.thecovereddish.com

 

Sweet Potato Soufflé’

3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes

2 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon grated orange peel
Mix all the above ingredients into a greased one and a half quart casserole.  No cover.

Topping

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup cold butter

1 cup chopped pecans or English walnuts

Place brown sugar and flour into a bowl.  With a fork or pastry cutter cut the cold butter into the two ingredients until crumbly.  Stir in the chopped pecans.  Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.  Place in a 350 degree oven for around 40-50 minutes.  Can be mixed ahead of time and frozen.  Thaw and bake.

 

 

 

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