Best Sweet Potato Recipe Ever

Sweet potatoes aren't for everybody. Well, everyone is welcome to them, of course, and they are traditional staples of the holiday meal plan. However, when it comes right down to it, not everyone cares for them. Of course, not everyone has had a sweet potato made by my Nanny.

Laura Stout, my maternal grandmother, is something of a mentor to the average sweet potato - helping the orange tuber find and reach its greatest potential. When she has finished her tutelage, the sweet potato is transformed into a creamy, buttery, edible gift to gods and men - with a hint of vanilla and crunchy brown sugar topping.

As luck would have it, she's shared her recipe with her daughters and granddaughters when the time came for them to make their own holiday meals, far from Nanny's table.

This rich and sweet side-dish accompanies turkey as if they were fated to be together, making it perfect for both Christmas and Thanksgiving.

Preparation:

Peel, cut, and boil (or bake) 2 cups of sweet potatoes. This is usually one or two tubers, depending on their size. You'll be okay if you have a little extra, but be sure not to have too little. The whole dish will get runny.

Mix the potatoes together with:

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup milk

½ cup butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

dash of cinnamon

Pour this mixture into a small to medium casserole dish and set aside for a moment.

In a separate bowl, mix the following ingredients together very well:

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup flour

1 cup chopped pecans

Sprinkle this mixture as evenly as possible across the top of the sweet potato mixture. This topping is dense before it is cooked, but it will melt down nicely and form a solid layer of praline-esque yumminess in the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes in an oven that has been preheated to 350°. Let it cool for a few minutes before serving so that the topping has a chance to set.

Serve and enjoy, with this warning: You and your dinner guests may never be able to eat sweet potatoes that are prepared in any way but this. After all, why settle for anything less than sweet potato perfection?