| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Inactive: | 20 min |
| Cook: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
Ingredients
- 6 pounds sweet potatoes
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons bourbon
- 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- Pecan Crumb Topping, optional
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- Pinch dried thyme
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 5 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into bits
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place the sweet potatoes on a foil lined baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until very soft to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool 20 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel them by hand and put the flesh in the bowl of a mixer. Using a paddle attachment, mix in the lemon zest and juice, maple syrup and brown sugar.
- Place the bourbon in a small saucepan and place over high heat. Let it come just to the boil and then tilt the pan slightly towards you to set it aflame*. Add to the potatoes along with the butter. Mix well. Add salt and pepper and transfer to a 13 by 9-inch oven-safe casserole dish. (Recipe can be made to this point up to 2 days before, refrigerated.) Sprinkle topping over potatoes and bake for 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.
- Alternatively, you may simply sprinkle the top of the casserole with a little bit of brown sugar and 1/2 cup chopped pecans.
- Mix the flour, brown sugar, salt, pepper, thyme and pecans together in a small bowl. Add the butter and work with your fingers until a crumbly mass forms.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 483 |
| Total Fat | 19 g |
| Saturated Fat | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 72 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 9 g |
| Sugar | 22 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 40 mg |
| Sodium | 736 mg |
Reviews
I am surprised that this recipe has received negative reviews. It’s delicious. I followed the recipe except I heated the bourbon to boiling but didn’t try to let it flame, mashed the potatoes thoroughly with a masher and did not need to use an electric mixer, and used only half the butter. I made the alternate topping in the recipe — a little brown sugar and chopped pecans. I had baked the sweet potatoes until they were very soft. The sweet potatoes I used were extremely sweet and flavorful on their own. I have made this recipe a number of times, and it’s always delicious. Everyone loved it at Thanksgiving dinner.
Honestly I don’t know what to suggest to save this recipe. As many others said, the lemon was too overpowering. Orange juice did help a bit. I’m wondering if the problem was the sweet potato itself. Perhaps yams would be better. The bourbon gave no taste – after the flames died down there was only about 1 tablespoon of liquid to add, and for 6 lbs of potatoes it wasn’t enough. Same with the maple syrup. The potatoes had no taste at all. Blah! I added more brown sugar and about 2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice to try and save it. Now for the topping. There isn’t enough butter to absorb all the dry ingredients. I ended up with white powder all over the top of the casserole. I haven’t served too many epic failures in my life, but this was definitely one of them!
I made this today for Easter dinner. I like the fact that you can assemble the day ahead. However, I followed the instructions on setting the bourbon “aflame” but had no luck with that happening. Therefore, I’m not sure if that effected the final outcome and flavor of the dish. Secondly, I juiced and zested one lemon as instructed, but it was a rather juicey lemon and it overpowered the flavor of the sweet potatoes, maple, & bourbon. It was still edible but, again, very citrusy in flavor. Thirdly, the crumb topping was not as delectible as some recipes that I’ve tried. It browned but never got crunchy. The butter to flour ratio didn’t seem appropriate. I will keep looking for a good sweet potatoe casserole recipe.
Just a few slight changes after reading some of the previous reviews and suggestions — I used a half and half mixture of lemon juice and orange juice, some Valencia orange zest, then added a cup of heavy whipping cream to smooth the consistency.
Delicious and flavorful, a great twist on sweet potatoes. I made these for a non-holiday and my guests loved them. Definitely going in the recipe box.
as i sit here thanksgiving morning printing the recipe again, i should share that these sweet potatos are excellent and they have become a regular at our holiday table. this recipe even sneaks in non-holiday time, it is so good!
Made this recipe for the past 2 years and everyone loved it. Nice change up from the gooey marshmallow topping. I made it with extra topping the second time.
This recipe is amazing! It has become a holiday classic. Perfect just the way it is.
this is the best sweet potato recipe I’ve ever used. Instead of lemon, I find orange juice and zest really bring out a great flavor in this dish. Otherwise, it is perfect as is! Don’t wait for a special holiday, try it now! My family demands it every year in bigger and bigger portions!
and these are easily the best sweet potatoes I have ever had. My grandson who’s only 17 months thought so too, he kept going for them across the table. I will definitely be doing these every year for Thanksgiving and some in between. Someone had given us a whiskey blended with honey that I would never buy and it was great in this.