Give thanks for sweet potato casserole

Today's installment in “Foods To Be Thankful For” is my mom's amazing sweet potato casserole. In case you missed the delicious carrot bisque featured last week, check out the simply elegant soup recipe at kitchenscoop.com.

But back to the humble sweet potato and the not-so-humble casserole by the same name. A plain baked sweet potato, with just a touch of butter, is enough to have me singing the veggie's praises. (And I always throw a few extra potatoes in the oven when I'm prepping for this casserole so I can do just that.) These baked beauties stirred into Gayle's Sweet Potato Casserole is enough to make me belt out the “Hallelujah Chorus”!

Seriously, folks, you haven't tasted perfection in casserole form until you've sampled this one. To my knowledge, in the 40-plus years I've been eating this casserole, there has never been a soul who tasted it and didn't practically swoon.

Now before you faint at the calorie count, know that this is a no-calories-saved, old-fashioned Southern recipe. Paula Deen would definitely be proud of the amount of butter and sugar in Mom's side dish. Some members of my family even save it for dessert, it's that rich. Leftovers, if you're lucky enough, are wonderful as well. See the recipe notes for the do-ahead hints. Thanks go to my mom, Gayle Brady, for this classic holiday dish.

Ÿ Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross are co-authors of “Desperation Dinners!” Write them at Desperation Dinners, c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106, or tellus@kitchenscoop.com. More at the Desperation Dinners website, kitchenscoop.com.