sweet-potato-casserole-with-bourbon-pecans

Winter Best Food

Sweet Potato Casserole with Bourbon Pecans

Cooking the sweet potatoes in a slow cooker frees up space on the stove if you're cooking a big holiday dinner—plus you can serve it straight from the crock if you'd like.

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds sweet potatoes
  • Zest and juice of 1 orange
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
  • ½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 tablespoon bourbon
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

Directions

  1. Peel sweet potatoes and slice 1/4 inch thick. Place in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Add orange zest, orange juice, 2 tablespoons each butter and brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Cover and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 3 hours on High or 61/2 hours on Low. Mash with a potato masher until smooth.

  2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until foaming. Add pecans, bourbon, cayenne and the remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

  3. Transfer the sweet potatoes to a serving dish, if desired, and sprinkle with the pecans.