Memaw’s Sweet Potato Casserole
(aka “That Orange Stuff ”)
Filling:
6-8 sweet potatoes
1 can Pet brand evaporated milk
1 tbs apple pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cloves
1 stick butter
1 bag mini marshmallows
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tbs vanilla
pinch of salt
Topping:
½ box light brown sugar
1 cup self rising flour
1 ½ cups chopped pecans
butter
1) Boil potatoes (skin on) until tender. Once drained and slightly cooled, remove skins and beat with hand mixer until fluffy. Add the egg,1 stick of melted butter, evaporated milk, vanilla, spices and salt and blend well (note: the spice measurements are a general guideline; tweak it until it hits your sweet spot). Fold in marshmallows and spread mixture evenly into a pan. Cook on 350 until bubbly.
2) For topping, combine brown sugar and flour, adding just a bit of melted butter to the mixture to create a crumbly texture. Sprinkle over casserole and top with pecan pieces. Bake until pecans are brown. Be prepared that people may take large hunks of the topping and very little of the actual casserole. Brothers are notorious for that move.
Pumpkin Bread
3 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
16oz unsweetened canned pumpkin
3 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cloves
2/3 cup water
2 cups golden raisins
2 cups chopped nuts (I prefer pecans)
1) Combine sugar, oil, eggs and pumpkin. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl (once again, the spice measurements are a guideline – make it what you like). Blend dry ingredients and water into the pumpkin mixture until smooth. Fold in raisins and pecans.
2) Pour batter into greased/floured pans (you can use loaf pans, mini loafs, a bundt, a cupcake tin…whatever floats your boat) and bake at 350 for about an hour (it takes a good long while, so make sure to test the center before declaring it finished). Is excellent served with a smear of honeyed cream cheese. Also makes a great gift for people you don’t really want to buy gifts for (read: slightly annoying neighbors, bosses etc.)
Mom’s Hashbrown Casserole
2 bags frozen hash browns (cubed or shredded), thawed
2 large white onions, diced
2 sticks butter
2 small cans of cream of mushroom soup
1 small cans of cream of chicken mushroom soup
4 cups shredded cheese (I use cheddar and colby, but anything goes here)
4-5 cups rice krispies
1) Combine thawed hash browns with diced onions and pour 1 stick of melted butter over the top. Stir in soups and follow by adding cheese in small batches until uniformly distributed. Season to taste and bake on 400 for 30-45 minutes until browned and bubbly.
2) For topping, combine 1 stick of melted butter with the rice krispies and stir to coat fully. Spread topping over entire casserole and return to oven for a few minutes until browned and crisp. You should note that this makes enough potatoes for a small army (or a handful of starving relatives) so scale accordingly.
Butter Gooey
1 box Duncan Hines brand butter cake mix
1 stick butter
1 8oz. container Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1 box confectioner’s sugar
1 large egg
Pecans
1) Melt butter in microwave and combine with dry cake mix until moistened throughout. Press into bottom of 9×13 pan. Bake on 350 for 10-15 minutes (or until light gold in color).
2)While crust is baking, mix cream cheese, egg and confectioner’s sugar with a hand mixer until smooth.
3) Take the crust out of the oven and immediately pour the filling on top of crust. Top with pecans (chopped or halved). Bake on 350 for about 30 minutes, watching closely to ensure the pecans don’t burn. Let the pan stand to cool before cutting into squares. Commence eating entire pan because you can’t stop yourself. Feel bad about it later, but then make another batch.
