“This dish reminds me of my grandma.” My husband’s words. The definition of comfort food. This one has been part of my husband’s family’s holiday feasts for as long as he can remember, and we’ve carried on with this tradition in our own household.
The best gift that I ever received from my in-laws (besides my husband 😆) was a binder of all of my mother-in-law’s go-to recipes. Pages and pages collected through the years, with many photocopied from hand-written recipe cards. This was one of them, and both she and her sister gave me permission to share it. I’m not sure where the recipe originated from — it just says, “Tidewater Sweet-Potato Bake. Recipe from: Mother.” As far as I’m concerned, it’s hers!
This is not your typical sweet potato casserole. There are no marshmallow or pecans here. Just sweet potatoes, apples, nutmeg, butter, brown sugar, salt and pepper. If you’re looking to switch things up a bit, give this one a try!
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
1 (40-oz.) can of sweet potatoes, drained
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup melted butter, divided
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 medium apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (I’ve been using Gala apples, but you can use any that are good for cooking)
Directions
Mash the sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Add the salt, pepper, and half of the melted butter (4 Tbsp) and mix well.
Place the other 4 Tbsp of melted butter in a 1 1/2 to 2-quart casserole dish along with the brown sugar and nutmeg. Stir until the sugar has soaked up the butter, then spread the mixture into an even layer on the bottom of the dish.
Arrange the apple slices on top of the brown sugar mixture. Finally, top with the mashed sweet potatoes, and smooth it out.
Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes. Serve warm.
Visuals
Technically, sweet potatoes and yams are different vegetables. However, they are sometimes marketed as the same thing, as seen on the can pictured here. Just go with it, I guess!
Drain the sweet potatoes from the syrup and place them in a large bowl.
Season with salt and pepper, and pour in 4 Tbsp of the melted butter.
Mash them up!
Get them as smooth as you want.
Melt the other 4 Tbsp of butter in the casserole dish. I just do this in the microwave.
Add the brown sugar and nutmeg, and stir until the sugar has absorbed the butter like this.
I like to quarter my apples, then cut into the center at an angle to remove the core.
Then slice each quarter into thin slices, about 1/8-inch.
The original recipe says to spoon the apple slices on top of the brown sugar mixture. I like to be a little more deliberate about it and layer them like so. Not sure if it really makes a difference once they cook down, but I feel like they fit better this way.
Top with the mashed sweet potatoes, and gently press down with a rubber spatula, creating an even layer. Bake for 45 minutes at 350°F.
Optional step (not part of the original recipe): Reserve a few apple slices, with the peel on, and sprinkle them with raw sugar. If you have a kitchen torch, you can use it to melt the sugar on top, brûlée-style! If no torch, you can lay the sugared apple slices on a baking sheet and broil them on the top rack of the oven for a couple of minutes. Use them to garnish the baked casserole.
Serve warm - scoop and enjoy!
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