Sweet Potatoes with Pralines
Submitted by acoster
Creamy mashed sweet potatoes topped with a buttery pecan praline sauce cooked to soft ball stage. A make-ahead Southern side dish that belongs on every holiday table.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
20 minREADY
60 minNow this, cher, is how they do sweet potatoes down in Louisiana.
Boiled sweet potatoes get mashed with butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and milk until velvety smooth, then poured into a casserole.
The topping is where things get serious: heavy cream and brown sugar simmered together to the soft ball stage, then beaten with melted butter and chopped pecans into a proper praline sauce.
That whole glorious mixture gets poured right over the sweet potatoes and baked until it’s bubbling and caramelized.
Best of all, you can make the whole thing up to two days ahead and just reheat when the time comes.
Pro Tips
- Cook the praline to soft ball stage and not a degree more. Use a candy thermometer if you have one. Overcooked praline turns hard and grainy instead of staying saucy and pourable.
- Beat the praline mixture quickly after removing from heat. Adding the butter and pecans while it’s hot gives you a smooth, glossy sauce.
- Make it ahead and store in the fridge up to 2 days. The flavors actually deepen overnight, and reheating in the oven brings back that bubbly, caramelized top.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Peel and boil sweet potatoes in a covered saucepan until tender - about 20 minutes.
Drain and mash.
Mix in the softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and milk.
Pour into a baking dish or casserole.
Bring cream to simmer in a small saucepan.
Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved.
Cook over medium heat to soft ball stage - 235 degrees F.
Remove from heat and beat in butter and pecans.
Pour over sweet potato mixture.
All of the above may be done up to 2 days in advance and stored in the fridge.
Then just heat in the oven until bubbling hot and enjoy.
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