Sweet Potatoes

I'd been searching for something different than our usual sweet potato casserole. Lo and Behold! I found it here (with a little personalization)!

How to Make Candied Sweet Potatoes
Pick up your sweet potatoes. You need 3-4 pounds, about 5 or 6 medium sweet potatoes. Look for sweet potatoes with a reddish/copper skin that’s smooth and firm. Store in a cool, dry place until ready to use.

Peel & slice sweet potatoes. When you’re ready to make this dish, peel the potatoes and slice into 1/2 inch slices. The thickness of the slices is important because (1) any smaller and the slices will over-cook and (2) any larger and the slices will under-cook. Place potato slices in a large casserole dish and toss with salt.

Make the sauce. Put all the sauce ingredients into a pot, boil 2 minutes, then stir in vanilla extract. Vanilla extract is a recent (and welcome) addition to our family recipe because it adds SO much flavor. Just wait until you smell the sauce when you stir in that vanilla– you’ll already know you’re making something delicious!

Pour over sweet potatoes. Pour sauce over potatoes and toss everything together so the sauce evenly coats all the slices.
Bake for 1 hour. Stop and stir the sweet potatoes every 20 minutes to ensure the sauce caramelizes on each potato.

Ingredients

• 5–6 medium sweet potatoes (3–4 lbs)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick; 115g) unsalted butter
• 2 Tablespoons (30ml) water
• 1/4 cup (60ml) pure maple syrup
• 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• optional: 2 teaspoons orange zest
• optional for garnish: chopped fresh or dried rosemary, sea salt
• my easy addition: chopped pecans to taste

Instructions

1. Peel then slice the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place in a greased 9×13 inch or other 3 quart baking dish. Sprinkle salt on top and toss to coat. I just use nonstick spray to grease.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C).
3. Make the sauce: Cut stick of butter in half. (Helps it melt easier.) Combine all the butter, water, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until the butter has melted. Stop stirring and bring to a gentle boil. Boil for 2 minutes without stirring. Remove sauce from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and chopped pecans. (And orange zest, if using.)
4. Pour sauce over potatoes and toss to coat.
5. Bake for 1 hour, stopping and stirring the sweet potatoes every 20 minutes. After the first 20 minutes, I cover the dish with aluminum foil so the potatoes bake evenly.
6. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt (if using), then cool uncovered for 10 minutes before serving. The sauce is thin right out of the oven but thickens as it cools.
7. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Sauce will be thick after refrigeration, but thins out as you warm the leftovers up. Simply warm in the microwave.

Easy and amazingly delicious! I prepared the plate (shown above) for a women's gathering at our church and it was a hit! If you bring this to the Thanksgiving or holiday table, be prepared to let folks know where to find the recipe!

Original recipe: https://tastyrecipesfood.com/candied-sweet-potatoes/