Happy Thanksgiving! Sweet Potatoes

Every Thanksgiving, my dad is our chef.  I never interfere with the staples because they’re so good and if we didn’t have them, it wouldn’t really feel like Thanksgiving. This year, I’ll be contributing two dishes:  Sweet Potatoes and French Silk Pie.  What dish do you make every year that you can’t live without?  Please share them down below!

A long time ago, a friend’s friend delivered Thanksgiving leftovers to my apartment.  My friend Kateryna and I raved over his sweet potatoes.  He never surrendered the recipe, so I’ve recreated it here.  These potatoes are soft and creamy with a crunchy walnut strudel topping. 

10 sweet potatoes, cleaned but not peeled

¾ C. flour

½ C. oats

1 ½ C. packed brown sugar

1 t. baking powder

¾ t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 C. cold butter, divided

1 egg

2 C. walnuts (or pecans), chopped

Preheat oven to 400.  With a fork, prick each cleaned sweet potato and place on large baking sheet.  Bake for 50 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.  (You could also microwave them for about 12 minutes on high).  Remove them from the oven and allow to cool.  Lower oven’s temperature to 350.  Slice each potato in half, lengthwise and place in an oven-safe dish.  Make crosshatch cuts in each potato. 

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  Add the butter and work it into the mixture with your fingers until it is the size of peas.  Add the egg and cut it into the mixture with a knife and fork, until thoroughly combined.  Add the walnuts and toss to combine. 

Spread the leftover butter over the potatoes, allowing butter to melt into the crosshatches.  Spoon some of the strudel mixture on each potato and bake for 30 minutes until the topping is crunchy and golden brown.  These potatoes are great warm or at room temperature.