Sweet Potato Casserole

By Cyndi645

This is a large recipe, I would cut it down in half.

Ingredients

• 7 pounds sweet potatoes
• Streusel
• 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 5 T unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces and softened
• 1 cup pecans
• Filling
• 5 T unsalted butter, melted
• 4 tsp lemon juice
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• granulated sugar
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups half and half

Preparation

Step 1

Potatoes

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Poke sweet potatoes several times with paring knife and space evenly on aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake potatoes, turning once, until they are very tender and can be squeezed easily with tongs, 1-1 1/2 hours. Remove potatoes from oven and cut in half lengthwise to let steam escape; let cool for at least 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

Streusel

While potatoes are baking, grease 13 by 9 inch baking dish. Pulse flour, brown sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, about 4 pulses. Scatter butter over top and pulse until crumbly mass forms, 6 to 8 pulses. Sprinkle nuts over mixture and pulse until combined but some large nut pieces remain, 4 to 6 pulses. Transfer streusel to medium bowl.

Once potatoes have cooled slightly, scoop flesh from each half into large bowl (you should have about 8 cups). Transfer half of potatoe to now-empty food processor. Using rubber spatula, break remaining potato flesh in bowl into coarse 1 inch chunks.

Filling

Add melted butter, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to potatoes in food processor and process until smooth, about 20 seconds. Taste for sweetness, then add up to 1/4 cup sugar, if necessary. Add egg yolks. With processor running, pour in half and half and process until blended, about 20 seconds. Transfer mixture to bowl with potato pieces and stir gently until combined.

Pour filling into prepared baking dish and spread into even layer with spatula. Sprinkle with streusel, breaking up any large pieces with your fingers. Bake until topping is well browned and filling is slightly puffy around edges, 40-45 minutes. Let casserole cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.