For this holiday season, I want to share a recipe on how to capture all the fall flavors with a sweet potato casserole. My family makes this dish during Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

When I was younger, my dad and I would make this casserole. I hate sweet potatoes on their own. He told me he wouldn’t continue making the dish until I took a bite out of the sweet potato. I was so mad and disgusted by the taste, but then I was happy I had tried the casserole. This dish will be sure to get rid of your sweet tooth.

Filling:

• 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
• ½ cup of milk
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon of kosher salt
• 2 large eggs

For the topping:

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup brown sugar packed
• ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt
• ¾ cup chopped pecans
• 4 tablespoons of unsalted melted butter

For the filling: Mix together the sweet potatoes, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, eggs, and butter in a large bowl. Then transfer it to the baking dish.

For the topping: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine the flour, brown sugar, butter, and salt into a bowl until it clumps together. Once that’s done, add the pecans and then spread it over the top of the sweet potatoes. Bake until golden on top for 25-30 minutes.

You can also eat it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Illustrations by Mlen Azurin and Mia Gonzalez/Hawkview