Sweet Potato Casserole

Ok, who likes sweet potatoes? I certainly DO! They are wonderful treat for children, substituting the natural sugars for the highly processed candies that they so readily crave. My grandmother loved to make this often but, I have to admit, she had a bit of a sweet tooth. That's certainly evidenced by the tons of handwritten recipes I have of desserts she loved to try. This isn't a dessert, but it's a bit close. There's brown sugar in this as well as molasses, and she loved to top it with those mini marshmallows that add their own brand of sticky sweetness.

I've tried to eliminate the marshmallows on this treat, but if you're game, be my guest. It's a wonderful addition to the Thanksgiving meal, or for special occasions when you need something rich and decadent on your table to complement you main dish.

2 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes
1/4 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup light molasses
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
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• Wash potatoes, making sure to remove any traces of dirt.
• Place in pot and cover with water. Bring to boil.
• Simmer covered, 30 mins. or until tender. Drain.
• Preheat oven to 375º
• Let these cool until they are easy to handle, then peel and mash the potatoes.
• Stir in butter.
• In bowl beat the eggs, adding the sugar. Make sure the mixture is beaten thoroughly.
• Next, add milk, molasses, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, and continue to beat until well blended.
• Then, stir in mashed sweet potatoes and blend well.
• Turn mixture out into a buttered 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.
• Bake covered, 50-60 mins or until heated through.
Notes: Go wild! Add those mini marshmallows, or toast some pecans and chop, add them to your batter and to with whole pecans that are slightly toasted. Add coconut as a topping. Or yes, even ice cream if you want to be really bad. If you do add the mini marshmallows, remove the casserole a few minutes prior to completion of baking time, place the marshmallows and return to oven with the broiler on, continue to bake until the marshmallow topping is browned.